Blog

It is important that you learn how to critically review research.  In our society today, we are exposed to so much information and so many studies.  Some of that information is excellent, some is useful, and some is very, very bad.  How can you determine what information is useful and what is dangerous?  One way is to take a course like Critical Thinking; however, the facts that I give you will be outdated all too soon. The most important thing you will learn from this course — and from your college education — is how to evaluate the information critically that is presented to you. Critical thinking involves asking five questions: who, what, when, where, how.
Find and read an article in the media or a video clip that reports the results of a scientific study.  You must include the link to the website. It is essential that the article you review would either argue for something or present a theory or idea with supporting evidence for its claims or conclusion. News items, even if they are about scientific discoveries are not suited for this assignment because news items report the news (naturally) and provide no theory or arguments and supporting evidence that could be criticized based on its strengths/weaknesses. Explanations/educational articles (such as WebMD explaining to us what certain conditions are) not good for our purposes either because they teach us something, telling us what is wh

at, and thus do not provide supporting evidence that could be criticized. Teaching/explaining are very different from arguing! Please keep this in mind when you choose an article! 
Discuss how accurately did the mass media report the study? 
Answer the above five questions about the article (Who, What, When, Where, and How). Refer to page 353 of your text and be sure to cover all the highlights discussed.  
Do NOT use entertainment or sports articles for your review. The articles must be research-based and must include claims/conclusions and supporting evidence, which are to be criticized!.  
Directions:
You will write a one-page critical review of the article.  The review should answer each of the five questions.  You must cite your source.  If it is a website, please make sure you put the entire web address. Remember you are evaluating critically, not just summarizing. See the examples below the grading rubric:
Week 4: Critical ReviewPoint ValueAdequately covers and answers the 5 questions, plus the summary section (10 points per section) 60 pointsChooses a scholarly/research article that presents a claim/idea/conclusion + supporting evidence that can be evaluated based on the strength/weakness of that evidence 20 pointsMeets the required word minimum (150 words) and posts word count 10 pointsFollows APA formatting with parenthetical citations and referencing 10 pointsTotal: 100 points