3. Organization 4. Validity and relevance of critique 5. Relevance of study selected 6. Adherence to assignment guidelines Problems You May Encounter 1. Paper is too brief. Be concise—that means brief...

3. Organization
4. Validity and relevance of critique
5. Relevance of study selected
6. Adherence to assignment guidelines
Problems You May Encounter
1. Paper is too brief. Be concise—that means brief but packed with information.
2. Poor writing, resulting from little or no proofreading.
3. Plagiarizing.
4. Failing to include a critique/strength.
5. Selecting a journal article that is not related to lifespan motor development.
6. Paper is too long. The key to successful abstracting is being able to condense

a vast amount of information into a few paragraphs.
7. Selecting an article about multiple studies. This complicates


Critical Analysis of a Journal Article(peer-reviewed) In Motor Development Select a research study that has been reported in a major scientific journal within the past 10 years. Recommended journals are listed at the end of this assignment. Be certain that the article you have selected is pertinent for this course, lifespan motor development. If you are unsure whether the article is appropriate, check with me. Once you have decided on an article that is appropriate and interesting to you, summarize and critique the research. Use your own words to summarize the article. Be especially careful not to plagiarize the article; don’t just add or delete material to create your summary. Type and double-space your paper. It should be approximately 3-4 pages not including the reference page. The Five Major Sections of Your Abstract 1. Purpose and hypothesis of the study 2. Methods or procedures 3. Results 4. Limitations 1. Purpose of the study Briefly explain why the author(s) undertook this research. 2. Methods or procedures Briefly explain the protocol used to conduct the investigation. Be concise, and avoid details such as the brand names of equipment used or the town in which subjects were tested. 3. Results Explain the results of the study. However, do not attempt to decipher the statistical analysis if you have had no experience with statistics. A simpler way of reporting results is to go directly to the end of the article’s results or discussion section, where the study’s findings are usually explained in non-statistical terminology. 4 Limitations Discuss your reaction to the research. Was this a worthwhile investigation? Why or why not? Are the findings practical? Explain and give examples. Do you think the experimenters followed proper scientific procedures? Explain and give examples. This section should reflect considerable thought on your part if you wish to do well on the assignment. Substantiate any claim you make. Criteria for Evaluation (Also refer to rubric) 1. Format (APA) 2. Writing clarity 2. Relevance and accuracy of comments 3. Organization 4. Validity and relevance of critique 5. Relevance of study selected 6. Adherence to assignment guidelines Problems You May Encounter 1. Paper is too brief. Be concise—that means brief but packed with information. 2. Poor writing, resulting from little or no proofreading. 3. Plagiarizing. 4. Failing to include a critique/strength. 5. Selecting a journal article that is not related to lifespan motor development. 6. Paper is too long. The key to successful abstracting is being able to condense a vast amount of information into a few paragraphs. 7. Selecting an article about multiple studies. This complicates efforts to thoroughly summarize and critique just one of them. The following journals are recommended, although many others are appropriate as well: Child Development Journal of Applied Physiology Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology Journal of Gerontology Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise Journal of Human Movement Studies Pediatric Exercise Science Journal of Motor Behavior Perceptual and Motor Skills Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sports