JOURNAL ARTICLE SUMMARY GUIDE - MVCC

1 This handout is not intended to replace instructor s directions. If the directions differ from those of your instructor, please do as your instructor asks. JOURNAL ARTICLE SUMMARY GUIDE THIS DOCUMENT IS INTENDED TO AID STUDENTS WRITING SUMMARIES OF PEER-REVIEWED STUDIES IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES. IT MAY NOT WORK WELL FOR LITERATURE REVIEWS, META-ANALYSES, OR STUDIES IN OTHER FIELDS. S u m m a r i e s , l i k e a b s t r a c t s, f o l l o w t h e s tr u c t u r e o f t h e o r i g i n a l a r t i c l e : I n t r o d u c t i o n (a n d B a c k g r o u n d ) , M e t h o d s , R e s u l t s, a n d D i s c u s s i o n . T h e y f r e q u e n t l y r e q u i r e a n A P A c i t a t i o n.

2 S u m m a r i e s g e n e r a l l y d o n o t m a k e u s e o f d i r e c t q u o t e s . D I R E C T I O N S: T o c o m p o s e y o u r s u m m a r y , f o l l o w p r o m p t s 1- 6. U s e t h e q u e s t i o n s a f t e r e a c h p r o m p t t o g u i d e y o u r w r i t i n g . T O SUMM AR I ZE T HE I NT R O DUCT I O N & BAC KGR O UND SECT I O N 1. S t a t e t h e r e s e a r c h q u e s t i o n . To d o t h i s , a s k & a n s w e r: W h a t w e r e t h e r e s e a r c h e r s t r y i n g t o d i s c o v e r o r u n d e r s t a n d ? 2. N o t e w h y t h e r e s e a r c h e r t h o u g h t t h e t o p i c w a s w o r t h i n v e s t i g a t i n g.

3 T o d o t h i s , a s k & a n s w e r: W h y w a s t h e r e s e a r c h n e c e s s a r y? W h y i s t h e r e s e a r c h r e l e v a n t a t t h i s t i m e? W h a t g a p i n k n o w l e d g e o r u n d e r s t a n d i n g w e r e t h e r e s e a r c h e r s t r y i n g t o f i l l ? 3. S t a t e t h e h y p o t h e si s o r h y p o t h e se s t e s t e d i f g i v e n. T o d o t h i s , a s k & a n s w e r: W h a t r e s u l t(s) d i d t h e r e s e a r c h e r s a n t i c i p a t e o r e x p e c t? T O SUMM AR I ZE T HE MET HO DS SECT I O N 4. De s c r i b e th e m e t h o d s u s e d t o t e s t t h e h y p o t h e s i s o r t o s e e k an a n s w e r t o t h e r e s e a r c h q u e s t i o n.

4 T o d o t h i s , a s k & a n s w e r: W h a t d i d t h e r e s e a r c h e r s d o t o te s t t h e h y p o t h e s i s o r t o t r y t o f i n d t h e a n s w e r t o t h e r e s e a r c h q u e s t i o n? C O N S I D E R T H E P O I N T S B E L O W a. D i s c u s s t h e p a r t i c i p a n t s a n d w h a t t h e y e x p e r i e n c e d . T o d o t h i s , a s k & a n s w e r: W h o w e r e t h e p a r t i c i p a n t s o r wh o w a s e n r o l l e d i n t h e s t u d y? H o w w e r e t h e p a r t i c i p a n t s s e l e c t e d ? W h a t d i d t h e p a r t i c i p a n t s e x p e r i e n c e ( t r e a t m e n t , c o n d i t i o n s , i n t e r v e n t i o n , e t c.)

5 ? W h a t w e r e t h e m a j o r s t e p s o r t h e p r o c e d u r e o f t h e e x p e r i m e n t/ s t u d y? b. S t a t e w h a t i n f o r m a t i o n w a s g a t h e r e d a n d h o w t h a t i n f o r m a t i o n w a s c o l l e c t e d. T o d o t h i s , a s k & a n s w e r: W h a t d a t a o r i n f o r m a t i o n w a s r e c o r d e d o r c o l l e c t e d ? W h a t m a t e r i a l s (e . g . s u r v e y s, i n t e r v i e w s) a n d / o r a p p a r a t u se s (E . G . c o m p u t e r s ) w e r e u s e d t o c o l l e c t t h e d a t a ? c. I n d i c a te h o w t h e c o l l e c t e d d a t a w a s a n a l y z e d.

6 T o d o t h i s , a s k & a n s w e r : W h a t m e t h o d o f a n a l y s i s w a s u s e d t o d e t e r m i n e w h e t h e r t h e r e s u l t s w e r e s i g n i f i c a n t ? This handout is not intended to replace instructor s directions. If the directions differ from those of your instructor, please do as your instructor asks. T O SUMM AR I ZE T HE RESULT S SECT I O N 5. D e s c r i b e t h e r e s u l t s a n d i n d i c a t e w h e t h e r t h e y w e r e s i g n i f i c a n t . T o d o t h i s , a s k & a n s w e r: a. W h a t w e r e t h e m a j o r f i n d i n g s o r d i s c o v e r i e s o f t h e s t u d y o r e x p e r i m e n t ?

7 B. Did the results support the researchers hypothesis or hypotheses? c. D i d t h e r e s u l t s s u g g e s t a n a n s w e r t o t h e r e s e a r c h q u e s t i o n a n d i f s o , w h a t w a s t h a t a n s w e r ? T O SUMM AR I ZE T HE DI SCU SSI O N SE CT ION 6. E x p l a i n t h e s t r e n g t h s a n d w e a k n e s s e s o f t h e s t u d y a n d t h e k e y i m p l i c a t i o n s a n d a p p l i c a t i o n s o f t h e r e s u l t s. T o d o t h i s , a s k & a n s w e r: a. A r e r e s u l t s c o n s i s t e n t w i t h p r e v i o u s s t u d i e s o r d o t h e y s u g g e s t s o m e t h i n g d i f f e r e n t?

8 B. W h a t s t r e n g t h s d o th e r e s e a r c h e r s s e e i n h o w t h e i r s t u d y w a s c o n d u c t e d? c. W h a t w e a k n e s s e s d o t h e r e s e a r c h e r s s e e i n h o w t h e i r s t u d y w a s c o n d u c t e d? d. W h a t d o t h e r e s e a r c h e r s s a y c a n b e d o n e w i t h w h a t t h e y h a v e l e a r n e d f r o m t he s t u d y ? D o t h e r e s e a r c h e r s s u g g e st a c h a n g e i n p o l i c y o r p r a c t i c e? e. D o t h e r e s e a r c h e r s i n d i c a t e t h a t m o r e r e s e a r c h s h o u l d b e d o n e , i f s o , i n w h a t a r e a ( s ) ?

9 AP A J O UR N AL AR T I C LE CI T AT I O N JOURN AL ART I C LE WI TH A DOI | PRI NT , ON LIN E, OR FROM A DAT ABASE T E M P L A T E A u t h o r , A . A . , & A u t h o r B . B . ( Y e a r o f p u b l i c a t i o n ) . T i t l e o f a r t i c l e . T i t l e o f Jou r n a l, v o l u m e #( i s s u e #, i f a v a i l a b l e) , p a g e r a n g e . h t t p s : / / d o i . o r g /1 2 3 a S A M P L E K o s s i n e t s , G . , & W a t t s , D . J . ( 2 0 0 9 ) . O r i g i n s o f h o m o p h i l y i n a n e v o l v i n g s o c i a l n e t w o r k . A m e r i c a n J o u r n a l o f S o c i o l o g y , 1 1 5( 2 ) , 4 0 5 4 5 0.

10 H t t p s : / / d o i . o r g / 1 0 . 1 0 8 6 / 5 9 9 2 4 7 TURN ANY DOI INTO A L INK| A d d h t t p : / / d o i . o r g / b e f o r e t h e a l p h a n u m e r i c c o d e.