CUL Research Design Methods & Methodology Analysis and Critique Paper

Give a critique of the research design employed in a published academic paper and write a proposal for an alternative approach.

Assessment Criteria

Essays will be assessed on a variety of criteria. These include:

· the extent to which the course aims and learning outcomes have been achieved;

· the use of evidence from the work of scholars to make clear arguments;

· critical engagement with the works of scholars covered on the course;

· the use of good referencing, reflected in citations, ideas, and arguments (which are correctly referenced and integrated into the text);

· the accuracy of the expression (it is important that all coursework is proofread several times before submission);

· imagination and originality (the extent to which you have been able to synthesise the works of others and develop your own view of their work).

Guidelines

We suggest you divide your paper into two sections of fairly equal length

· it might be useful to further break down by sub-headings – up to you

The essence of the critique is: how well do the methods of data collection (chosen and implemented) allow the author(s) to answer the research question posed?

There is no prescription for content, but bear in mind key issues in the module, e.g. so far:

· The nature of the research question posed

· How concepts were operationalised/measured

· How cases were selected/samples drawn

· When is it appropriate to use which method?

· What are the strengths and limitations of each method?

Essentially, try to break down research design/methods into constituent parts, and comment on each one

· Were the choices made appropriate? Why so? What were/might be their strengths and weaknesses? If insufficient information is given in the paper, comment on what doubts this raises

· Remember critique can also be positive, so don’t just pick out shortcomings