Author: Ushna Nawaz
Critical Analysis
Critical
analysis is a way of pinpointing the strengths and weaknesses of an article. One
can provide suggestions to the author by critically analyzing the presented
work. In critical analysis, we evaluate the themes (content),
structure/organization as well as various components of the article.
Critical
analysis is different from an article review as critical analysis is done by an
expert in the field and evaluates the work from the critical and technical
point of view; whereas, an article review can be done by an amateur. Article
review is based on subjective opinion and critical analysis is more of
objective nature.
Why Critical Analysis is Required?
Critical
analysis provides a system of keeping checks and balances. It acts as feedback
and allows strengthening of the work by highlighting the limitations and flaws
of the study. It helps to identify which part of the study needs improvement.
Moreover, it helps to evaluate the quality of the study, identify the strengths
and weaknesses of the study, promote intellectual rigor, enhance the objectivity
of the study, enhance communication skills, encourage continuous improvement,
and promote the advancement of knowledge. The process of critical analysis is
usually used before publishing a study or an article and published articles are
also analyzed.
Elements of Critical Analysis
In critical
analysis, one examines various components of the article and highlights which
component is included or excluded within the article. Usually, when people
initiate to analyze the article they find it difficult to start because, in the
beginning, they have less knowledge about the requirements of critical
analysis. So, the following explanation probably helps those individuals who
are at the initiating stage of critical analysis.
Note. It must
be noted that the article explained the general guidelines; however, the
standards may change across different journals and study types.
Abstract
The first
component of an article is the abstract. The standard word count of this
component is 200, i.e. abstract’s length should not be more than 200 words. The
examiner must consider the following points while critically analyzing an
article or study:
·
If
the main purpose and aim of the study are stated
·
Does
the abstract mention the research question(s) or hypotheses
·
Does
the abstract include the method, sample selection, and sample size
·
If
the abstract mentioned the main results, conclusions, and recommendations
Introduction
The introduction
should start by explaining the purpose of the study to set the stage for the
study. It should include the
rationale and significance of conducting the study. The introduction of a
research study should be written in simple language, in the present tense, and
should include the purpose, rationale for conducting the study, background
information, current state of knowledge, and the gap the study aims to fill. It
should contain three specific themes: providing essential background
information related to the subject matter, stating the research hypothesis, and
focusing on the topic.
Moreover, the introduction should include past literature
with keywords, state the purpose of the study with a rationale, and narrow down
from unsolved issues to the gap the study aims to bridge. The conclusion should
conclude with an obvious purpose and objective, helping readers focus on
important aspects of the study. This approach helps readers focus on the
study's objectives and contributes to the overall success of the research.
Literature
Review
Literature review plays a major role in
developing a research question and assists in determining the suitable methodology
for the collection of data. A literature review should be from recent origins,
ideally less than five years old, and should include a variety of sources
arranged chronologically or by subject matter. The review should be mixed of
previous studies related to the research question, with some supporting the
author's point of view and others not. It should begin with an introduction
identifying keywords and related information, and include the strengths,
limitations, and comparisons with other studies. The review provides an
overview of the research study, including key author, prevailing theories, and
methodologies. Primary sources are more favorable in literature reviews.
In short, within
the literature review section, we check,
·
If all the included references are related to
the problem of study
·
If the study includes more primary sources with
fewer secondary sources
·
If the gap among previous studies is
identified; if the former studies are compared and contrasted
·
If the literature review section ends with a
concluding paragraph or statement and relates the literature to the current study
·
The literature review discussion develops a
theoretical or empirical ground for the hypotheses
·
If the studies included are less than five
years old or not
Theoretical and
Conceptual Framework
It is also required to determine if the
researcher added some relevant theory. The theoretical framework is a guide for
a study, identifying conceptual relationships and guiding empirical
observation. It helps explain research findings and understand natural
phenomena. Although not all studies are based on a theory or conceptual model,
every research study has a framework.
The conceptual framework is a structure that
explains the natural progression of a study's phenomenon, linking concepts,
important theories, and empirical research. It promotes and organizes the
researcher's knowledge related to the study. The conceptual framework describes
the relationship between the main concepts of a study and is used when existing
theories are insufficient to create a structure for the study.
In short, we need to identify the included
theories and their relevancy with the problem being investigated, and the
conceptual framework, i.e. if the researcher provided a clear link between the
key concepts of the study.
Variable and
Hypotheses
A hypothesis is a statement that explains the
relationship between two or more variables, providing an explanation and answer
to the research question, and is used to predict the study's outcome, providing
direction for data collection, analysis, and interpretation.
A critic needs to examine whether the
researcher mentioned the variables explicitly provided the relationship between
variables in the hypotheses and added only those variables in the hypotheses
that are supposed to be investigated in the current study. Under the hypotheses
section, the critic determines
·
If the researcher included certain research
questions or hypotheses to be investigated
·
If each
hypothesis explains an expected relationship or difference
·
If required, are the variables defined
operationally or directly
·
If the stated hypotheses are testable or not
Ethical
Consideration
It is worthwhile to notice that the researchers
need to follow certain standards to conduct research. The researcher needs to
get approval from the research committee before conducting the study and from
the participants before collecting data. At each step, the researcher needs to
follow a certain ethic such as not harming the participants. Therefore, under
this section, we determine the following,
·
If the researcher received approval from Ethical committees or institutional review boards
·
If
the researcher followed four fundamental ethical principles, i.e. justice, beneficence,
autonomy, and non-maleficence.
Justice is concerned with treating everyone equally
and ensuring that no one is given preferential treatment. Autonomy
implies that a man or woman can freely choose to participate in a research
study. Non-maleficence is defined as not harming and preventing harm
occurring to members. Beneficence is interpreted as the benefit of research
to the participant and society as a whole.
Methodology
The methodology section includes multiple
sub-headings and each heading needs to be evaluated critically.
Research Design
and Procedure
Research design is a strategy used by
researchers to answer questions and test hypotheses, specifying the method and
procedure for collecting and analyzing information, emphasizing a systematic
methodology, and serving as a blueprint for data collection, measurement, and
analysis. The critic determines if the selected design is suitable for testing
the hypothesis and if the procedures are defined adequately enough that others
can replicate the study, i.e. if the procedure is defined clearly and in detail.
Sample and
Sampling Method
In a research study, sample selection and
sampling methods are crucial. Researchers must identify the target population,
select participant criteria, and provide evidence of sample selection and the
number of participants invited.
Under this
section, the critic needs to determine the following,
·
If the researcher explicitly defined the
sampling strategy
·
Is the sampling strategy appropriate for the
current study
·
If the participants are appropriate and can
provide data related to the current research problem
·
If the researcher explained the inclusion and
exclusion criteria
·
If the researcher explicitly mentioned which
sampling strategy or tool he used to determine the number of participants
·
If the number of participants is mentioned in
the study
·
If the population's size and major characteristics
are clearly described
·
If the researcher avoided using volunteers
·
If the sample size meets the suggested
guideline for minimum sample size appropriate for the research method
Data Collection
Method
In research, the researcher can use a variety
of tools for data collection including questionnaires and interviews. In this
section, the critic needs to determine, if the researcher clearly and concisely
explained which method and tool is used for data collection. Moreover, it is required
to identify the procedure of data collection.
Instruments
The selection of instruments is an important
part of the study and needs a lot of searching. In this section, the critic focuses
on the following features,
·
Is the justification provided for the choice of
tools (or measurements) applied?
·
Is the purpose and content of each instrument
described?
·
Are the tools suitable for evaluating the
variables that are being measured?
·
Is there proof offered to show that every
instrument is suitable for the sample being studied?
·
Are the size and kind of reliability
coefficients included while discussing reliability?
·
If the tool was specially developed for the
study so does the researcher explain the steps involved in the development and
validation of an instrument?
·
Are the methods for administering, scoring,
tabulating, and interpreting an instrument that was created especially for the
study well explained?
Validity and
Reliability
The researcher is required to include the
validity and reliability of the included instruments therefore, the critic needs
to assess if this information is added or not.
Data Analysis
Data analysis is thought to be a difficult
procedure. The goal of the research is to determine which statistical test
should be run, why it should be run, and how to interpret the results.
Descriptive statistics are generally used in descriptive research, whereas
inferential statistics are used in correlational, quasi-experimental, and
experimental studies. In qualitative research, other methods are used for data
analysis. The task for the critic here is to identify which analysis method is
used and if it is appropriate for the current data or study.
Study Finding
The discussion of findings should be logical,
related to the literature review, and supported by the hypothesis. It should
also consider the study's strengths and weaknesses, and whether the findings
are generalizable. Moreover, the researcher should assess the design, sampling,
and analysis of the study and suggest future research in the specific area. The
critic also determines if all the findings are explained well following the
hypotheses.
Conclusion and
Recommendation
The researcher needs to include a thorough
conclusion and recommendations for future research. It should provide adequate
detail regarding the study and create the way for future research
projects. The researcher is also required to add the strengths and limitations
of the study. In short, the researcher summarizes the whole research with some
other important details. The critic determines if the conclusion and recommendation
section includes above mentioned ingredients.
Article
References
The publications should ideally have been
published within the last five years, however occasionally an exception may
apply if insufficient research has been done on a given subject.
The kind and source of the literature that is provided is another crucial
factor to take into account. The reference's length should be sufficient and
all of the references should be pertinent to the topic at hand. Moreover, the
references should be arranged in alphabetical order following APA standards.
Conclusion
From the above discussion, it can be noted that
doing critical analysis is not an easy process; however, it becomes less
difficult if we are aware of the standards with which we need to compare the
study. In critical analysis, we not only focus on the limitations of the study
but we identify which element is included in the study and which factors are
ignored, i.e. we need to emphasize both strengths and weaknesses. Moreover,
critical analysis helps to improve the quality of the study.
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