Journal Article Critical Analysis
Utilizing the information gained from your reading of Chapters 4 and 5 of the text, critically analyze one of the scholarly articles found in The Ashford Journal of Criminal Justice.
In a critical analysis of the article, complete the following:
• Provide the formal APA citation of the source.
• Summarize the article's thesis and main points in one or two paragraphs, at maximum.
• Critically evaluate the relevance of the data used to support the thesis of the article.
• Evaluate the significance of the sources, including whether they are primary or secondary sources.
• Provide examples of either the presence of bias or lack of bias evidenced by the authors.
• Critique (as defined in Chapter 5) the accuracy, acceptability, strengths and weaknesses, and overall soundness of the article. In your critique, consider whether or not the authors persuaded you with their viewpoints.
• Using source "treeing," as described in Chapter 4.1 of your text, find two related scholarly articles and explain how the articles you found could be used to support or contradict the premise and findings of the article being critiqued.
The paper must be three to four pages in length, excluding title and reference pages, and formatted according to APA style.
You must use at least three scholarly sources, which includes the article you are reviewing, two articles that support or contradict the initial article, and any other sources that support your analysis.
Cite your sources within the text of your paper and on the reference page. For information regarding APA, including samples and tutorials, visit the Ashford Writing Center, located within the Learning Resources tab on the left navigation toolbar, in your online course.
Treeing is a technique by which a student examines the references section of an article to determine whether some of the sources cited might also be of value as part of his or her current research project.
This technique is particularly effective when the student identifies a spot-on research article directly addressing the issue of interest; odds are, some of the references in that article may be references the student wishes to consult for his or her own research paper.
Even if a particular research article is not ultimately cited in the research paper, some of the references from that article may be valuable for treeing. Thus, be sure to save PDFs and paper copies because those resources may be valuable in a different context. For an example of treeing, see Tips & Tools: Example of Treeing.
• Robinson, D. M., & Landrum, R. E. (2013). Social and criminal justice: A capstone. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
o This text is a ConstellationTM course digital materials (CDM) title.
• Silver, S. (Ed.). (2014). The Ashford journal of criminal justice. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.