Assignment
Research Topic: How does maternal stress during pregnancy impact the cognitive development of a child?
Obtain a peer-reviewed quantitative research article. Use APA format to reference your research article. You may select an article that is relevant to your literature review.
The following list of questions may be used as a basis for evaluating a research article. This is not a set model but an outline to help evaluate published research. Your evaluation should include a cover page and at least 2-3 pages in length. Make sure you cite your source accordingly.
1. What is the problem?
a. Is it significant?
b. Is it properly delimited?
c. Is it clearly described or implied?
d. Are assumptions and limitations recognized?
e. What is the independent variable?
f. What is the dependent variable?
g. Are the independent and dependent variables stated in the article title?
2. What is/are the hypothesis/hypotheses?
a. Are hypotheses made explicit?
b. Are hypotheses clear?
c. Does the study have practical or theoretical value?
d. Does the hypothesis lend itself to empirical testing?
e. Can data be obtained?
3. What are the methods or procedure?
a. Is the method appropriate to the hypothesis? Explain why.
b. If the method is no appropriate to the hypothesis, explain what might have been a better approach, and why.
c. Do procedures follow an orderly, logical sequence? Explain.
d. Is there evidence of review of previous studies to indicate context of this study in related body of knowledge?
e. Are research procedures described in detail to permit verification or replication?
4. What information is provided about the participants?
a. How many subjects participated in the study?
b. Are the participants studied a representative case sample?
c. What evidence is given about sampling techniques?
d. Are there sufficient numbers of participants for observation?
e. Was approval to conduct the study obtained? From whom?
f. Did participants sign an informed consent?
5. What source of data is identified?
a. Are data-gathering devices appropriate? Could other instruments be used?
b. Are measuring devices valid and reliable?
c. Are sufficient amounts and appropriate kinds of data obtained?
d. How is the data recorded?
6. How are the data analyzed?
a. What logical consequences were deduced from the hypothesis?
b. Was an appropriate significance test applied to the findings?
c. What was the nature of the analysis? (verbal description, statistical manipulation, tables of frequency counts, etc.)
7. What important conclusions are presented?
a. Were the conclusions sound according to the data?
b. Did the conclusions conform to good logic; were they internally consistent, free from self-contradiction?
c. What are the positive aspects of this research?
d. What are the negative aspects of this research?
8. How do you evaluate the written report?
a. Is the style clear, objective, and readable?
b. Is the article long enough to adequately cover the topic?
c. Are the tables and/or figures helpful in clarifying the information?
9. Could the research have been improved to control for the effects of extraneous variables?
a. Were there threats to external validity?
b. Were there threats to internal validity?
c. Was there research bias evident?
10. Using your professional expertise, reflect on how this research article may be used in your field.
Format your assignment according to the give formatting requirements:
1. The answer must be double spaced, typed, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the course title, the student's name, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also include a reference page. The references and Citations should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.