For this task, you will augment contents of the toolkit listed below with at least three questions and strategies from your readings, and use it to critically read and evaluate research articles for your dissertation.
You will conduct a critical analysis where you discuss the quality of two articles that contribute to theory in your topic area. Note a critical analysis should also include contradictions and uncertainties - if these were not included in the article it should be noted. Choose short articles (fewer than 10 pages) if possible. Submit your analysis of both articles in a single brief paper. Include links to the articles in your references.
Use the contents of the toolkit below as a guide, adding at least three of your own questions to use in interrogating research articles.
The contents of the toolkit you will use and augment are listed below:
1. What is the problem the study addresses, specifically as it relates to my topic?
2. What is the purpose of the research, how will it influence my topic?
3. Do the research questions serve the purpose of the study and address the problem? Does the design answer the questions? Do the data actually support the conclusions? Have I looked at the data reports myself? Do the answers influence my topic in any way, how?
4. What are the main conclusions of the paper, specifically as they relate to my topic? Why are the conclusions important, specifically as they relate to my topic?
5. Does the paper follow Trochim and Donnelly's (2008) definition of validity "the best possible approximation of the truth of a given proposition, inference, or conclusion" (p. 14)?
6. Draw a mental picture of the theoretical and observational levels of the study. Is the study helpful to me at the theoretical/conceptual level? After mentally drawing a picture, are there any possible confounds and sources of error? Specifically, are there any that I need to consider in my research?
7. Is the paper objective?
8. How was rigor assured? Were credibility, dependability, transferability, and goodness discussed?
9. What are recommendations made to suggest how the research findings can be developed? Does it specifically relate to my research?
10. What was the quality of the methods used?
11. Did the article include opposing arguments and a provide rationale for the findings in light of the arguments?
12. Were alternate and opposing perspectives presented?
13. Are common and diverging themes evident?
14. What overarching concepts in the field of education are addressed?
You should use headings to help you organize your analysis and to ensure you include the questions from the toolkit.