How to Critique a Psychology Research Article

Purpose and Background

Purpose and Background
It is important that you become familiar with professional journals as you continue in your program. Professional journals are the forum for the exchange of ideas in many of the disciplines you will be studying at post secondary institutions. 

You are required to review and critique a psychology research article. Your focus should be on the main issue raised in the article. Your critique should be between 3-6 pages in length, double spaced, using a 12 pt. font, and 1 inch margins. Read the article carefully and take notes. Highlight important points in the article. Write a report about the article with the following sections: 

1) The first part of your paper will be a brief summary of the message the author wishes to convey. Provide enough detail to allow the reader of your critique to understand your comments. It is better to fully describe key points and omit lesser points, than it is to mention lots of points and leave the reader wondering which points were the most important. This section would include:
• The author(s) name(s), article title, and journal name, using APA style 
• The hypothesis and/or research question. 
• The sample used in the research. 
• The methods employed, for example survey, experiment, or case history. Provide a detailed explanation of how they conducted the study. 
• The results of the study including whether the hypothesis was proven. Again, provide a detailed explanation here. 

2) In the next section of your paper critique the research. Your opinions about the strengths and/or weaknesses of the message. Specify what was done well and what could have been improved. You can also include why this article interested you and how it related to you. Some other questions to answer: was the research valuable? ; was the study practical/helpful? To whom? was the study done ethically?; should more research be done in this area?; who does the results of this study apply to?; what would you recommend the next step to be in this line of research? This section should be at least 1 to 2 pages. Be careful to note which of the comments you make are from the author—using quotation marks for direct quotations—and which comments are your reactions to the author’s message. 

3) The critique should be somewhere between 3-6 typed pages and double-spaced, with 12 point font and 1 inch margins. Be sure to include a title page with your name, course and section number, instructor’s name, and date. 

4) Evaluate your work. Once you have written and revised your critique, evaluate your work by applying it to the rubric criteria. MAKE SURE YOU INCLUDE THE RUBRIC in your submission.

5) Submit your paper at the beginning of class. 

6) Late papers will be deducted ten percent [10%] for every day late. No paper will be accepted after one week from due date, unless permission was given by professor. Start working on this assignment early and if you have any problems I am available to assist you in any way. 

7) BEWARE: Any paper found guilty of plagiarism will receive a ZERO. Plagiarism includes copying or paraphrasing another's words, ideas, or facts without crediting the source; submitting a paper written by someone else, either in whole or in part, as one's own work; or submitting work previously submitted for another course or instructor. 

For this paper, plagiarism occurs when the authors direct words are used without proper citation and quotes. You are not allowed to quote more than 3 sentences for this assignment. The rest of the paper should include a description of the researcher’s work in YOUR OWN WORDS. Please refer to the Student Handbook for additional information regarding plagiarism and College regulations. The Writing Centre is extremely helpful; find time to visit it.