Does the literature review appear thorough? Did the literature that was discussed adequately address the key concepts brought up by the research question and purpose statement? Does the literature reviewed appear biased?

Qualitative & Quantitative Article Review Guidelines
POLS 570
Note that not every article will lend itself to being reviewed by each question on this list. Therefore, you should review these questions and then go read the article you have chosen. From there pick 3-5 questions from this list that you believe allow you to engage in valuable, insightful and original critical analysis in your paper.

Critical analysis is not criticism for the sake of criticism. It is the ability to identify what was done well, what was done poorly and what could have been done differently in a logical manner with evidence cited to support your analysis.***

Are the research question and the purpose of the study clearly stated? Do you understand what the author(s) are trying to study and why they have chosen this topic of study?

Does the literature review appear thorough? Did the literature that was discussed adequately address the key concepts brought up by the research question and purpose statement? Does the literature reviewed appear biased?

For quantitative works, does the literature reviewed do a good job in presenting the theory that the research project is testing? Are the hypotheses developed grounded in the theory being tested?
How are concepts in both qualitative and quantitative works measured?

For qualitative research, do the questions asked, documents analyzed, phenomena observed demonstrate reliability and validity?

Do the authors discuss any reliability measures taken to ensure the quality of their (either qualitative or quantitative) study? See notes for examples.

For quantitative work, do the data collected provide a valid measure of the independent and dependent variables?

Do the author(s) clearly explain their research methodology and data collection procedures? Can it be understood by non-scholars? Are these the appropriate methods to employ? If the work is qualitative, should quantitative, a mixed methods procedure or different qualitative methods be used and vice versa for a quantitative work?

Are the results presented in a manner that is easy to understand for those who may not be scholars in the field of study? Are there graphs or diagrams presented that could aid the presentation of results?

Are the conclusions that are presented about the findings supported by the results? Be sure to explain your position.

Overall, what is your evaluation about the quality and impact of this piece of research? Does it make a significant contribution?

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