Worksheet: Quantitative Analysis - Professional Journal Article

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Spring ‘23 Quantitative Analysis of a Professional Journal Article on Environmental Solutions Worksheet: Your Name: Your SID: Instructions: After the library orientation, you will select a professional journal article that focuses on solutions to environmental problems and is based on original scientific research. This is an individual assignment. Please complete the following: Publication and writing features 1. Name of Journal: For example: Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering 2. Journal Type: Check all that apply Online/Web______ Printed/Hard copy_____ Monthly______ Quarterly______ Other?_______ If other, please explain below: 3. Database where you found the article: For example: Science Direct 4. Peer Reviewed? Y/N The answer should be “yes” because it is required for this assignment. Check article using Ulrich’s Directory. 5. Authors’ Name(s) (first three only) Author 1 Author 2 Author 3 6. Provide information on the academic credentials and research focus (if available) of each author you named. (1 to 2 sentences.) (Example) Ryan Holifield, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Geography and Urban Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. His research focuses on human dimensions of environmental change, addressing issues of democracy, governance, policy, and social and environmental justice. Author 1 Author 2 Author 3 7. Why does knowing the authors and their credentials contribute to the scientific reliability of this article? 8. Check all of the sections below that you see in your article. (The sections are usually introduced with a bold title, but not always.) ____Title ____Abstract ____Introduction ____Keywords ____Purpose or Purpose statement ____Literature Review ____Definitions ____Research question ____Limitations ____Hypothesis ____Design specifications ____Methodology/use of scientific method ____Data collection and analysis ____Results/findings ____Recommendations for the future ____References 9. Why are abstracts used in professional journal articles, and not in magazine or trade journal articles? 10. How helpful is the formatting and design in the article? (Look at the sections and subsections, columns, fonts, and alignment.) 11. How helpful are the visuals, graphs, charts and tables? 3 1 12. How well is the article written? A. Is there a lot of “jargon” or are there technical terms only an expert in the field would understand? If yes, provide examples.   B. Are the technical terms defined or explained? C. Who is the primary audience? D. Overall is the article written on a level that is appropriate for the primary audience? Would other audiences (such as readers with a non-technical background) understand the article? Testable questions and hypothesis: 1. Testing methodology: A.What was the hypothesis? B.What was the methodology used to test the hypothesis? If the article focuses on engineering design, what is the methodology used to test the design idea? C.What is the conclusion based on the results? D.Was there any evidence of pseudoscience? Yes or No? Explain your answer. 2. Quantitative Reasoning How does quantitative reasoning contribute to the article’s analysis of, or solutions to issues of earth, the environment, and sustainability. Provide the complete citation for the journal article you analyzed here. Remember it should be in APA documentation style. PowerPoint Presentation Samples to help with worksheet Spring 23 – Section 1/2 Journal Name The journal name and the journal article title are different: Example of Journal names : Journal of Experimental & Theoretical Artificial Intelligence New England Journal of Medicine Current Journal of Applied Science and Technology The Lancet Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society Journal Article Title Examples: Colony collapse disorder of honey bee: A neoteric ruction in global apiculture. Climate change education and the ecological footprint Youth science expertise, environmental identity, and agency in climate action filmmaking Cargo delivery in by passenger eVTOL aircraft: a case study in the San Francisco Bay Area. Primary Audience, et al. Examples: A. The primary audience: Future engineers wanting to work with in electric vehicles B. The secondary audience: Engineers who are currently working on electric vehicles. Primary Audience, et al. Examples: “I believe article is written at a level that is appropriate for the audiences. This is because the person reading it is wanting to learn more about electric vehicles for their line of work.” Hypothesis (Ways students answered) “Researchers tested whether there was a direct relationship between commonly used pesticides and the number of honeybee deaths.” “What was the hypothesis? There was no hypothesis explicitly stated, but one can infer that the hypothesis was that integrated electrostatic precipitation advanced oxidation technologies would decrease the amount of volatile organic compounds emitted into the air when recycling e-waste, making the work environment safer for those that work in e-waste recycling facilities. In this experiment various means of integrated electrostatic precipitation advanced oxidation technologies were tested to determine which was most effective at preventing volatile organic compounds from being emitted into the air.” Methodology “Researchers tested a variety of commonly used pesticides and collected samples from various beehives, looking to see which pesticide showed up the most out of all the hives.” “The methodology used was observation based on statistical research. The author pointed out specific points of how BEV’s can help benefit the environment and transportation systems. They pointed out that the introduction BEV’s will greatly reduce the current CO2 emissions and how specific electric-hybrid models compare to combustion engines. Quantitative Reasoning How does quantitative reasoning contribute to the article’s analysis of, or solutions to issues of earth, the environment, and sustainability. “Quantitative reasoning is a very helpful tool for researchers. Mathematical statistics of data, graphs/charts, and solutions to real world problems helps readers grasp a deeper understanding of the subject. Now for us, these environmental solutions provided to us need to have quantitative values to help us truly understand the consequences of human impact on Earth and what it will take to fix those problems.” “The article had many examples showing data of the authors’ analysis work. The authors explain all math equations used, and how they were able to solve each problem with different math algorithms and graphs. “ Conclusion Based on Results? “Rainwater harvesting was able to mitigate climate change impacts.” “The conclusion based on the results of the experiment was that PC treatment was most effective in reducing cancer and non-cancer risks and illnesses from volatile organic compounds for workers in electronic waste disposal facilities.” “Findings in the article confirm that the electric car can serve as a suitable instrument towards a much more sustainable future in mobility. This is particularly true for small-size BEV, which is underrepresented in LCA literature data so far. ” Reference at the end – APA Style Cordero, E. C., Todd, A. M., & Abellera, D. (2008). Climate change education and the ecological footprint. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 89(6), 865-872. Guo, Zhang, X., Zou, Y., Lenzo, B., Du, G., & Zhang, T. (2021). A Supervisory Control Strategy of Distributed Drive ElectricVehicles for Coordinating Handling, Lateral Stability, and Energy Efficiency. IEEE Transactions on Transportation Electrification, 7(4), 2488–2504. https://doi.org/10.1109/TTE.2021.3085849 Research Article Critique Discussion Sheet Research Article Critique Work Sheet Element Definition/Where located in the article Yes?/No?/Comment Title or heading Located in the first section. Illustrates the main topic of the study, reason for the study, approach, results and conclusions. A title is a concise statement of the main topic and should identify the variables or theoretical issues under investigation and the relationship between them. An example of a good title is "Effect of Transformed Letters on Reading Speed. " Abstract Appears at the beginning of the article. Follows title and author’s name. Brief summary of the entire article including the problem, methodology, analysis, results, implications, reasons for the study, approach, results and conclusions. When searching, you’ll find abstracts in databases and indexes to help you decide if the article is relevant to your research. Begin abstract on a new page. Can be 50 to 200 words. Key Words Follows abstract: Key words help make index searching easier. By embedding key words in your abstract, you enhance the user's ability to find it. Introduction Normally follows abstract. The body of a manuscript opens with an introduction that presents the specific problem under study and describes the research strategy Gets the reader interested in the article. Introduces the reader to the problem and justification for the hypothesis. Helps the reader understand the objectives for the work. Sometimes this section includes the literature review and the purpose of the study. Statement of Problem Included in the introduction section in many papers. The authors specify the problem or issue and justify why it should be studied. The statement of problem section may include deficiencies in existing knowledge about the topic and/or address audiences that may benefit from the study of the problem. Hypotheses Typically stated at the end of the introduction or after the literature review. A declarative statement in which the researcher makes a prediction, or several predictions, based on the study. “Our hypothesis at the beginning of the study was that x would result in a more effective response to this problem than y.” Literature Review sometimes called a review article Literature reviews are critical evaluations of material that has already been published. Here, the author lists the previous research on the topic. It is a written summary of articles, books and other documents that describe the past and current knowledge about a topic. The literature review justifies the research, provides direction for the study. It places your research in context of past work in the field. Purpose The purpose, or purpose statement comes after the review of literature, sometimes in paragraph 3 or 4. It advances the overall direction or focus of a study and it is used in both quantitative and qualitative research. Should answer what is being tested and why. Many papers introduce it outright by saying: “The purpose of this study is to…” Significance Addresses why the study is being done. (Is the subject a “hot topic”, testing a theory, confirming previous research?) Also see “Statement of problem” Limitations Potential weaknesses described by the author: Example – the study only had a small sample, etc. Methods Provides the detailed description of how the study was conducted. Includes participants, subjects, materials, procedures. Data collection and Analysis Included in the methods section, most likely. Tells from where the data came and how it was analyzed. Results/Findings The section summarizes findings in text and illustrates them with charts, graphs and tables presented for statistical reporting of the data. It is an objective presentation. The interpretation comes later in the discussion section. Discussion Interpretation of the data. Lets you know if the data /results supported the hypothesis. Explains the results. Conclusion Tells the implications of the results/findings. Usually includes comprehensive summary of findings Recommendations for the future Suggestions to address any problems/concerns found as a result of the research. Suggests what further research may be needed. Can be part of the discussion section, usually at the end. References List of references cited in the research article. Done in a specific format (such as APA style, IEEE style). Appendix Last section of the paper, shows examples of instruments used in data-gathering. Sources: http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~bioslabs/tools/report/reportform.html Other notes from B. Murphy-Wesley http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~bioslabs/tools/report/reportform.html