Critical Thinking - Basic Concepts of Quantitative Reasoning; Hypothesis Formulation Purpose of the study

Assignment Being able to read and understand research studies requires quantitative reasoning. The purpose of this assignment is to help you get accustomed to identifying the various parts of a research study. Be sure to review the module homepage and background information before you begin any of the assignments in this course. In general, the best way to approach the assignment is to read the article through rather rapidly in order to get an impression of its general content; then read it more slowly and make appropriate notes so you can complete the assignment as directed below. Review the instructions and the ASSIGNMENT EXPECTATIONS below, and then read this research article, retrieved from Proquest: Van Voorhees, Benjamin W, MD, MPH, Gollan, J., PhD., & Fogel, J., PhD. (2012). Pilot study of internet-based early intervention for combat-related mental distress. Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development, 49(8), 1175-90. Retrieved from Proquest. Your task is to identify and summarize the main points of the research study according to the directions below. This is different than a typical essay. Read the whole assignment and ALL instructiions before beginning your paper. Organize your paper using these headings, in this order. Your paper should look like the following list/outline, with these same subheadings listed in the same order. Just provide the information for each section. I already know that the authors of the article can identify their purpose, hypothesis, etc. so you will not earn credit for copying the information from the article. Show me what you understand after reading the article. Explain each section very briefly so I can see what you learned from reading the article. Your summary of each section must be written in your own words. Do not copy or simply paraphrase. Reference: This should be so accurate that the reader can go directly from your abstract to the original article. Give a complete APA style reference. (Hint: the reference above is in APA style, so your reference should like like that) Purpose of the study: Sometimes the purpose is stated as an aim, an objective, or a goal. At other times, it is incorporated in a statement of a problem, leaving the reader to infer the purpose has a stated problem, a purpose, or both. If the purpose is inferred, you may state it in your own words. Participants: The term “participant” refers to the sample studied. Under this heading, you should include a description of ages, sexes, socio-economic status, school grade, mental level, number, and/or any other demographic characteristics given in the article to describe the particular sample used in the study. Type of Study: Was it a quantitative or a qualitative study? Or were both types of data used? Please explain why you think so. Hypothesis: What is the hypothesis of the study? If the hypothesis is inferred, you may state it in your own words. Procedure: Sometimes the procedure is referred to as the “method” and includes a description of control techniques, measuring devices, materials used and ways of proceeding, in attempting to achieve the purpose or purposes of the study. Statistical Tests: Identify the statistical tests used in the article; examples might be chi square (x2), t-test, f-test, Mann-Whitney, etc. Results or Findings: What actual data was reported by the author of the study? Explain the results -- don't just copy them. Conclusions: What does the author of the research article believe the results or findings mean? Critique: In each of the previous sections, you have been reporting what the article said. Now, I want you to think critically about what you've learned, and give me your own thoughts. Briefly describe your reaction to the article. For example, was it well-organized? Easy or difficult to understand (please explain why)? Did it present diverse perspectives about the topic? Don't limit yourself to just these questions -- be reflective about what you read. ASSIGNMENT EXPECTATIONS: Please read before completing assignments. Copy the actual assignment from this page onto the cover page of your paper (do this for all papers in all courses). Assignment should be approximately 1 page in length, and no more than 2 pages (double-spaced). You are not restricted to a certain number of words, as you would be if you were preparing an abstract for publication. Please use major sections corresponding to the major points of the assignment, and where appropriate use sub-sections (with headings). Remember to write in a Scientific manner (try to avoid using the first person except when describing a relevant personal experience). Quoted material should not exceed 10% of the total paper (since the focus of these assignments is on independent thinking and critical analysis). Use your own words and build on the ideas of others. When material is copied verbatim from external sources, it MUST be properly cited. This means that material copied verbatim must be enclosed in quotes and the reference should be cited either within the text or with a footnote.