How to Write a Doctoral Level Analysis of a Qualitative Article

eHow
June 4, 2011

Most doctoral students are expected to analyze and critique scholarly articles over the course of their graduate studies. This exercise introduces students to the peer review process integral to journal publication and improves their own writing by identifying strengths, weaknesses and various approaches to research of scholars in their fields. Qualitative articles can by analyzed on a number of dimensions beyond the standard analysis of quantitative articles. Qualitative research is often written in first person and necessarily contains the author's opinions and viewpoints, the analysis and critique of which can lead to engaging dialogue.

Step 1
Summarize the article briefly. Begin with an overview of the theoretical perspective, method and findings. This portion should not be exhaustive. Give only the information that someone unfamiliar with the study needs to know to understand the rest of the analysis.

Step 2
Analyze the article as a whole before breaking down its parts. How did the author(s) state the research problem or question? Could you determine the focus of the work early on? Does the article describe the original collection of data, or does it synthesize previous studies? Is the article logically organized and easy to follow? What could have been done to improve the organization or provide clarity?

Step 3
Examine the literature review. Does the article include a section that outlines and reviews previous work related to the study? How is the previous literature relevant to the study? Does the theoretical perspective make sense to address the research problem? Offer an alternative if you would approach the study differently.

Step 4
Analyze the methods. Does the author adequately outline the methods used for data collection? Are the procedures clear enough that someone could replicate the study? What additional information would you need to know to fully understand the methods? Does the author justify her methods as the best way to go about the study? Were there practical constraints that limited the study?

Step 5
Evaluate the results. Do you agree with how the data were collected and analyzed? What would you do differently, as a researcher? Do you agree with the interpretation of the results?

Step 6
Reflect over the entire article. What is most important for you? What was interesting about the study? What were its strengths and weaknesses? How does this article inform your work or contribute to the literature? Suggest possible further research related to the study.

References
“Practical Research: Planning and Design”; Paul D. Leedy, et al.; 2001
University of Illinois Springfield: How to Critique a Journal Article