Journal Article Review (JAR1) Template: Guidelines for Writing

Introduction to JAR1 Template and its relevance

Complete a Journal Article Review (JAR1) using this JAR1 Template. The article you choose to review, will, ideally, contribute to the selection and development of your final paper topic.  Locate ONE quantitative journal article related to counselling from scholarly peer-reviewed journal articles available online. You may search for your article via the Yorkville Library or through other online scholarly search engines or databases, such as Google Scholar, ERIC, BASE, PubMed Health.

For JAR1, the research design must be quantitative. Quantitative research design uses deductive reasoning. The purpose of quantitative research is to test hypotheses, look at cause and effect, and to make predictions. Quantitative data analysis is based on precise measurements using structured and validated data-collection instruments. The final research report for a quantitative study is a statistical report with correlations, comparisons of means, and the statistical significance of findings as is appropriate to the particular design of the study. For JAR1, the research method, data analysis (statistics), and results should be clearly discussed. Note: Pilot studies and Single-subject case studies are not permitted.

The purpose of an article review is to communicate the main points of a study and to discuss the implications, strengths and weaknesses of the design. The review is not meant to re-iterate the details of the study nor to paraphrase each point; instead, it should summarize and discuss the study. These assignments are an opportunity for you to demonstrate your understanding of the course concepts. For this paper, write in the third person; the idea is always to remain neutral, objective, and personally uninvolved.

Make a copy of the JAR1 template and use it for your assignment. Type your selected quantitative journal article at the top of the first page. Your JAR1 should be double-spaced, written in font 12-point Times New Roman. The paper should be approximately 750 words (+/- 50 words), excluding the title, abstract, and reference pages.

 

 

More Instructions

Hello Class,

The first assignment (JAR1) is due at the end of Unit 2, Sunday, February 21. I know some of you have started thinking about this assignment; that is a good approach! If you have not written an article critique, I strongly recommend that you start thinking/planning it now so that you will have more chances to ask questions and be successful in this assignment!

Here are a few tips to help get you started thinking/planning about JAR1:

First, to get acquainted with the quantitative research design, please review a summary and video lectures of the four main types of Quantitative research: Descriptive, Correlational, Quasi-Experimental, and Experimental Research in Unit 1 and Unit 2: Readings & Tasks, under the ‘Assignments’ tab.

For JAR1, you will be declaring the topic (for the Final Project) and reviewing a quantitative journal article relating to your chosen topic. The purpose of the journal article review is to communicate the main points of a study and to discuss both the implications and strengths and weaknesses of the design. The review is not meant for you to re-iterate the details of the study nor to paraphrase each and every point; instead, you should summarize and discuss the study. Refer to Table 3.2 Getting the Most out of Reading Journal Articles in the Goodwin text, p. 89, for additional information on reading journal articles.

Choose a topic. As with any research study, you begin with an area you are passionate about; it could be an area of concern or area of interest you want to explore by critically analyzing a quantitative study. Your topic must be relevant to the field of counselling psychology. The JAR1 is where you will choose the topic you will use for all three assignments, JAR1, JAR2, and the Final Project. Selecting your topic for these assignments is one of the few times that the topic is not chosen for you in the program, so feel free to explore something of interest to you. For example, Play therapy with Autistic children, MBCT with Bipolar Disorder, Music Therapy with older adults, etc. I encourage you to think of a topic and then start exploring the literature. For the final paper, you will need six (6) quantitative and six (6) qualitative articles, so you want to make sure you have a good research base in both methods. NOTE: You will NOT be conducting research on the topic you choose. Instead, you will be critiquing an article you have chosen on the topic.

To help you get started with choosing a research topic, here is a video on Choosing a Manageable Research Topic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDuqfJQhFeM

Online Search: Once you have decided on a topic, search in “Google Scholar” and/or in the YU online library. From the search field, type in “quantitative study- your topic.” The journal articles you select should be from peer-reviewed or scholarly journals and related to your topic.

Article Selection: As you come across an article, you must be able to sit with the article and critically appraise it. Critical appraisal of a journal article is a literary and scientific systematic dissection in an attempt to assign merit to an article's conclusions.

Here are some questions to ask before you decide on your chosen quantitative journal article. If any of the first four questions are answered “no,” then you should return to your search and attempt to find an article that will meet the JAR1 criteria.

1. Does the article attempt to answer the same or a similar question as your research question?

2. Is the article recently published (within 5-10 years) or is it a seminal work?

3. Is the journal peer-reviewed?

4. Do the researchers present a hypothesis?

5. Is the study design valid for your research question?

6. Are the statistical tests appropriate for the study design?

Are the results presented in the article