Reading Guide for Empirical Journal Articles
Reading Guide for Empirical Journal Articles
What study did you analyze?
• a. What is the big-picture research question?
b. What is the specific research question for this paper?
• What are the major theories they discuss in the introduction that inform their research question? Who do they cite regarding these theories?
• a. What are the independent or predictor variables? How do they go about manipulating or measuring these variables?
b. What are the dependent variables (what did they measure as the outcome)? How do they go about measuring/defining these variables?
• Is there a better way to define, manipulate, or measure these variables? Please provide at least one suggestion.
• Who were the participants? What did they have them do in the experiment?
• a. What did the researchers think would happen (hypotheses)?
b. How do these hypotheses relate to the theories mentioned in the introduction (e.g., support, contradict, extend)?
• a. What did they find as their results/conclusions?
b. Did they find support for their hypotheses? Please be specific.
• What is the major take-away finding from this paper?
• a. What did you like about this study? What does it do well methodologically?
b. What did you dislike about this study? What can you critique about the method?
1.) What did you like (design-wise) about this study? What does it do well methodologically?
2.) What did you dislike (design-wise) about this study? What can you critique about the method?
3.) What is a potential future direction or additional research question that this paper leaves unanswered?
4.) Think up a discussion question that could generate lively discussion (ask a Why? or How? question that gets at an interesting element of the paper).
