Follow the instructions attached below.
SS3A: Exercise 1
Please type your answer’s in a readable color, such as blue.
Name: Ruby Baranbo
Exercise 1: Key Aspects of Academic Articles
Please fill out these questions; information can be drawn from readings as well as lectures and labs. Although the reading discusses research in social psychology, the details about reading APA research reports apply to our class, as well as the majority of social science articles. While the model tends to center on quantitative approaches, qualitative work often incorporates a similar logic as there is an expectation that the approach one uses is explicated in some manner so that readers can understand the underlying logics of the research and findings.
The first set of questions refer to both articles in general and some:
1. Why is it important to know how to read journal articles?
It is important to know how to read journal articles because they document how social scientists build knowledge and understanding them allows students to focus on the core ideas and findings of a study without being stuck on the complex language and statistics.
2. Why is having documentation of past research on a topic important?
Having documentation on past research on a topic is important as it allows researchers to build on existing knowledge. It also serves as a permanent archive of empirical findings which is important for the development of theories.
3. What is the difference between a research report and a review article?
A research report presents empirical studies with specific data and findings, whereas a review article summarizes previous studies on a topic that is organized around a research question and identifies the gaps that remain.
4. What can you learn from the title? (Note: The first mention of variables is in the paragraphs describing the title. Make notes on variables as you read through the article- you will need to understand variables for your research paper.
The title of a paper gives a concise statement about the main theoretical issues or variables studied. Variables are the elements in a study that can change or vary. They also name independent variables which are the things that are being manipulated or categorized, and dependent variables which are those being measured for change.
5. How long is the abstract?
They are usually under 150 words and they summarize the study research question, methods, and findings.
6. You will write an introduction to a research report. How does the introduction begin?
The introduction begins broadly by introducing the research problem and why it matters theoretically and practically, then it narrows into a specific hypothesis that the study aims to answer.
7. What does the author try to accomplish in the first two or three paragraphs of the introduction?
In the first two or three paragraphs, the author provides background, explains the relevance of the topic, and outlines previous research. These paragraphs set ip the logic that leads to the hypothesis.
8. What three components are described in the methods section?
1. Participants: who was studied
2. Materials: tools used
3. Procedures: how the study was conducted and what the variables were
9. Why is the information presented in the results section often intimidating?
The results in the results section are intimidating because they include complex and statistical language, but the key findings are also sometimes explained in plain English with tables or graphs to help summaraize the date.
10. What is a hypothesis?
A hypothesis is a specific and testable prediction that is derived from a theory or observation that the study is designed to support or refute.
11. Why do readers often read the first few paragraphs of the discussion section before reading the entire report?
The first few paragraphs give a concise summary of the study’s major findings. It can serve as a guide for what to focus on throughout the report.
The next few questions refer to the article as a whole:
12. Although this article does not state it specifically, the hypotheses are placed at the end of the introduction, just before the methods section. Why do you think this is a natural place for them?
I think they are placed at the end of the introduction because the intro builds a logical foundation for the hypotheses, so placing them at the end allows the reader to see how the background leads to the predictions tested.
13. Where will you find the number of participants as well as characteristics such as the age and gender?
It can be found in the methods section, under the subsection that describes the participants.
14. Where will you find the statistics for the results of the research?
They are found in the results section.
15. If you are looking for ideas for your own research, where might you find help in a research article? (Hint: The answer is at the toward the end of the article).
Towards the end of the discussion section where the authors mention study limitations and future research suggestions.
When you have completed this exercise, please submit to Canvas.