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The purpose of this assignment is for you to show your understanding of peer-reviewed empirical articles through: 1) reviewing original research; 2) evaluating claims, methods, and conclusions; and 3) communicating your analysis in a way that translates scientific information into common terms for a general audience. In writing an article review, you gain skills in summarizing key points and findings, interpreting results, evaluating the validity of the methods used and results reported, and communicating information to an audience in ways they understand.
Course Outcome: This assignment aligns with and supports mastery of the following course outcome:
After completing this course, you should be able to differentiate methodologies and ethical considerations used in counseling psychology research
Step 1: Read the tips from the UMGC library on “Finding Experimental (Empirical) Research Articles.” Pay special attention to the sections on “Scholarly Research Articles” the “Structure of An Experimental Article”
Step 2: Using the UMGC Library electronic databases, find an article published in the last seven (7) years in an APA journal with a focus on Counseling or Psychotherapy (e.g., Journal of Counseling Psychology or Counselling Psychology Quarterly). The article should describe an experimental manipulation by the researchers specifically. This means that the researchers conducted a study that is a true experiment with an easily identifiable independent and dependent variable. (Do not select meta-analyses, summaries, correlational studies, editorials, or theoretical articles. It is your responsibility to make sure that the journal article you select is appropriate. If you are unsure about the relevance of your article, contact me for approval.).
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 the authors predicted, and why they found 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 (i.e., test performance or lessening of depressive symptoms).
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 2 to 4-page summary of the article in your own words and your own writing style and structure. When necessary, to capture important details, fully paragraph the details being summarized. Changing a few words from the original is not fully paraphrasing. Be sure to address the following questions in your summary:
Introduction
- 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.)
Methods
- How did the researchers investigate their research question? (Provide details regarding the population sampled, and the study methodology).
Results and Discussion
- What are the pertinent results of the manipulation? (What were the findings and conclusions drawn?)
Personal Statement
- What is your opinion of the study conducted? Should it be repeated? What could be improved?
- What is your overall impression of the work? What are the implications of the study for the practice of counseling psychology?
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:
- Structure your paper utilizing APA style (7th Edition); this includes 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.
- Apply sound writing mechanics: write with clarity, paying attention to spelling, grammar, and syntax.
- Please reference the rubric accompanying this assignment for scoring details.
Step 10: Submit to your Assignment Folder as a single document in either Microsoft Word, PDF, or RTF format.
*Why a counseling journal…
The journals dedicated to counseling, found in our UGMC library, are peer-reviewed journals devoted to research, assessment, and practice. They are peer-reviewed publications that consists of multiple annual issues. (Over the past 7 years, that is a lot of research.) The topics covered are diverse and represent leading research in counseling psychology. Additionally, they are readily available via our UMGC library. Our UMGC library will provide you complete access its full-text articles in HTML and PDF format. The HTML Full Text option will provide you a click-n-go contents list that enables rapid navigation of the Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion sections of your selected article. Additionally, you are able to listen to the article.
