PS101
3-4 page (double-spaced) paper evaluating an article from a popular media source and comparing it to the original peer-reviewed published research article.
To evaluate the limits of the original research and examine the presentation of the research in the popular media.
Select article from popular media source that describes a research study in the human sciences: article needs to be published/posted AFTER June 2018.
Then find the original scientific article cited in the popular article.
Read both carefully and compare.
Answer the following questions:
What type of study is described (correlational, experimental)? Provide a rationale for your answer.
Who were the subjects and how were they selected (random sample or not)? How might the sampling strategy affect generalizability? If it doesnt say how subjects were selected, how might this effect your interpretation of the findings?
How were the variables operationalized (defined for the purposes of the study)? Does it seem like a reasonable approach (is it a good way to measure the phenomenon)? What problems/limits may be associated with this approach?
Do the conclusions seem justified based on the study design? Have the data been manipulated to make a stronger (and possibly less accurate) statement about the results? Is cause being inferred when the study design does not allow the authors to draw that conclusion?
Does the brief article accurately reflect what is presented in the longer journal article? Is the science really well-represented in the more popular media (short article)? Did you have enough information with just the brief article alone to feel confident in the conclusion?
