PSYC 101 Journal Article Review Assignment – Part 1 and Part 2

PSYC101 Journal Article Review Assignment – Part 1

Article Content Identification and Summary
Due: at the end ofWeek 3 of the 8-week course term
You may work on this assignment ahead of its deadline but may not submit it prior to Week 3.
Points Possible: 60

 

OVERVIEW: This is Part 1 of a two-part assignmentdesigned to guideyou through the steps of critically reviewing a published, evidence-based, scholarly journal article. This is an activity in which students engage frequently across their college careers in the completion of a variety of assignments. The article you review will be selected from the classroom Resources folder.

For Part 1 and Part 2 of this assignment, demonstration of foundational skills needed to complete an article review is the goal, not the composition of an actual research paper or essay. You will be answering a series of questions, each linked to an important article review element, rather than writing a traditional style paper.

Due by the end of Week 3 of the 8-week course term, Part 1 requires the identification and summarization of various components of the article you select from the classroom Resources folder.

In completing Part 1 you will:

–Select a published scholarly article from a set of pre-approved, evidence-based, peer-reviewed journal articles located in the classroom Resources Folder titled, “Evidence-Based Journal Articles” and explain why the selected article was of interest to you;

–Demonstrate knowledge of how to properly cite the selected article’s author(s), year of publication, title, and in what journal it was published, in compliance with APA formatting rules;

–Describe the research method used by the selected article’s author(s);

–Summarize the selected article’s key points following the assignment instructions;

Part 1 Instructions:
To avoid point loss, be sure to read all sequentially and carefully and don’t jump ahead to answer questions.

From the Resources subfolder in the classroom titled, “Evidence-Based Journal Articles” (access it by first clicking Resources, then clicking this subfolder title, select an article from ONE of the folder categories. NOTE: This assignment requires the use of ONE article only. Points possible per assignment section are included below. Your instructor will assign points based on the degree to which your responses are instructions compliant and accurate, and articulated clearly, succinctly and thoroughly (that is, did you answer all parts of each question correctly and with adequate detail), in writing that meets college level communication standards and shows knowledge of the location and content of key article components. All answers must be your original words or paraphrases of material in your selected article or the course textbook. No other sources may be used. Copying from published material is a violation of the University policy on academic integrity and will void all points for this assignment with no option for revision and submission.

Enter your name and student ID here: ___________________

Then respond to the following succinctly and thoroughly in the spaces below.

NOTE: You must complete your work in this document, save and attach it to the PSYC101 Journal Article Review Assignment – Part 1 classroom Assignment page; while you may want to do so as a back-up, content pasted into the assignment page Student Comments space cannot be accepted as a substitute for an on-time attachment submission and cannot be graded. Inserting your answers here will change the number of document pages and the location of particular items at the top, middle or bottom of pages.

While you may not remove or reorder items or change font size or other content in this document, a document page number increase or an item moving from or to the top, middle or bottom of a page as a result of your response entries directly below each item as required taking more lines in most cases than the small space currently showing is to be expected and is not of concern.

 

ARTICLE IDENTIFICATION – 10 points possible
NOTE: Both Number 1 and Number 2 below must be completed to earn these points

1. In the space below explain why you picked the article you selected for this assignment from the classroom Resources folder. Include a description of what about the focus of the article you chose captured your interest and why.

 

2. APA Citation Format
Show in the spaces below how you would source credit and reference-list (in APA formatting style), if you were writing a formal paper, the article you selected in the body of the paper and in a Reference list that would be attached to the end of the paper (for examples of how to correctly source credit in APA formatting style see the classroom Resources folder entitled, “APA Formatting Guides”):

a. I would source credit my selected article in the body of a paper as follows:

b. I would reference-list my selected article in Reference list that would be attached to the end of a paper as follows
Note: While Part 2 of the Journal Article Review assignment, which is due in Week 6, includes minimum answer length requirements, hereno minimum lengths are required for the items below because answer length may vary depending on the amount of descriptive detail your selected article includes and your answers will be graded for thoroughness, accuracy and clarity in covering article details. It is expected, however, that none of the following items can be adequately addressed in fewer than 100 words. You answers must be articulated in complete thought sentences and not include lists, bulleted items or sentence fragments.

ARTICLE SUMMARY – 40 points possible

1. Introduction (also referred to as lead-in information)
In the space below summarize the key introductory points made in the beginning of your selected article Note: In some articles this information is under the heading “Introduction” and in others it is not, but every article will contain “lead-in” introductory information.

2. Research Methods

a. Describe the research design that your selected article’s author(s) used in conducting the study (Ex: survey or inventory, individual or group interview, case study, laboratory controlled or naturalistic observation).

b. Identify by name in the space below any specific measures (surveys, inventories, tests, etc.) used by your selected article’s author(s) in the study (Ex: the Psychological Distress Symptom Checklist; the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory; the Attitudes about Seeking Professional Psychological Help Survey; or measures developed by the article author[s]).

c. Describe in the space below characteristics of the participants (sometimes called “subjects”) involved in the research study conducted by the author(s) of your selected article. Examples of this type of information include: The number of persons who participated; participant demographics (age, gender, race and ethnicity, college or employment status, geographic location); whether participants were paid to participate in the study or if no compensation was provided to them for their participation

 

3. Findings/Analysis
a. Identify in the space below the types of statistical analyses used by the author(s) of your selected article Note: You are likely not at this point in your college career an expert on statistical analyses but don’t have to be in order to complete this portion of the assignment which only requires listing them by name.

b. In the space below, summarize the research findings (often referred to in articles as “results”) of the study conducted by the author(s) of your selected article.

4. Conclusion/Discussion
Summarize in the space below the conclusions reached by the author(s) of your selected article. Note: These may be found under the heading “Conclusion” or “Discussion” or in paragraphs near the end of the article and are based on the research findings of the author(s) of your selected article.

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PSYC101 Journal Article Review Assignment – Part 2

Article Analysis, Connection, and Reflection
Due: at the end of Week 6 of the 8-week course term
You may work on this assignment ahead of its deadline but may not submit it prior to Week 6.
Points Possible: 140

OVERVIEW: For Part I of this two-part assignment you identified and summarized elements of a published scholarly article selected from the classroom Resources Folder. For Part 2, which is due by the end of Week 6, you will analyze, connect, and reflect on aspects of your selected article. Note that the words “succinct” and “thorough” repeat regularly in the instructions below. They will serve as reminders that this is a formal assignment and sentence fragments, bulleted lists, conversational or other types of casual language cannot be used.

In completing Part 2 you will:

–Describe a research method alternative to the one used by your selected article’s author(s) to study the same phenomena

— Evaluate the potential impact on the “real world” of your selected article’s research;

— Apply three concepts from required textbook readings;

— Identify an aspect of the article’s topic focus about which you would like to know more

In composing your work use complete and clearly articulated sentences in one or more paragraphs, as assigned below, a minimum of 250 words each and citing sources in the body of your writing and in a References list attached to the end of it. Proofread your work carefully as proper spelling, grammar and writing structure are required. All answers must be your original words or paraphrases of material in your selected article or the course textbook. No other sources may be used. Copying from published material is a violation of the University policy on academic integrity and will void all points for this assignment with no option for revision and submission.

**You may work on this assignment ahead of its deadline but may not submit it prior to Week 6 of the 8-week course term.

Begin your Part 2 work here.

Enter your name and student ID here: ___________________

Then respond to the following succinctly and thoroughly in the spaces below

NOTE: You must complete your work in this document, save and attach it to the assignment tab; while you may want to do so as a back-up, content pasted into the assignment page Student Comments space cannot be accepted as a substitute for an on-time attachment submission and cannot be graded. Inserting your answers here will change the number of document pages and the location of particular items at the top, middle or bottom of pages.

 

While you may not remove or reorder items or change font size or other elements of this document and need to place your responses directly under each item, page number increases or an item moving from the top, middle or bottom of a page as a result of you entering your responses is to be expected and is not of concern.

 

 

ANALYSIS –30 points possible (15 points each)

The authors of the article you have selected for this assignment used a particular research design, group of participants, and set of study methods to investigate a research question (sometimes referred to in scholarly articles as the “hypothesis tested”). As you know from early assigned readings in the course textbook, research questions can be investigated using a variety of methods.

1. Write a succinct and thorough paragraph in the space below either justifying or challenging the use of your selected article’s research methods used to examine its research question. NOTE: You must base your writing on the course textbook information about which research methods are best suited for which types of studies, not on personal opinion or preference, and choose just one position here. A paragraph that both justifies and challenges the use of an article’s research methods or that states why one position cannot be chosen cannot not be assigned points. Include in the body of your writing appropriately placed and formatted source citations for both the article and the course textbook.

2. Write a succinct and thorough paragraph in the space below describing a research method other than the one noted in your selected article that the article author(s) could have used to conduct the same study and explain why it would be suitable as an alternative method. NOTE: The alternative research method you select must be suited for the article’s study so you will want to review the assigned course readings on the various types of methods. Include in the body of your writing appropriately placed and formatted source citations for both the article and the course textbook.
 

CONNECTION –50 points possible (25 points each)

1. In the space below, write a succinct and thorough paragraph (250 words minimum) describing three concepts, theories or principles from the course textbook that can be related the focus of your selected article. NOTE: Research methods and statistical analyses have already been addressed earlier in this assignment and cannot be used as textbook concepts here. Include in the body of your writing appropriately placed and formatted source citations for both the article and the course textbook.

2. One of the most interesting aspects of the field of psychology is the application of its concepts, theories, and principles to everyday life. In the space below, write a succinct and thorough paragraph (250 words minimum) describing at least 3 different ways that the research conducted by your selected article’s author(s) can impact the “real world”. Include in the body of your writing appropriately placed and formatted source citations for the article and the course textbook (if you use the latter in the construction of this paragraph).

REFLECTION– 50 points possible (25 points each)

1. Although the author(s) of your selected article addressed many aspects of its focus of study, it is inevitable that components were not discussed that might also be interesting. In the space below, write a succinct and thorough paragraph (250 words minimum) explaining one aspect of your selected article’s focus that the researchers did not mention that you would like to know more about. Include in the body of your writing appropriately placed and formatted source citations for the article and the course textbook (if you use the latter in the construction of this paragraph).

2. Combined, the Week 3 and Week 6 portions of this assignment provided several opportunities, to identify the key components of a published scholarly journal article, to demonstrate knowledge of research methods use in studying psychological phenomena, (Week 3); and second, to develop and hone article summary and analysis skills (Week 6). With the second opportunity in mind, in the space below, write a succinct and thorough paragraph (250 words minimum) describing three aspects of summarizing and reviewing a published scholarly journal article that you now understand that you didn’t know about before starting the assignment. NOTE: You are reflecting on your learning experience here, not summarizing or evaluating the selected article. This is the only part of the assignment to be written personal reflection style. It is expected that you would have few or perhaps no source citations here, using them only for portions of your reflective work that are directly based on either your selected article or the course textbook.