I. Find an article to critique.
A. Find references in the assigned chapters of your textbook that interest you.
B. Locate the citation of a reference in the "References" section of your textbook.
C. Determine if the article meets the following requirements:
The article must be chosen from a peer-reviewed journal. This means that the article cannot be from popular magazines such as Parent, Time, People, Psychology Today, or the like. If you are unsure about whether the journal article is appropriate, see your instructor for guidance before going to the library and retrieving the article. Keep in mind that this assignment requires a journal article; books are not appropriate for this assignment. Further, the article must represent a research report. Reviews or summaries of research, even past research completed by the author, are not appropriate for this assignment. If the article you choose does not contain a Methods section, it likely does not meet the requirements for this assignment.
D. Find copies of the article in the library. The articles may also be available through the library's online databases or available in print. Alternatively, you may use a collection of articles (in book form) that I have on reserve in the Saddleback College, whether or not they are cited in your textbook. However, realize that not all articles in the collection represent studies. With advanced notice to your instructor, you may use an article that is not cited in your textbook if it reports on a study related to social psychology. Please have your instructor initial these articles for approval.
II. Read the article.
A. Take notes while you read. Don't be afraid to write comments in the margin, underline phrases, or highlight sentences.
B. Look for the following in the article and address the following questions in essay form along with III-D:
1. What was the aim of the study and who were the investigators?
2. How did the investigators measure the topic(s) of interest? Was the method of measurement appropriate?
3. Who were the subjects/participants in the study? Were they chosen well?
4. What was the overall design of the study (e.g., case study, correlation, etc.)? What were their assumptions or hypotheses?
5. Were there any ethical concerns with the study?
6. What were the results? Were the hypotheses supported? Were you convinced by the evidence/data provided?
7. What did the investigators conclude? Are there alternative explanations not provided by the investigators?
C. Contact your instructor if you have any questions about the paper before the paper is due.
III. Write your critique.
A. Write your critique in a format appropriate for college level work.
B. Use an introductory paragraph to discuss what your critique and article are about and a concluding paragraph to wrap things up.
C. Follow the guidelines for critiquing the article above (II). Most of the questions in IIB, above will require a lengthy discussion of about a paragraph each. Use the study itself, the textbook, and any additional resources necessary to support your observations.
D. Conclude by addressing whether the author of your textbook adequately or appropriately cited the article.
What did the author of your textbook have to say about the study? However, if you use an article not cited in your textbook, then address whether or not the author should have used the article in the book. Why or why not? Keep in mind that you are reporting whether the study was reported accurately by the author or justifying why the study should/should not be used in the text.
E. Attach the article to your paper.
F. See your course syllabus for additional information.