Final Project: Sociological Journal Article Analysis:
For the final assignment of this course, you will provide a critical review and analysis of a journal article on a chosen topic in the field of sociology. The final paper should be 4 – 5 pages. The first step in this process is to select a peer-reviewed journal article on a topic of sociology that interests you. The article chosen must not just be a summary of prior research on your topic. Full text of scholarly and peer-reviewed articles on almost any subject related to sociology can be found here. In addition to this article, you will support your ideas and points with 5-6 scholarly resources.
This written project should include the following components:
• Identify and describe the sociological theory or theoretical perspective the author or authors are writing from. If not writing from one of the traditional sociological theories, you may have to conduct some research on the paradigm used. Provide at least four pieces of evidence from the article that demonstrates a particular sociological theory or perspective is being utilized.
• In your own words, identify the hypothesis of the study.
• Data Collection and Methodology
• Describe how the research was conducted and how the data was collected..
• Identify the type of research design that was utilized in the study. For example, were surveys, participant observation, experiments, or any other methods utilized?
• Describe the strengths and weaknesses of the research design.
• Is the study qualitative or quantitative in nature?
• What were the results of the study?
• In your estimation, are the results of the study valid? Are the results reliable? Why or why not?
• Conclusions:
o What are the main conclusions drawn from the research?
o In your estimation, are the conclusions supported by the research conducted? Why or why not?
• Analysis:
o Do you agree or disagree with the conclusions of the study? Explain.
o What are the strengths and weaknesses of the study?
o What steps can be taken to make the study more valid and reliable?
o In at least three full paragraphs, provide your analysis and any insights that you have on the topic of your study.