Use the following criteria to evaluate an author’s use of literature. • Look for indications of the following ways the author used literature: • Introduce a problem • Introduce a theory • Provide direction to the research questions and/or hypotheses • Compare results with existing literature or predictions • Did the author mention the problem addressed by the study? • Is the purpose of the study stated? • Are key variables in the study defined? • Is information about the sample, population, or participants provided? • Are the key results of the study summarized? • Does the author provide a critique of the literature? • Are sources cited to support points? • Are the citations to recent literature (within the past 5 years with the exception of seminal works)? • Does the literature justify the importance of the topic studied?
Problem Statement Checklist
Use the following criteria to evaluate an author’s problem statement: • Is a problem identified that leads to the need for this study? • Is a rationale or justification for the problem clearly stated? • Is the problem framed in a way that is consistent with the research approach? • Does the statement convey how the study will address the problem? • Are the citations to literature current (i.e., within the past 5 years with the exception of seminal works)?