Assignment: Annotation of a Quantitative Research Article
I would like to remind you that you have to select an article outside of the learning resources already discussed in class. Additionally, for this assignment, as well as the other assignments in this course (including the final assignment) you need to select an appropriate article. Select articles that use quantitative methods for the quantitative bibliographies, qualitative methods for the qualitative bibliographies, and mixed-methods for mixed-methods bibliographies. NOTE: articles about the methods are not appropriate articles. For example, be careful not to use an article describing the use of quantitative research in public administration. That is because these types of articlesthough useful and informativedo not use the methods they describe. Thus, they generally do not have research method elements such as a problem statement, research questions, and theory.
The assignment needs to follow the three-part model summary, critique/analysis, and application.
NOTES ABOUT SUMMARY
For the purposes of this assignment you have also to discuss briefly the relevance of the given study to your prospective research. In other words, what can you extract from the reviewed study that would be potentially applicable and useful to your own research design once you embark on your dissertation journey. Therefore, try not to select random studies. Rather, seek out studies in your research area.
NOTES ABOUT CRITIC/ANALYSIS
The critic/analysis section is your evaluation of the study’s methods and research design. Use the skills you have developed through the use of the checklists to write your analysis. The analysis should describe any deficiencies in the study. Such as was the sampling technique useful? Were the sources up to date and current? Was a theoretical framework used effectively? Etc. Many students mistakenly provide the study’s methodology as the critique/analysis. However, that is not a true critique of the study. In fact, that is considered summary information because you are summarizing the methodological elements of the study. Similarly, many articles provide “limitations of the study.” That is an honest effort by the author(s) to point out certain limitations they had. All research has limits. Limitations are the authors honest attempt to provide the reader with an understanding what these limits are (and why they exist). In many cases, it is used as a segue for suggestions for future studies. Be careful how you portray limitations of the study. It is not always the sign of a flawed study and it should not be your only critique of the study.
NOTES ABOUT APPLICATION
In principle, the application section includes general reflection on usability and recommendations for future research. The application describes how you as a researcher and/or policymakers can use the findings of the study. For example, “policymakers can use the findings from this study to design programs with improve student retention” or “law enforcement can apply the model to identify at-risk communities” or “I can use a similar methodological approach for my dissertation by rewording the survey and having veterans respond to the instrument rather than nurses.” In some cases, you may not have an application for the study. For example, you don’t want to replicate the methodology or have policymakers use the information if the findings were seriously flawed or out of date. In that case, explain why it is of limited value and then describe you will use the study in your literature review. Because, even if it is of limited value, it needs to be recognized in your literature review if it is on a topic you are researching.
In this application section, you can use personal pronouns when describing your own research plans.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
Notice how the annotated bibliography is short–less than a page. As a researcher you may write dozens (if not more) of these. When you go back to them to decide whether they should be used for your literature review (for one example), you will not want to read lengthy essays to determine whether the article is relevant and/or of use to you. The concise format allows researchers to go back and quickly review article details and information. Also notice how the annotated does not go into heavy detail about the methodology of the study/article. Again, the concise format of the bibliography allows the researcher to quickly access relevant detail.
For your reference, Im below I posting an excellent example developed by Dr. Bidjerano for his Research Theory course (I also posted it in the Doc sharing area). The example includes the instructions on the three parts of the week 6 assignment in one document, along with an example of an annotated reference entry.
