SOCW 6301 Week 5 Assignment

SOCW 6301 Week 5 Assignment

Assignment: Locating an Empirical Research Article

Empirical research articles document a study that is either quantitative, qualitative or a mixed methods research design. When authors write an empirical research article they typically follow a format that looks like this: Introduction/Background, Literature Review, Methodology, Findings, and Discussion. The authors recount literature on their specific research topic and describe in a systematic manner how the data was collected and then analyzed in order to answer the research question(s). Once the data is analyzed, they present the findings. Finally, they interpret the findings using past literature to help understand the findings.

What we broadly describe as a “quantitative study” includes numerical summaries that involve descriptive statistics (averages, standard deviations), correlations, and inferential statistics (such as T-tests, Chi Squares and other kinds of analyses). These kinds of studies can include certain elements such as per- and post-tests or survey results looking at correlations between variables.

Qualitative articles, on the other hand, use interviews, focus groups, observations, and written answers to questions. Rather than using statistics to summarize the study, these studies look at themes and present the material using words, phrases and often paragraphs to illustrate what they are representing.

To prepare for this assignment, review Week 1’s readings and resources on how to locate an empirical research article using the library’s databases.

For this Assignment,

•        Locate an empirical research article that is either a quantitative or qualitative study from a peer reviewed social work journal for the final assignment.

o   Do not select an empirical research article that describes a mixed methods study. The reason is because a mixed method study involves both a quantitative and qualitative component. You would have to do two reviews – one for the quantitative component and one for the qualitative component — for the final assignment.

•        Upload the article. Your instructor will review the article to make sure it is an empirical research article and will approve it for your use for the final assignment.

Learning Resources

Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.

SAMPLE ANSWER

Locating an Empirical Research Article

Empirical research articles are a type of scientific article that reports on original research. These articles are usually published in academic journals and can be quite technical. If you’re looking for empirical research articles, there are a few things you can do to find them. One way to find empirical research articles is to search for them in an online database like JSTOR or PubMed. You can also try searching for them in Google Scholar. Another way to find empirical research articles is to ask your professor or a librarian for help. Once you’ve found some empirical research articles, take some time to read them and make sure they’re relevant to your needs. Also, keep in mind that empirical research articles tend to be quite technical, so you may need to brush up on your reading comprehension skills before tackling them.

How to Locate an Empirical Research Article

When you are looking for an empirical research article, the best place to start is by searching in a database. Many databases will have a option to limit your search to only empirical articles.

If you are having trouble finding an empirical article in a database, you can try doing a Google search. When you do a Google search, be sure to include terms like “empirical research” or “academic journal.”

If you still can’t find an empirical research article, try contacting the author directly. The author’s contact information should be listed on the article itself.

Why is it Important to Read Empirical Articles?

When you are looking at a research question, it is important to be able to read and understand empirical articles. Empirical articles are those that report original research that has been conducted by the author. These types of articles provide evidence to support claims that are made about a topic. When you read an empirical article, you can evaluate the quality of the research and determine if it is credible. This type of article can also give you new insights into a topic and help you form your own opinions about it.

What are the Different Types of Empirical Articles?

There are four main types of empirical research articles: original research articles, review articles, case reports, and methodological articles.

Original research articles are the most common type of empirical article. They report on new research that has been conducted by the authors. Review articles provide a summary of the current state of knowledge on a particular topic. Case reports describe a specific instance of a phenomenon being studied. Methodological articles describe new methods or techniques that can be used in empirical research.

How to Evaluate an Empirical Article

When reading an empirical article, it is important to critically evaluate the content to ensure that the research is valid and reliable. There are a few key things to look for when evaluating an empirical article:

1) Does the study use a valid research design? This means that the study has clearly defined variables and a control group (if appropriate). The research design should be appropriate for answering the research question.

2) Do the results of the study support the conclusions that the authors drew? Be sure to carefully read and understand the results section before drawing any conclusions.

3) Are there any potential biases in the study? The authors should disclose any biases that could impact the results of the study. For example, if the authors have a personal stake in the outcome of the research, this should be disclosed.

4) Are there any flaws in the study? Even well-designed studies can have flaws. Be sure to critically examine all aspects of the study to identify any potential flaws that could impact the validity of the findings.

Tips for Reading an Empirical Article

When reading an empirical research article, it is important to consider the following:

-The purpose of the research: What question is the author(s) trying to answer?
-The research design: How did the author(s) go about answering the question?
-The results: What did the author(s) find?
-The implications: What do the results mean? How do they contribute to our understanding of the topic under study?

Conclusion

There are a number of ways to locate empirical research articles. The most obvious way is to use a search engine such as Google Scholar. However, you can also look for databases that focus specifically on academic journals, such as JSTOR or EBSCOhost. Finally, your university library should have a subscription to several different research databases; ask a librarian for help if you’re having trouble finding what you need.