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CJUS 230 Journal Evaluation 1
Criminal Justice Research and Writing (Liberty
University)
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READING AND EVALUATING PEER REVIEWED JOURNAL LITERATURE
Professor Presley
Liberty University
Evaluation Form
NAME: Zachary Cushman Date: 08/27/2021
Reference
Nnam, M. U. (2014). Secret cult menace in Nigeria within the context of social structure and
political economy: A critical analysis. International Journal of Criminal Justice Sciences,
9(2), 171-180.
1.
A.
B.
1. OUTLINE: Use the exact titles
and subtitles in the article
Use alphanumeric style
I. (APA level 1)
A. (APA level 2)
1. (APA level 3)
a. (APA level 4)
(1) (APA level 5)
II. And so on
I. Introduction
II. General Overview of the Concept of Secret Cult in
Nigeria
III. How Social Structure and Political Economy
Generate and Sustain Secret Cult Menace in Nigeria?
IV. The Pros and Cons of Secret Cult Menace in Nigeria:
A Sociological/Criminological Argument
V. Conclusion
2. PURPOSE: (State, as
accurately as possible, the
author’s purpose for writing the
article. What was the author trying
to accomplish? What portion of the
article leads you to identify the
author’s purpose?)
[Abstract, summary, conclusion]
“This article,
therefore, is designed to critically analyse secret cult
menace in Nigeria by linking the core of the
problem to our religious beliefs and oppressive colonial
and post-colonial social structure/political
economy.” p. 171
“The thrust of this article is to critically analyse the
vexed issue of secret cult menace in
Nigeria by linking the problem to our religious beliefs
and oppressive colonial and postcolonial social
lOMoARcPSD|22517024
READING AND EVALUATING PEER REVIEWED JOURNAL LITERATURE
Professor Presley
Liberty University
C.
D.
E.
structure/political economy.” p. 179
3. KEY QUESTION: (Your goal
is to figure out the key question
that was in the author’s mind when
he or she wrote the article. In other
words, what key question is
addressed?)
[the key issue is…., the main
point is…]
The main point is:
“The article established that cultism
has both negative and positive consequences, but the
former weighs heavier than the latter when
objectively compared and contrasted.” p. 171
4. LITERATURE REVIEW “Fraternity is a “social organisation of male college
students while confraternity is an association of persons
unified in a common purpose or profession, and cult is a
system or community of religious worship or rituals
generally considered to be extremist and bogus”
(ThisDay, 11 October, 1997, P. 28 cited in Palu, 1999,
p.
151).” p. 171-172
“The concept of social structure, according to Giddens
(2006, p.
8), “refers to the fact that the social contexts of our lives
do not consist just of random
assortments of events or actions; they are structured, or
patterned, in distinct ways. There
are regularities in the ways we behave and in the
relationships we have with one another”.” p. 174
5. MOST IMPORTANT
INFORMATION: Key
information, suppositions, facts,
data
“The article also recommends the establishment of a
proactive Anti-Cult
outfit comprising credible students and untainted school
lOMoARcPSD|22517024
READING AND EVALUATING PEER REVIEWED JOURNAL LITERATURE
Professor Presley
Liberty University
F.
[the main point is…, the
most important point…]
Transition signals
1. Addition-also, another,
next, first, other
2. Cause and effect-because,
since, therefore, as a
result
3. Comparison-like, equally,
just as
4. Contrast-but, yet, on
the contrary, however
5. Emphasis-most, above
all, key factor, especially
6. Illustration-for example,
for instance
7. Conclusion – finally,
in sum, in conclusion
security personnel that will liaise with the host
community vigilance groups and conventional Police
Force to forestall cult menace.” p. 171
“Since that rupture, the two confraternities have not
witnessed further divisions.” p.174
“Like other sectors of the Nigerian economy, the
control of these schools was predominantly under White
academics and administrators.” p. 173
“The article established that cultism
has both negative and positive consequences, but the
former weighs heavier than the latter when
objectively compared and contrasted.” p. 171
“The doctrines of most religious cults are wreathed in
metaphysics, mysticism,
telepathy, esoteric, magical powers of
influence, exorcism, hypnosis, channelling and
necromancy.” p. 172
“For instance, the ancient Mende and Temne
chiefdoms in the present-day Sierra Leone have revered
secret cult called ‘Poro’ (strictly for men) and ‘Sande’
(only for women).” p. 172
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READING AND EVALUATING PEER REVIEWED JOURNAL LITERATURE
Professor Presley
Liberty University
G.
“This Officer did not only secure the
release of his children, but also flew them abroad shortly
afterwards for further studies.” p. 176
“The collective sentiments
therefore should only be moderate enough as not to crush
originality: both the originality of the criminal (cult
members), and the originality of the genius (non-cult
members). Durkheim and his advocates, i.e. Haralambos
and Holborn infer that crime is not only inevitable but
also functional; it only becomes dysfunctional when its
rate is unusually higher or low.” p. 177
“To some observers, however, a distinction needs to
be made between fraternity, confraternity
and cult, given that these concepts (to them) are not the
same.” p. 171
“This claim was however, debunked by the latter who
rather accused the former of being opinionated,
tribalistic, despotic, imperious, and indeed, of being used
by the ‘never-want-to-go’ colonial masters and military
juntas to further oppress and annihilate many defenceless
Nigerian victims (women, children, the sick and disabled,
and underage civilians) before, during and after the
notorious civil war in the country.” p. 174
6. METHODOLOGY(Key
methods used)
[Methods: What model is used,
No Method or Hypothesis
lOMoARcPSD|22517024
READING AND EVALUATING PEER REVIEWED JOURNAL LITERATURE
Professor Presley
Liberty University
H.
what is the experimental design,
our data was from, Are there any
stated hypothesis? If so what are
the independent of dependent
variables? What are the units of
analysis (sample)? Were there
any instruments used? Was this
a cross sectional or longitudinal
design or other design like
experiment, survey, or
observation? What are the
sample characteristics-selection,
participation rate?]
8. LIMITATIONS/DISCUSSION
(Limitations of the study)
[Limitations, Discussion: One
limitation of our study is,
other limitations, Other
studies show…]
No Limitations
9. CONCLUSION
(The main conclusion(s) of the
author(s))
[Conclusion: In summary,
Finally, In conclusion,
Future studies?]
“Shockingly, the study unravelled that secret cult
menace has both negative and positive consequences, but
established that the former prevails over the latter when
objectively assessed.” p. 179
10. YOUR OPINION OF
THE PAPER
It did not have good headers but the content was good.
