Critical Analysis Course Paper

You must select three research articles that are related to a specific issue or topic within the linkage of social relationships and health.  For example, you might focus on a specific population (age or life course stage, gender, ethnicity, SES, disease/illness/disability); or a specific process (sending, receiving, reciprocity of support), or a specific stressor.  The journals from which your required readings are taken are a good starting place, but appropriate key word searches will also be useful.  

Your three sources must not include articles from the course readings, but must be empirical studies from peer reviewed journals, ideally no more than 10 years old.  (You might also find a review article useful if one is available, but it will not count for the three.)  You also have the option of including one film and one related journal article, but it must clearly relate to the course material.  You should integrate material from the course (lecture or readings), including the theoretical perspectives, paradigms, or models, to show the context of your theme and the points you want to address within your paper. 

GUIDELINES

The paper will be approximately 6-8 pages, with standard one-inch margins and 12-point Times New Roman type.  Copy and paste the title page/abstract of each article into your document at the end of your report.

After an Introductory paragraph [6], you will first address each article separately.  

For EACH article (label Article #1, #2, #3) address the following

[54 points total; 18 points/1-1.5 pages each]: 

1. What are the title, author, and citation? What is the specific issue being discussed? What theoretical perspective is the author using (explain)?  Briefly describe the sample, research procedures, and main findings? [6]

2. What do YOU think of the quality of the research reported?  [6]

For example: Is the data obtained sufficient/appropriate for answering the research question?  Do you think the author’s reported theoretical findings are a valid interpretation of the data?  What does it contribute to your understanding of social relationships and health (be specific)?

3. What might you do differently if you wanted to replicate (or improve) this study?  What theoretical perspective might you take; Why?  Most importantly, how might the application of the other perspectives or measurement approaches provide complementary information? [6]

OR:

1. Thoroughly analyze/describe one film in terms of the course material and your topic (subject matter, implicit perspectives, process, outcomes). [36 points/3 pages].  

2. Analyze one related article as described above [18 points/1-1.5 pages].  

THEN, the MOST IMPORTANT Synthesis section should analyze the set of materials

[40 points/3-4 pages]:

How are the three articles (or film/article) complementary or contradictory?

Compare and contrast the perspectives, research designs, and results.

   While of course they are all on the same general topic, what are the differences in how it was framed and studied?  What are the consequences of these differences?  If the findings or conclusions are in conflict, which makes the stronger argument or provides stronger evidence, and why?  How do they complement one another? What more do you understand by combining all three articles (or film/article) together?

Why is the issue important to Public Health (or to Sociology) – how does it relate to disciplinary perspectives/theories?  Finally, discuss possible intervention strategies following from your findings.

Please spell check your papers; grades will be adversely affected if the paper is difficult to read due to spelling and grammatical errors.  If you need help with writing, you may consider visiting the Learning and Academic Resource Center (LARC): 

See next page for a more thorough breakdown.  

For each article: List the title, author, and citation (source). (1) What is the specific issue being discussed? (1) What theoretical perspective is the author using? (1) Briefly describe the sample, research procedures, and findings. (3) 

What do YOU think of the quality of the research reported? –  Is the data obtained sufficient/appropriate for answering the research question? (2)  Do you think the author’s reported theoretical findings are a valid interpretation of the data? (2)  What does it contribute to your understanding of social network and support? (2)  What might you do differently if you wanted to replicate (or improve) this study? (2)   What theoretical perspective might you take? Why? (2)  Most importantly, how might the application of the other perspectives provide complementarion? (2)

For a film: Subject matter – general description of people and events (6) in terms of/reference to stressors (2), support (2), networks (2). Describe the applicable Perspectives. (8)  Describe the Process (of stress, support, relationships). (8)  Describe Outcomes  – what happened as a result of the stressors/support (8)

Synthesis section. Compare/contrast: Differences in how the topic was framed/studied/How do these differences related to the differences in findings. (8)  Which makes a stronger argument/why (6) (For a film, is the film or article is more informative on the topic.)  How are the sources complementary (6)  What more abstract/general understanding his it provided – overarching conclusions (6)  Why is the issue important/how it relates to perspectives/theories (8) Possible theoretical ramifications or intervention strategies (6)