In this second portion of the Final Exam, you will critically evaluate a quantitative research study on a social science topic. Your instructor will post an announcement with the reference for the article assigned for the exam. The study will be from a peer-reviewed journal and published within the last 10 years.

In the body of your critique, describe the statistical approaches used, the variables included, the hypothesis(es) proposed, and the interpretation of the results. In your conclusion, suggest other statistical approaches that could have been used and, if appropriate, suggest alternative interpretations of the results. This process will allow you to apply the concepts learned throughout the course in the interpretation of actual scientific research.

Your critique must include the following sections and information:

Introduction:

• This section will introduce the assigned peer-reviewed quantitative study.
• Identify clearly the research questions and/or hypothesis(es) as well as the purpose of the study.

Methods:

• Describe the procedures and methods of data collection, measures/instruments used, the participants and how they were selected, and the statistical techniques used.

Results:

• Summarize in this section the results presented in the study.

Discussion:

• Evaluate the efficacy of the research study by discussing the following:
  • Address the strengths, weaknesses, and limitations of the study and suggest future research directions.
  • Include additional forms of statistical analyses as part of the suggestions for future research.

Conclusion:

• Summarize the main points of your evaluation of the study.
• Explain how the statistical test used in the study could be applied to your future career. Give one example.
• Discuss how your ability to critique quantitative research could impact your future career.

The Final Exam Part 2 paper

• Must be three to four double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA Style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s APA Style (Links to an external site.)
• Must include a separate title page with the following:
  • Title of paper
  • Student’s name
  • Course name and number
  • Instructor’s name
  • Date submitted

For further assistance with the formatting and the title page, refer to APA Formatting for Word 2013 (Links to an external site.).

• Must utilize academic voice. See the Academic Voice (Links to an external site.) resource for additional guidance.
• Must include an introduction and a conclusion paragraph that summarizes your critical evaluation.
  • For assistance on writing Introductions & Conclusions (Links to an external site.), refer to the Ashford Writing Center resources.
• Must use the quantitative research study assigned by your instructor. It is strongly recommended that you also use either the textbook or a peer-reviewed article about the statistical test(s) used by the researchers, to support your evaluation of the study.
  • You may find the Writing Center resource Action Words in Academic Writing (Links to an external site.) helpful in understanding the requirements of the assignment.
  • The Scholarly, Peer-Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources (Links to an external site.) table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please contact your instructor. Your instructor has the final say about the appropriateness of a specific source for a particular assignment.
  • To assist you in completing the research required for this assignment, view this Ashford University Library Quick ‘n’ Dirty (Links to an external site.) tutorial, which introduces the Ashford University Library and the research process, and provides some library search tips.
• Must document any information used from sources in APA Style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s APA: Citing Within Your Paper (Links to an external site.)
• Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA Style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. 

Reference:

Whipps, J., Byra, M., Gerow, K. G., & Guseman, E. H. (2018). Evaluation of nighttime media use and sleep patterns in first-semester college students. American Journal of Health Behavior, 42(3), 47-55. DOI: 10.5993/AJHB.42.3.5