A Method of Critiquing Literature Review
I. What type of research design most accurately descibe this study?

II The Problem

1. Was the problem clearly defined?

2. Were research questions or objectives stated?

3. Were other studies cited?

4. What were the major Variables of the study?

III. The Design

1. Was the population studied clearly specified?

2. Were the sampling methods clearly outlined?

3. What was investigated in this study?

IV.The Procedure

1. Were the data collecting methods described so that you could replicate the study?

2. Were the findings clearly stated?

V.The Interpretation

1. Were the conclusions clear and descriptive?

2. Were the suggestions and recommendations for continued study?

VI. General

1. Was this a significant study? Why? (Your opinion)

 

Characteristics Which Differentiate Qualitative and Quantitative Research

 

Qualitative
Quantitative

Overall Purpose

Explain, and gain insight and understanding of, phenomena through intensive collection of narrative datat

Overall Purpose

Explain, predict, and/or control phenomena throught focused collection of numerical data

Approach To Inquiry

Inductive, value-laden(subjective), holistic, and process oriented

Approach To Inquiry

Deductive, value-free(objective), focused, and outcome-oriented

Hypotheses

Tenative, evolving, and based on particular study

Hypotheses

Specific, testable, and stated prior to particular study

Review of Related Literature

Limited, does not significantly affect particular study

Review of Related Literature

Extentive, does significantly affect particular study

Sampling

Purposive: Intent to select "small" not necessarily representative, sample in order to acquire in depth understanding

Sampling

Random: Intent to select "large" representative sample in order to generalize results to a population

Measurement

Nonstandardized, narrative, ongoing

Review of Related Literature

Standardaized, numerical, at the end

Design and Method

Flexible, specified only in general terms in advance of study. Involve nonintervntion, minimal disturbance.

*Historical

*Ethnographic

*Case Study

Design and Method

Structured, inflexible, specified in detail in advance of study. Involve intervention, manuipulation, and control.

*Descriptive

*Correlational

*Causal-comparative

*Experimental

Data Collection Strategies

Document collection

Participant Observation

Unstructured, information interviews

Taking of extensive, detailed fieldnotes

Data Collection Strategies

Nonparticipants observations

Semistructured, formal interviews

Administration of tests and questionnaires

Data Analysis

Raw data are words

Essentially ongoing, involves synthesis

Data Analysis

Raw data are numbers

Performed at the end of study and involves statistics

Data Interpretation

Conclusions tenative, reviewed on an ongoing basis, generalizations speculative or nonexistent

Review of Related Literature

Conclusions and generalizations formulated at the end of study, stated with predetermined degree of certainty

Trends

More structured qualitative research

Increased application of both inquiry strategies in same study