ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVE:
This assessment develops critical thinking skills and builds understanding of research design through an evaluation of a research article from a peer-review perspective. You will identify and analyse aspects of research that are well designed and implemented and aspects considered weaknesses, or flaws, in the research design. This assessment prepares your understanding for the importance of a disciplined enquiry where the data, arguments and reasoning are capable of withstanding careful scrutiny by another member of the scientific community; and, progresses your understanding of research design, methodology, methods, reliability and validity, and presentation. The article to be critiqued is:
Egan, K, Harcourt, D, Rumsey, N & Appearance Research Collaboration, 2011, A qualitative study of the experiences of people who identify themselves as having adjusted positively to a visible difference, Journal of Health Psychology, 16(5): 739-749.
GUIDELINES:
Write the article’s title at the beginning of your paper. No introduction or conclusion is required.
Discuss what you consider are the most relevant strengths and weaknesses of the research article using the 10 guiding points as outlined below. Your critique should analyse the strengths and weaknesses of the study in relation to all points listed.
1. Aims and Questions/Hypotheses
2. Rationale and Justification for the Study
3. Clarity of Definitions, Concepts and/or Variables (Conceptualisation)
4. Methodology and Methods
5. Population Definitions and Sample Selection
6. How the Ethical Issues were Handled
7. Reporting of Results
8. Interpretation of Results
9. Conclusions, Implications and Recommendations
10. Report Presentation (Including writing style, structure, figures, tables, referencing, etc.)
While there may be some overlaps between points, please discuss all 10 points when evaluating the research article. These 10 points may be used as headings in your paper, as each point will be assessed for marking.
All arguments must be referenced to authoritative and scholarly literature. Use the Neuman text in the first instance for your critique but also include other research texts from the course readings and library searches.
Remember that you need to demonstrate your understanding of relevant research concepts by providing concise explanations that are duly referenced
While most journals only require page numbers for verbatim quotations, include the page number within all in-text referencing, whether direct quoting or paraphrasing.
Provide a Harvard Author-Date reference list
Submit your paper by no later than the due date/time via learnonline. Your paper will also process through the Turnitin text comparison software. You do NOT need to attach an assignment cover sheet and the feedback sheet pro forma.
Late submissions will incur penalties according to the guidelines of the school.
Course Content:
The students will develop ability to conceptualise meanings of knowledge, overview of the research process; research as practice with examples from social research as activism, social policy development, community development, submissions for funding for organisations and programs and evidence based daily practice; formulating the research question and aims; the use and engagement of literature in research; research design including theoretical orientations; sampling methods; ethics, equity and diversity; introduction to examples of qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection and analysis; and writing research proposals.
Textbook(s):
You will need continual access to the following text(s) to complete this course. The library does not hold multiple copies of the nominated text books. It is strongly recommended that you purchase the book(s).
Neuman, WL 2011, Social research methods: qualitative and quantitative approaches, 7th edn, Pearson, Boston.
Welcome to Social Enquiry Methods.
Social Enquiry Methods is a course designed to introduce students to research in social work and the human services. As a philosophical foundation, the course seeks to provide students with an appreciation of the value of research and a critical understanding of knowledge and meanings in the human services. Students will learn how research can be used to achieve professional aims by enabling the analysis of social issues, the examination of social policies and programs and the critical interrogation of practice. Then, the course quickly moves on to the ‘how’ of research including an overview of the research process, formulating the research question and aims, the use of and engagement with literature, research design, sampling methods, ethics, introduction to methods of data collection and analysis and the writing of research proposals. You will not be expected to conduct research in this course. The course requirements end with the submission of a research proposal.
Your participation all throughout the study period will be essential to your successful completion of the course. In preparing a research proposal, you would need strong skills in conceptualising research problems, engaging with the literature, research design and academic writing. In this course, we hope to further enhance these skills which, we trust, you have started to build in your previous courses. Please study this course outline in its entirety. You will also need continual access to the course textbook to complete this course.
Course Objectives:
On completion of this course, students should be able to:
CO1. Analyse how research relates to evidence based practice in the human services.
CO2. Critically assess research reports and academic literature
CO3. Conduct and write a literature review
CO4. Compare introductory qualitative and quantitative research methods and their applicators
CO5. Understand and implement research design and analyse findings