Article : Effects of dynamic meditation on anxiety Naved Iqbal, Archana Singh, Sheeema Aleem and Samina Bano

Ideas for Research Article Analysis and Critique

. Introduction and Review of Literature

• Does the researcher establish the importance of the problem area?

• What are the dependent and independent variables?

. Evaluating the Sampling of Generalizable and Non-Generalizable Studies

• Was random sampling used? Were the groups statistically the same? Hint: look at tables comparing demographics between groups - is there statistical similarity?

• If no random sampling, what type of sampling technique was used and how might that have introduced bias?

• How did the researchers recruit the sample participants? Could that be a source of bias?

• What excluding/including criteria were in place when choosing the participants?

• Has the author described relevant demographics of the sample?

• Is the overall size of the sample adequate?

• Has the researcher described the sample/population in sufficient detail?

• Who sponsored the study? Could that be a source of bias?

. Experimental Procedures

• Are the treatments/interventions described in sufficient detail?

• What type of study design was used, i.e. randomized controlled experimental study? Cross-sectional survey? Meta analysis?

• If the treatments were administered by people other than the researcher, were these people ?properly trained?

• What type of setting was used for the study?

• Has the researcher distinguished between random selection and random assignment?

• How have the researchers assured the validity of the design of their study? In other words, are they able to measure what they intended to measure?

• What steps have they taken to assure against major threats to validity?

Internal validity: History, maturation, testing, statistical regression, attrition, contamination

External validity: Selection bias, Hawthorne effect, placebo effect, pretest sensitization, etc.

. How have the researchers tried to minimize confounding variables?

. Have you identified any areas in the study that could bias the results? What are they?

Putting It All Together

? Have the researchers selected an important problem?

? Is the report cohesive?

? Does the report extend the boundaries of our knowledge on a topic?

? Are any major methodological flaws unavoidable or forgivable?

? Is the research likely to inspire additional research?