How to read research critically

How to read research critically - an introduction

Social science research

Page 1 of 1

Aims
Why is critical appraisal important?
Scientific research
Social science research
Summary
Further help

Now read this report describing a social science research study:

75% OF CHILDREN WOULD PREFER NOT TO GO TO SCHOOL
A survey by a teaching organization of primary school age children in South Wales showed that two out of three dislike school and would rather not attend. A spokesman for the organization said that this showed that teachers now face an impossible task….

What questions would you like to ask about this research? This time, see if you can produce something like the table in the previous example, by filling in the first two columns:

Questions	Why important?	General research issues
		Sample size
		Representativeness of the sample
		Questionnaire design
		Sources of bias

Text only alternative of this exercise.

Adapted from the Open University's SAFARI tutorial by Cardiff University, with permission from the Open University Library.