Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Topic: Evaluating Research


Purpose of this blog: Critical Review of Research

10-second review: When we encounter the expression, “Research says…,” we are inclined to accept what it purportedly says without questioning. What does the research actually say?

Title: “How to Find and Evaluate Research.” K James-Enger. The Writer (October 2010), 40-41.

What questions should you ask about research?
Quote: “In general, the larger the study, the better. In other words, a study conducted on 50,000 people holds more weight than one conducted on several hundred. And I say people for a good reason—hundreds of thousands of published articles are on animals, not people—and those kinds of results aren’t always duplicated in humans. It’s OK to cite an animal study if that’s all you have, but your article should make it clear that the subjects were, say, mice, not people.”

Comment: I have often noted in educational research that the author(s) use such expressions as “suggests” when discussing findings. Does such a finding warrant the statement, “Research says….”? RayS.

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