Step 3: Read the article starting with the Title and Abstract, which will give you a quick preview of the purpose and results of the article.
Step 4: Read the Introduction. Highlight the purpose of the article and the author’s hypothesis (e.g., what was studied, what did the author predicted, and why did they find the topic worthy of study). Pay attention to the context provided for the research (i.e., what research has been done previously in the field? what issue or problem is this study trying to address?).
Step 5: Read the Methods section. Note the description of the participants and any tests, surveys, questionnaires, apparatus, or other materials that were used. Pay particular attention to the details involved in the experimental procedure. How were the variables manipulated or measured? Recall that the Independent Variable (IV) is the variable that is manipulated by the research (i.e., whether the room is hot or cold (if that is the variable of interest) or whether participants are given a placebo, shown any type of media or other stimuli, given talk therapy, or instructed to take medication (if that is the variable of interest). Remember that the Independent Variable is what was different about the experiences of the different groups. Recall also that the Dependent Variable (DV) is that variable that is measured, or, the outcome of the study.
Step 6: Read the Results. Try not to get intimidated by complex statistical analysis. Instead of focusing on the numbers, focus on the short descriptions that accompany the findings explaining what the researchers found (i.e., Did the researchers find evidence that supports their hypothesis?)
Step 7: Read the Discussion. Pay special attention here to what the authors say about the importance of their findings or the lack of findings. Think about other things you could do to look at this issue.
Step 8: Prepare a 1-2 page summary of the article fully paraphrased in your own words and your own writing style and structure. Changing a few words from the original is not fully paraphrasing. Be sure to address the following questions in your summary:
- What is the purpose of the research? (Address specifics regarding the overall purpose of the research in question.)
- What hypothesis is tested? (Provide a clear statement of the researchers’ prediction.)
- How did the researchers investigate their research question? (Provide details regarding the study methodology.)
- What are the pertinent results of the manipulation? (What were the findings and conclusions drawn?)
- What are the methodological limitations to this study? How can researchers overcome these limitations in the future?
- What are the societal implications of this study? What related hypotheses should be explored in future research? Where should researchers go from here?
Your summary should be written as a coherent essay (do not format as a list of answers to these questions). You may include additional insights in your analysis, but you must address these key issues.
Step 9: Prepare your Article Review according to the following guidelines:
Formatting: Structure your paper utilizing APA style (7th Edition); this includes a title page, headings, in-text citations, reference page, and general paper format (1-inch margins, double-spaced, appropriately sized sans serif or serif fonts – e.g., 12 Times Roman). An abstract is not required.