Assignment

Materials:

Scientifically-based articles from popular magazines, newspapers, and pamphlets.

Internet search engines (i.e. Google, Yahoo, Ask Jeeves, and others).

Procedure (What to do):

1. Look through any popular magazines, newspapers, or pamphlets that are addressing some topic that has a scientific basis, and find two (2) articles that you find interesting.

2. A. Read each article carefully,

B. use Internet searches to gain a better understanding of scientific terms and concepts that may be presented, and

C. Answer the following questions for each article (Answer ALL parts, a through h, and, since these instruction are in Word, you can write or paste your answers right under each question.

Provide a COMPLETE citation for your article(s). Use the APA method for indicating your references (see the following link for learning more about the preparation of manuscripts):

http://www.citationonline.net/CitationHelp/csg04-manuscripts-apa.htm#references

a. What was the objective of the article?

b. Does the articles provide the necessary evidence to support the objective?

Explain why or why not:

a. Does the author give enough information in the article that will allow the reader to verify their major premise(s)?

b. Was any data, quantitative or qualitative, given?

c. Did they reference a statistical analysis that they applied to their data?

d. Do you feel that the article provides less scientific evidence than might have been desired, in order to help the reader to understand and really trust their report?

e. Specifically, what should the author have done to have presented a better article, if you felt any improvements were necessary?

f. Could the public be harmed in any way if they acted upon the articles findings without first conducting some type of critical analysis?

g. Was use the Internet very helpful in completing this exercise? Explain.