Prof.

Lindsey Smith

Writing 101: Can Chimps Have Culture?

Fall 2016

Close Reading of a Scientific Research Article

Reading a scientific research article involves careful analysis of several factors: the purpose and
methodology of the study, the data analysis and interpretation, and the significance of the research in the
larger context of the field. This handout gives you specific questions to answer to help guide you towards
properly analyzing and critiquing the research articles we are reading in class. As you read research articles
during this course, take an important step in critical reading and pre-writing for your assignments by
answering these questions in the margins or on a separate page. The more you annotate and summarize
while you read, the easier it will be for you go back later to use the article in your writing.

Getting an overview (come to class with these questions answered typed or handwritten for
both articles):
1. What is the objective of the study?
2. How was the study conducted?
3. What are the primary results?
4. What are the authors major conclusions based on the results?

Analyzing the context: (consider these questions as you read; feel free to write down answers)
1. Authoritativeness: Who are the authors? What are their credentials? In what kind of journal is the
article published? What audience does it serve?
2. Timeliness: In what year was the article published? Given the goals of the study, is the material
recent enough to be representative of current conditions/knowledge? If not, how might this affect your
interpretations of the results or conclusions?
3. Background: What do we know so far about the research topic? Where are the gaps in knowledge?
How does this study fit into the current body of knowledge? What makes this study unique?

Critiquing the study: (consider these questions as you read; feel free to write down answers)
1. Methodology: What is the hypothesis and how are the researchers testing it? Are the authors
following previously established methods or is this a new design? What is the sample size of the study
and where are the subjects located (i.e., Is the study in captivity or in the wild? How many
individuals/groups are being compared?)? Are there aspects of the study methodology that seem
questionable given the objectives of the research?
2. Results and Conclusions: Do the results adequately support the stated claims? Are the claims overgeneralized in light of the study details? Can you think of other reasonable interpretations of the
results? What conclusions do you think can be reasonably drawn given the data?
3. Implications: Given the aims of the project and what you know about the study, what is its value?
What do you think this work means in a larger context? Do the authors suggest ways that this research
could be expanded or tweaked in future work? Does this study change previously held beliefs or
challenge other hypotheses?