Research Analysis

SCS 502 Final Project Milestone Two: Analyzing Guidelines and Rubric

Overview: For this milestone, you will begin your analysis of the studies that you have selected by continuing the work you began in Milestone One. Your analysis will focus on the research design of the studies and how the conclusions are or are not supported by the results of the studies. Use the same three articles you selected for Milestone One and expand upon the methodology.

Be sure that your submission addresses the following critical elements:

 Compare the research methodologies used in your chosen studies and explain why these methodologies were used over other methodologies. In other words, in your comparison you could include why methodologies are informed by the hypothesis created by the author of the study. Be sure to support your response with examples and support from the chosen studies.

 Explain why the research designs of your chosen studies ensure that the study is or is not valid. Be sure to support your response with examples and support from the chosen studies.

 Explain why the research designs of your chosen studies ensure that the study is or is not reliable. Be sure to support your response with examples and support from the chosen studies.

 Explain why the research designs of your chosen studies ensure that the study is or is not credible. Be sure to support your response with examples and support from the chosen studies.

 Explain how the results of your chosen studies appropriately support the conclusions that were reached. If the results do not support the conclusions reached, briefly describe the more appropriate conclusions given the results presented. In other words, you could consider the results section and how the authors used that information to reach their conclusions, even if their claims are inaccurate.

For more detailed instructions, see the following steps:

1. First copy and paste the title page and reference list from Milestone One into a new document. Hopefully the running head copies over as well, but if it does not, add that back in. Be sure to address any feedback from your instructor on these sections so you have the best version moving forward.

2. Next, begin the new narrative by comparing and contrasting the research methodologies from the three articles. In Milestone One, you simply described the articles. Now you will begin to integrate them into a larger discussion, using material you have learned in this class. How are the methodologies similar? How are they different? Why might the authors have made these methodological choices, given their stated hypotheses? Be sure to incorporate specific points from all three articles to support your arguments.

3. Then, discuss each article in terms of reliability and validity. Do you think their methodology leads to credible results? Why or why not? It is certainly possible that you will reach different conclusions for some of the articles. Talk about how the individual methodology led you to those conclusions. Again, be sure to incorporate specific points from all three articles to support your arguments. Also make sure that for each article, you talk specifically about reliability, validity, and overall credibility (That is, should we trust these results? Beyond reliability, are the results logical? Current? Anything else that might concern or impress you?).

4. Close by discussing the conclusions reached by each of the articles. Again, you described this in Milestone One but now you are using the information developed in Milestone Two to critique the conclusions. Are those conclusions supported? If so, what specifically makes you believe the conclusions are

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

valid? Are those conclusions not supported, given the information provided above? If so, cite specific reasons as to why we should question the given conclusions.

Helpful hints for Milestone Two:

● Use citations appropriately so the reader can distinguish between each of the articles and your original thoughts. ● Remember this is a methodological discussion in a research methods course, so while it is OK to use some other information if you feel that is important

for your argument, your primary focus should be on the methods themselves. ● If you are making any claims that are not directly from the articles or are not common knowledge, you should use scholarly research to support these

claims. For example, you should not make claims such as “Addiction to alcohol comes from a genetic predisposition” or “Children respond better to an authoritarian parenting style” unless you can support them with a peer-reviewed research article. Feel free to reference your textbook if you need to define research terms or other basic methodology. Note that using this additional information or making additional claims is not a requirement, but an option for those who want to further support their arguments. The point is that if you are going to include this information, you are required to cite it.

PLEASE NOTE: You are not required to use any new references in this section, but if you do, make sure to cite them in APA style in the reference list.

Guidelines for Submission: Your paper must be submitted as Microsoft Word document with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, a running head, a title page, and at least three sources cited in APA format. This submission should be approximately 3–4 pages (not counting title or reference page). It is anticipated that you will use the same title page and reference page as submitted in Milestone One, with any feedback from your instructor incorporated.

Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (90%) Needs Improvement (70%) Not Evident (0%) Value

Research Analysis: Research

Methodologies

Meets “Proficient” criteria and draws a connection between the hypotheses of the chosen studies and the design selection

Compares the research methodologies used in the chosen studies and explains why those methodologies were used, supporting response with examples and other information

Compares the research methodologies used in the chosen studies and explains why those methodologies were used but explanation is cursory, contains inaccuracies, or does not support response with examples and support from the research

Does not compare the research methodologies used in the chosen studies and explain why those methodologies were used

30

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Research Analysis: Valid

Meets “Proficient” criteria and evidence referenced from the chosen studies makes cogent connections between how the methodology of a study ensures that it is or is not valid

Explains why the methodologies of the chosen studies ensure that the study is or is not valid, supporting response with examples and other information

Explains why the methodologies of the chosen studies ensure that the study is or is not valid but explanation is cursory, contains inaccuracies, or does not support response with examples and support from the research

Does not explain why the methodologies of the chosen studies ensure that the study is or is not valid

10

Research Analysis: Reliable

Meets “Proficient” criteria and evidence referenced from the chosen studies makes cogent connections between how the methodology of a study ensures that it is or is not reliable

Explains why the methodologies of the chosen studies ensure that the study is or is not reliable, supporting response with examples and other information

Explains why the methodologies of the chosen studies ensure that the study is or is not reliable but explanation is cursory, contains inaccuracies, or does not support response with examples and support from the research

Does not explain why the methodologies of the chosen studies ensure that the study is or is not reliable

10

Research Analysis: Credible

Meets “Proficient” criteria and evidence referenced from the chosen studies makes cogent connections between how the methodology of a study ensures that it is or is not credible

Explains why the methodologies of the chosen studies ensure that the study is or is not credible, supporting response with examples and other information

Explains why the methodologies of the chosen studies ensure that the study is or is not credible but explanation is cursory, contains inaccuracies, or does not support response with examples and support from the research

Does not explain why the methodologies of the chosen studies ensure that the study is or is not credible

10

Research Analysis: Support

Meets “Proficient” criteria and explanation demonstrates keen insight into the thought process used by the authors of the studies

Explains how the results of the chosen studies appropriately support the conclusions that were reached or if the results do not support the conclusions reached, explains more appropriate conclusions given the results presented

Explains how the results of the chosen studies appropriately support the conclusions that were reached or if the results do not support the conclusions reached, explains more appropriate conclusions given the results presented but explanation is cursory or contains inaccuracies

Does not explain how the results of the chosen studies appropriately support the conclusions that were reached

30

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Articulation of Response/Sources

Submission is free of errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, and organization, is presented in a professional and easy-to-read format, and includes at least three sources cited

Submission has no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization and includes at least three sources cited

Submission has major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that negatively impact readability and articulation of main ideas or has fewer than three sources cited

Submission has critical errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that prevent understanding of ideas and no sources are cited

10

Total 100%