Evaluating Research In Academic Journals

Evaluating Research in Academic Journals is a guide for students who are learning how to evaluate reports of empirical research published in academic journals. It breaks down the process of evaluating a journal article into easy-to-understand steps, and emphasizes the practical aspects of evaluating research – not just how to apply a list of technical terms from textbooks. The book avoids oversimplification in the evaluation process by describing the nuances that may make an article publishable even when it has serious methodological flaws. Students learn when and why certain types of flaws may be tolerated, and why evaluation should not be performed mechanically. Each chapter is organized around evaluation questions. For each question, there is a concise explanation of how to apply it in the evaluation of research reports. Numerous examples from journals in the social and behavioral sciences illustrate the application of the evaluation questions, and demonstrate actual examples of strong and weak features of published reports. Common-sense models for evaluation combined with a lack of jargon make it possible for students to start evaluating research articles the first week of class. New to this edition New chapters on: evaluating mixed methods research evaluating systematic reviews and meta-analyses program evaluation research Updated chapters and appendices that provide more comprehensive information and recent examples Full new online resources: test bank questions and PowerPoint slides for instructors, and self-test chapter quizzes, further readings and additional journal examples for students.

• A supplementary guide for students who are learning how to evaluate reports of empirical research published in academic journals. • Your students will learn the practical aspects of evaluating research, not just how to apply a laundry list of technical terms from their textbooks. • Each chapter is organized around evaluation questions. For each question, there is a concise explanation of how to apply it in the evaluation of research reports. • Numerous examples from journals in the social and behavioral sciences illustrate the application of the evaluation questions. Students see actual examples of strong and weak features of published reports. • Commonsense models for evaluation combined with a lack of jargon make it possible for students to start evaluating research articles the first week of class. • The structure of this book enables students to work with confidence while evaluating articles for homework. • Avoids oversimplification in the evaluation process by describing the nuances that may make an article publishable even though it has serious methodological flaws. Students learn when and why certain types of flaws may be tolerated. They learn why evaluation should not be performed mechanically. • This book received very high student evaluations when field-tested with students just beginning their study of research methods. • Contains more than 60 new examples from recently published research. In addition, minor changes have been made throughout for consistency with the latest edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.

- A supplementary guide for students who are learning how to evaluate reports of empirical research published in academic journals. - Your students will learn the practical aspects of evaluating research, not just how to apply a laundry list of technical terms from their textbooks. - Each chapter is organized around evaluation questions. For each question, there is a concise explanation of how to apply it in the evaluation of research reports. - Numerous examples from journals in the social and behavioral sciences illustrate the application of the evaluation questions. Students see actual examples of strong and weak features of published reports. - Commonsense models for evaluation combined with a lack of jargon make it possible for students to start evaluating research articles the first week of class. - The structure of this book enables students to work with confidence while evaluating articles for homework. - Avoids oversimplification in the evaluation process by describing the nuances that may make an article publishable even though it has serious methodological flaws. Students learn when and why certain types of flaws may be tolerated. They learn why evaluation should not be performed mechanically. - This book received very high student evaluations when field-tested with students just beginning their study of research methods. - Contains more than 60 new examples from recently published research. In addition, minor changes have been made throughout for consistency with the latest edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.

This supplementary guide is for students who are learning how to evaluate published reports of empirical research. Numerous excerpts from journals in the social and behavioral sciences provide examples that allow students to learn the practical aspects of evaluating research. By de-emphasizing jargon, this book allows students to begin evaluating research with confidence. New to this edition: Two new chapters on evaluating Results sections of research reports: one for quantitative research (Chapter 10) and one for qualitative research (Chapter 11).

Using examples of good as well as flawed research studies, this text explains how to decide whether the conclusions reported in an article are justified on the basis of the design and analysis of the experiment.

The book is intended to help students understand and interpret research articles and how to evaluate what was done in the research. It is not intended to show them how to do research but rather how to understand research articles and evaluate that research.

Understanding and Evaluating Research: A Critical Guide shows students how to be critical consumers of research and to appreciate the power of methodology as it shapes the research question, the use of theory in the study, the methods used, and how the outcomes are reported. The book starts with what it means to be a critical and uncritical reader of research, followed by a detailed chapter on methodology, and then proceeds to a discussion of each component of a research article as it is informed by the methodology. The book encourages readers to select an article from their discipline, learning along the way how to assess each component of the article and come to a judgment of its rigor or quality as a scholarly report.