Basically, I'm doing a a PowerPoint presentation on the research paper of my choosing. I have already posted all of the files that you would need to complete this; I put the directions, the ppt to base out of, rubric, the paper topic I chose, and other documents to give you a sense on what the finished produce is like.
Interpreting Research Studies: First read the brief “Interpreting Research Studies” by the Guttmacher Institute and the article “Eight questions to ask when interpreting academic studies: A primer for media” published by the Journalist’s Resource. After wards read the Powerpoint® presentation “Interpreting Research” written by Professor Hayward. It includes many explanatory details of the items listed on the next three pages. It analyzes the research paper “Algebra for 8th Graders” which is also included in the Final Exam folder in Canvas. Finally create your own Powerpoint® or Slideshare® of a research paper which you reviewed and analyzed. Use the information you gathered in the next two pages, namely, the ‘Data Worksheet’ and the ‘Your Analysis’ portions of the FE Paper Outline document. Use my Powerpoint® “Interpreting Research” as a guideline to create your own slideshow. When you submit the presentation, please submit your data worksheet as well. I should already have a copy of the research paper you reviewed since it needed pre-approval, so it is not necessary to submit with your data worksheet, your analysis, and your slideshow. The data worksheet can be completed with short answers and incomplete sentences. The ‘Your Analysis” responses should be written in your preferred essay style in paragraph form with complete sentences. You may not need to answer every prompt in these four sections, so do not feel compelled to- just answer the ones that make the most sense for the research paper you are analyzing. Remember all 5 components (the data worksheet and the four analytic responses) are contained in the rubric and that is what you are being assessed on. Format of studies: • Author(s)/ Publisher • Abstract • Background/Context • Method • Results • Implications/ Discussion • Conclusion • References/ Author(s) Data Worksheet Type of Study (Survey or Experiment; Social Science or Medical): Design of Study: (Questionnaire, Review, Double blind, randomness, …) Population being measured: The unit of analysis: (Individuals, classrooms, hospitals, schools or states, for example.) Sponsor of study/possible biases: Type of data collected: (Qualitative, Quantitative, nominal, ordinal, …) What are the independent and dependent variables: (Name them if an acronym is given.) Types of graphs used: Distribution type: (Binomial, Poisson, Chi-Square…) Goodness of fit tests: (Chi-square, …) Sample size(s): Mean & Standard deviations: Confidence Intervals: (if available) Standardization test used: (z-test or t-test) Hypothesis: P-value(s)/strength: Effect size: (if given) Analysis of Variance and covariance used: (ANOVA, MANOVA, …) Regression strength/Correlation Coefficient: Your analysis Your analysis of the abstract: • What makes the study important? • Who conducted the research and wrote the report? • Who published the report? • What are the researchers’ (null & alternative) hypotheses? Your analysis of the process/methods: • Did the researcher select an appropriate group for study? • If comparison groups are used, how similar are they? • Are the methods appropriate to the research purpose? • Was the sample size sufficient for the population being studied? Your analysis of the results: • What results did the researchers find? • Do the findings make sense? • How generalizable are the results? • Does the study establish causation? • Could the data be biased as a result of poor research design? • How well does the study design address correlation? causation? • Are the results statistically significant? Your analysis of the conclusion: • What is the feasibility of replication? • What limitations do the authors note? • What has changed since the information was collected? • Is the time frame long enough to identify an impact? • What conclusions do similar studies draw? Interpreting Research Studies In Brief Interpreting Research Studies Key Questions to Ask When Reading a Social Science Research Report • What makes the study important? • Do the findings make sense? • Who conducted the research and wrote the report? • Who published the report? • Did the researcher select an appropriate group for study? • If comparison groups are used, how similar are they? • What has changed since the information was collected? • Are the methods appropriate to the research purpose? • Does the study establish causation? • Is the time frame long enough to identify an impact? • Could the data be biased as a result of poor research design? • Are the results statistically significant? Yet valuable research is often communi- cated in technical language and rigid formats that make it difficult to interpret and evaluate the findings. This document is intended to help demystify social science research for those who could make use of the findings but lack specialized training in research methods. It identifies the key questions to ask when evaluating a research report, explains why the answers matter and offers tips on where to find the information in the body of the report. What makes the study important? What makes a study newsworthy, or useful for informing policies and programs? It depends on how the study contributes to what we already know. This information may be summarized in the abstract of a scientific journal article or the executive summary of a longer report. More in-depth information is usually found in the “Discussion” or “Conclusions” sections at the end of the report. Look for answers to these questions: • Does the study answer a previously unaddressed question? • Does it address an old question in a new way or with surprising results? • Does it confirm the results of previous studies, strengthening the evidence or showing that a program can be effective in multiple settings? • Does it build on past work to show trends over time? Reading through the abstract or executive summary with these questions in mind can help you evaluate the study’s rele- vance even before you review the full publication. Do the findings make sense? The abstract or summary will also present the study’s key “findings” or “results.” Do they make sense, given what you already know about the subject? And are they rooted in the existing body of research? A scientific report should be properly refer- enced, with original sources for all factual statements and data from other research clearly cited. But just because a study’s findings chal- lenge conventional wisdom, they are not necessarily incorrect. One function of research is to test common assumptions and reexamine earlier findings. A study with unexpected results can be particu- larly important or newsworthy, as it can lead to new insights and approaches. Findings that go against the conventional wisdom, however, require more careful evaluation. Who conducted the research and wrote the report? It is important to consider whether the study results could be influenced by a researcher’s conflict of interest. You cannot always know this just by reading a report, but some knowledge of the field can guide you. Are the authors well regarded in the scientific community? What are their professional credentials? Have they published previously and, if so, in what journals? 2006 Series, No. 2 Social science research, with its focus on human behaviors, rela- tionships and social institutions, can be a rich source of material for journalists, policymakers and program administrators. Indeed, social science findings have their greatest impact when they are useful to—and used by—groups such as these, who can channel research into practice to improve people’s lives. Studies generally indicate where the authors work and who funded their research. Are the researchers independent, or could their work have been influenced by the company, government agency or advocacy group that employed or funded them? Who might stand to profit from the findings? Any potential conflict of interest should be identified up front. That said, researchers have opinions and beliefs just like everyone else; good researchers committed to a political or social agenda can still conduct unbiased, trustwor- thy studies that can withstand independent evaluation, provided they follow practices designed to protect the quality and integrity of research. Who published the report? Social science research is often disseminated through journal articles. An article published in a peer-reviewed journal has been evaluated by experts in the field to help ensure that it meets high scientific standards. Each field has its own hierarchy of jour- nals; if you are familiar with the field, you can look to the pres- tige of the journal as one indica- tion of a study’s quality. If you are not sure how a journal ranks, look on its front pages for a statement that it is peer- reviewed and a list of who serves on its editorial committee or review board (if one exists). Studies from sources other than journals (including reports that research institutions publish themselves) may also contain solid, useful information. Look to the “acknowledgments” (usually at the very beginning of a report) to see if the authors mention outside sources of input and advice, such as an expert advi- sory panel or external reviewers. With the exception of some online journals, information on the Internet is not reviewed as rigorously before being posted, but some sites do have a review process. In general, if an exter- nal review process is not mentioned, you should assume that one does not exist—which means you will need to be cautious about accepting the study’s conclusions. Did the researcher select an appropriate group for study? A social scientist’s work is about people, either as individ- uals or as part of a social insti- tution (for example, a school, a hospital, a religious group or a branch of government). Although the question motivat- ing a researcher’s work may be general (“What does the public think about abortion?” “At what age do teenagers begin to have sex?”), in practical terms a study often focuses on a subset, or sample, of the larger popula- tion. This sample must be selected carefully to ensure that the study results are appli- cable to the relevant general population. The selection of the study group should be described in the “Methods” section of an article or report. Using a representative sample is the best way to ensure that findings can be generalized to all members of the target popu- lation. If the researcher uses a representative sample, the report will typically state this specifically. There are many ways to achieve a representa- tive sample, and selecting a true random sample is only one of them. Other common approaches are acceptable and—with appropriate statisti- cal adjustments for weight- ing—can produce valid and representative results. Sometimes, however, a researcher may have good reasons to select the target population in a different way. Perhaps there is no list of the general population available. Perhaps the behavior in ques- tion is particularly prevalent among a subgroup, so it makes the most sense to concentrate the study among this group in