A concise summary of the main point(s) and methods of the reading. (1 paragraph) Ex: Annette Lareau studied how parents reproduced their class status…She and two research assistants did this using interviews and participant observation of middle-class and working-class Black and White American families over x period. She found that middle-class parents used x approach, which is characterized by a, b, and c and working-class parents used y approach which is characterized by d, e, and f. Note: This paragraph is weighted more heavily than paragraphs 2 and 3.
A brief response to the article. (1 paragraph) Here you might comment on something you found interesting or that you learned from the reading. You might also comment on how this reading connects to some aspect(s) of your personal experience or in our larger society.
A description of any questions about the reading or something you would like discussed in class. (1 paragraph)
READING GUIDE
The following questions are a guide for you as you do your readings for the class. Not every question, however, will apply to every reading on the syllabus.
What is the central research question or topic of this article?
What method(s) does the researcher use to collect data?
What are the sources of data? What alternative or additional sources of data might have been useful?
How would you characterize the relationship between the researcher and the people in the research setting? How might this relationship impact her data or analysis?
Were ethical considerations addressed? Which ones? How?
How does the researcher use the data presented to support her findings?
What concepts does the researcher use or create to summarize her findings? What do these concepts mean?
Was it clear what source the data came from? Was the method of presentation effective? Why or why not?
If multiple methods were used, how well were these aspects integrated?
How well did the conclusions match the data presented?
If you were conducting the study, what would you have done differently?
What were the strengths of this paper? How well were these methods applied?
What were the overall merits of the study?