https://create.twu.ca/ldrs591-sp18/unit-5-learning-activities/
As a consumer of research reports, the most important thing(s) for me in the methods and results section of a high-quality quantitative research report are: to understand the purpose of the study and how the study will be conducted, and for a clear discussion of the results, including the interpretation of the data. As a person with limited knowledge of statstics, it is easier for me to understand the results when they are presented as a discussion in the conclusion section, rather than being presented in a Table.
Can one read the abstract and the data analysis and conclusion sections only, to have a basic understanding of the research?
Sadie,
I had a similar question posted on my 5.4 post. I think the answer is yes. I believe that without fully understanding the details conclusions can still be extracted. As a consumer, you can still disagree with the methods even if you can’t understand tables. For instance, I have a lot of issues with surveys because people can score them depending on what mood they are in. As in if someone is depressed they may have more ominous answers that don’t reflect reality. My point is that just because I don’t understand the math behind a lot of statistics doesn’t mean that I can’t critique the methods.
Great post I enjoyed reading!
Hi Sadie,
Thank you for your response and your question. I think that you can get an idea of what a study is about from reading the abstract, analysis and conclusion, but this will only give you the most basic understanding of a study as you have said. In order to critically evaluate the research article, you will need to have a more thorough reading of all of the sections of the article.
Dr. Strong
I enjoyed reading your post, Sadie. I certainly think you could only read them to have a basic understanding. Although, the method obviously lays out criteria for validating the authenticity and depth of the research it sometimes is pretty heavy reading to digest! I guess some of it depends on how relevant the article is to your chosen research and how much you choose to dissect and critically analyse it based on that relevance.