Homework: Critical Appraisal
Write 1,000 words critical appraisal of a research article from an academic journal. Students will be provided with a choice of articles to appraise, which will be posted on the course.
The critical appraisal is designed to provide students with an opportunity to critically review the overall appropriateness of the research design underpinning a piece of social science research. This will involve assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the particular methodological approach adopted in the research and commenting on its suitability to address the research questions. Your appraisal should be specifically methodological in focus.
Here are few guiding questions to help you write and focus on reviewing:
o The research questions the author(s) set out to address. Are they concrete and appropriate?
o The combination of methods being employed. Are they appropriate and fully justified?
o To what extent are the methods chosen suitable to answer the research questions? Are they coherent and well-aligned?
o Did the authors describe their methods fully? What are some gaps you identified?
o What the data and evidence is. How were they collected/recorded/retrieved, analysed and interpreted?
o The methodological and epistemological strengths/weaknesses of the research design. What ontological and epistemological assumptions are made by the author[s]?
o Ethical and/or political issues concerning the research. Are they apparent and being addressed by the author[s]?
Format your homework according to the following formatting requirements:
o The answer should be typed, using Times New Roman font (size 12), double spaced, with one-inch margins on all sides.
o The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the homework, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
o Also include a reference page. The Citations and references must follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.