Article : Effects of dynamic meditation on anxiety Naved Iqbal, Archana Singh, Sheeema Aleem and Samina Bano
Ideas for Research Article Analysis and Critique
. Introduction and Review of Literature
• Does the researcher establish the importance of the problem area?
• What are the dependent and independent variables?
. Evaluating the Sampling of Generalizable and Non-Generalizable Studies
• Was random sampling used? Were the groups statistically the same? Hint: look at tables comparing demographics between groups - is there statistical similarity?
• If no random sampling, what type of sampling technique was used and how might that have introduced bias?
• How did the researchers recruit the sample participants? Could that be a source of bias?
• What excluding/including criteria were in place when choosing the participants?
• Has the author described relevant demographics of the sample?
• Is the overall size of the sample adequate?
• Has the researcher described the sample/population in sufficient detail?
• Who sponsored the study? Could that be a source of bias?
. Experimental Procedures
• Are the treatments/interventions described in sufficient detail?
• What type of study design was used, i.e. randomized controlled experimental study? Cross-sectional survey? Meta analysis?
• If the treatments were administered by people other than the researcher, were these people ?properly trained?
• What type of setting was used for the study?
• Has the researcher distinguished between random selection and random assignment?
• How have the researchers assured the validity of the design of their study? In other words, are they able to measure what they intended to measure?
• What steps have they taken to assure against major threats to validity?
Internal validity: History, maturation, testing, statistical regression, attrition, contamination
External validity: Selection bias, Hawthorne effect, placebo effect, pretest sensitization, etc.
. How have the researchers tried to minimize confounding variables?
. Have you identified any areas in the study that could bias the results? What are they?
Putting It All Together
? Have the researchers selected an important problem?
? Is the report cohesive?
? Does the report extend the boundaries of our knowledge on a topic?
? Are any major methodological flaws unavoidable or forgivable?
? Is the research likely to inspire additional research?