The purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate your understanding of scientific research principals and your ability to be a good consumer of scientific literature.

The paper is recommended to be organized according to the questions. For this assignment, please read  Hawkins, C. A., Smith, M. L., Hawkins, II, R. C., & Grant, D. (2005). The relationships among hours employed, perceived work interference, and grades as reported by undergraduate social work students. Journal of Social Work Education, 41(1), 13-27. And write a critique.

Research Article Critique

Research Problem, Questions/Hypotheses-

What is the social problem addressed in the article?  Is it clearly stated?  Are there research questions, hypotheses, or both?  What are they (give an example, you dont need to list all of the questions or hypotheses)?  Are the research questions and/or hypotheses clearly connected with the social problem?  Do they seem reasonable given the review of the literature?

Variables-

What are the independent and dependent variables in this study (give an example of a few, you dont need to list them all)? How are they being conceptualized?  How are they being operationally defined?  Are these definitions sensible and appropriate?  Why or why not?  If you feel they need improving suggest a better definition (based on your opinion). 

Sampling-

What is the population of interest in this study (who makes up the sample)? What is the sampling frame (describe who is included and excluded in the study)? Are the subjects used in the study representative of the population of interest (this may be based on the sampling method used)?  Justify your answer.  If not, then how might a more representative sample been obtained (is there a different sampling method that could have been chosen, in your opinion)?

Study Design and Data Collection Procedures-

What, if any, are the potential problems with the research design AND data collection procedures used in the study?  Are there any aspects of the study that may have provided the opportunity for bias?  Other internal and external threats to validity?  Issues with generalizability? How might these problems have affected the obtained results and how could they be corrected? 

Conclusion/Implications-

What conclusions does the author make on the basis of the study? Does the author discuss implications for social work practice? Does the research study apply to diverse groups of people and populations at risk?  Are the conclusions and implications reasonable based on the findings of the study? Why or why not? In your opinion, how could this research be applied to social work practice and policy?