Avoid the Use of Jargon?

¶ … avoid the use of jargon? Is it laid out very well and also organized?

Do the researcher (s') qualifications/position specify a degree of knowledge in this specific field?

Is the title clear, unambiguous and accurate?

Does the abstract provide a clear overview of the study as well as the research problem, sample, methodology, finding and recommendations?

Purpose/research Problem

Is the purpose of the study/research problem clearly identified?

Writing Style Logical Consistency

Does the research report follow the steps of the research process in a logical manner? Do these steps naturally flow and are the Links clear?

Is the purpose of the study/research problem clearly identified?

Question 8: Aims/objectives/research question/hypotheses

Have alms and objectives, a research question or hypothesis been identified? If so are they clearly stated? Do they reflect the information presented in the Literature review?

Question 9: Sample

Has the target population been clearly identified? How were the sample selected? Was it a probability or non-probability sample? Is it of adequate size? Are the inclusion/exclusion criteria dearly identified?

Question 10: Operational definitions

Are all the terms, theories and concepts mentioned in the study dearly defined?

Question 11: Methodology

Is the research design clearly identified? Has the data gathering instrument been described? Is the instrument appropriate? How was it developed? Were reliability and validity testing undertaken and the results discussed? Was a pilot study undertaken?

Question 12: Data Analysis / results

What type of data and statistical analysis was undertaken? Was it appropriate? How many of the sample participated? Significance of the findings?

Question 13: Discussion

Are the findings linked back to the literature review? If a hypothesis was identified was it supported? Were the strengths and limitations of the study including generalizability discussed? Was a recommendation for further research made?

Question 14: References

Were all the books, journals and other media alluded to in the study accurately referenced?

Part II

Article one: Brandon, R.R. (2009). African-American Families in the Special Education Process: Increasing Their Level of Involvement. Intervention in School and Clinic,, 45(2), 85-90.

Question 1: Writing Style

This article is well written because it is very concise and detailed as it explains African-Americans perception of special education in the black community. The grammar is very good, there was not any type of spelling issues from the reading. It does not have the much jargon but it is laid out very well into different sections with headings.

Question 2: Author

The researcher's qualifications/position does specify a degree of knowledge in this particular field. There are two authors and each of the hold a PHD in special education. Both of them have also spent quite a bit of time in the education field.

Question 3: Report title

The title which is called, the title is called "African-American Families in the Special Education Process: Increasing Their Level of Involvement" is very definite and truthful. The title is acceptable because it is 10 and 15 words long

Question 4: Abstract

The abstract does give a clear summary of the study because it explains how the article will discuss the African-American family involvement in the educational process, including special education. The article does provide a succinct overview of the research and does include information regarding the purpose of the study. However, it does not discuss things such as the method, sample size and selection.

Question 5: Purpose/research Problem

The purpose of the study is not really that clear in the article. A reader will for sure see it in the abstract which the perceptions of African-American families concerning special education and how these perceptions might prevent parents from participating; (c) potential barriers to participation; and (d) suggestions for increasing the level of participation of African-American families in the educational process.

Question 6: Writing Style Logical Consistency

There is not that clear of a link partly because the purpose is not really mentioned in the article but in the abstract. It should be mentioned again somewhere in the introduction but it is not. There are not enough clear links that are between the steps starting with the purpose of the study and going all the way through to the literature review, the theoretical framework, the research question, the methodology section, the data analysis, and the findings.

Question 7: Literature Review

The article does not have a literature review. The main purpose of the literature review is to develop or define the research question while also recognizing a suitable method of data collection. However, this article does not do any of the above.

Question 8: Aims/objectives/research question/hypotheses

The aims and objectives were identified in the abstract. However, there were no a research question or hypothesis that could be been identified in the article. The reason of the aims and objectives of a study, the research question and the research hypothesis is to form a connection between the originally stated purpose of the study or research problem and how the study will be assumed but there is no way of knowing that in this article.

Question 9: Sample

As far as the target population goes they are clearly identified which are the African-American parents and children? However the article does not explain how they were selected. There was no way of finding out rather or not if it was probability or non-probability sample because the article does not mention it nor does it give any indication of its size.

Question 10: Operational definitions

The article does an excellent job with listing all of the terms that are used in the article. However there were no theories being used in the article.

Question 11: Methodology

The research design is not clearly identified or even mentioned. The data gathering instrument in the article was not described but it was clear that it was done through interviews. It does not mention if interviews were not through surveys or questionnaires. There was no type of pilot study done in this article.

Question 12: Data Analysis / results

In this study there was no type of data and statistical analysis that was undertaken. The significance of the findings was that parents believed that educators have a responsibility, both ethically and legally, to violently seek parental involvement.

Question 13: Discussion

There was no literature review so the findings could not be linked to that? There was no hypothesis provided in the article. There were no strengths and limitations of the study discussed and there was not any kind of recommendation for further research suggested as well.

Question 14: References

It appears that most of the books, journals and other media alluded to in the study were accurately referenced. However, there were a lot of references that were not even used.

Article Two: Boote, D.N. (2009). Scholars before researchers: On the centrality of the dissertation literature review in research preparation. Educational Researcher, 36(4), 3-16.

Question 1: Writing Style

This research report is well written, grammatically correct, concise and also well organized. There is no use of jargon in the article and the style is written in a way where it does attract the reader to read on.

Question 2: Author

The article does not mention anything about the author so it is hard to tell rather or not they are qualified for this article other than the fact that they hold a PhD.

Question 3: Report title

Titles that are too long or too short can be confusing or misleading and this article has one of those titles. It is hard to tell where it is going because it is too long.

Question 4: Abstract

The abstract does provide a clear overview of what the study will be talking about. However, it does not do a good job with stating the research problem, sample, methodology, finding and recommendations. It does not mention any of that.

Question 5: Purpose/research Problem

Yes, the study/research problem is clearly identified because it states that the purpose of the paper is to commemorate and revisit Sleeter's seminal work while contextualizing it within contemporary debates by address the following four questions?

Question 6: Writing Style Logical Consistency

There does not appear to be that much of a clear link between the steps starting with the purpose of the study partly because there is not a literature review or a theoretical framework.

Question 7: Literature Review

The purpose of the study/research problem is clearly identified which (1) what is the historical context of the treatment of African-American and other students of color in special education? (2) Is learning disabilities a category of privilege for the privileged? ( 3) What is the social cultural context of learning disabilities in the 21st century? And (4) In what ways do students who receive the same label of LD have very different in-school and post school experiences based upon the intersection of race and class with LD?

Question 8: Aims/objectives/research question/hypotheses

As mentioned earlier, the aims and objectives are identified. However, research questions and hypotheses are not talked about in the article. Because they are not stated in the article. There is no way to see rather or not if they reflect the information presented in the Literature review because it does not have these parts.

Question 9: Sample

The target population that has been clearly identified are African-American children with learning disabilities. They were selected the context of the larger American educational system and its treatment of children on the basis of the intersection of race, culture, language, and class.

Question 10: Operational definitions

There are not any theories talked about but the concepts mentioned in the study are clearly defined because it talks about the issue of special education not being taken seriously.