Description
I. Introduction and Statement of Purpose • Briefly describe what the study was about in about one paragraph; however, avoid getting into too much detail. Subsequent sections will be used to address further details about the study. • What was the author’s or authors’ general purpose for carrying out this study? Keep in mind there may be more than one purpose. II. Theoretical Assumptions and Thesis/Hypothesis • Briefly describe the theoretical assumption(s) associated with the proposed thesis/hypothesis (or hypotheses). Be very clear if there are multiple hypotheses, and utilize appropriate subheadings if needed. • What is the thesis provided (hint: look for the proposed hypothesis)? Please note, there may be more than one hypothesis (i.e., multiple hypotheses). III. Methods • Relatively briefly, but thoroughly, describe the main aspects of the study methodology. • Be sure to include information regarding: the study design, participants (e.g., who were they, how were they recruited, how many were there?), variables of interest (i.e., independent, dependent, and other showcased variables), data collection process (i.e., what was the timeframe of the data collection, what data collection instruments were used, were the instruments reliable and valid, what was done with the data?), and operational definitions of key terms if necessary. IV. Results • What were the major findings of the study, especially in relation to the thesis/hypothesis? • Was the hypothesis supported or not supported? (If there were multiple hypotheses, be sure to address each one). • What other important statistical relationships were found? V. Assessment of the Study and Limitations • What was your impression of how the author(s) conducted the study? • Did the methodology seem appropriate? Whether your answer is “yes” or “no”; be sure to justify your answer (a simple yes or no answer will not suffice). Could the study design have been improved? Is there anything you would have done differently? • What were the stated limitations of the study?
