URS 6806: Research Methods and Evaluation Techniques
[Section R3N; Class Number: 16706]
Fall 2004: Homework Assignment 2
Due on 2 June 2005
Objective
The objective of this exercise is for you to identify a research question, the hypothesis and
associated research design. You should also be able to identify the methodology of collecting
data and interpreting the data.
Exercise
Select an empirical research paper from a refereed journal in the area of your interest. The
selection process is half the problem. The ideal paper would be one related to the research area
that you are interested in.
The paper needs to be necessarily empirical in scope (not theoretical). Empirical papers deal
with research based on data derived from a specific context. Theoretical papers aim to further
theoretical understanding based on conceptual arguments extending already established world
views (this is a somewhat simplistic explanation, but I will give examples in class).
Refereed journals are peer-reviewed. Usually two reviewers would have checked the paper for
common pitfalls (although this does not necessarily mean that the papers are entirely without
any research problems). Common journals in our field are listed in Appendix A. If you are
selecting a non-refereed report, you MUST check with me first.
After you have selected the article, you will review it. You could organize your review based on
your judgment, but you must cover the following points:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
What is the main research question?
What is the hypothesis?
What are the variables in the hypothesis and how are they related?
What is the research design employed by the author?
How was the data collected? That is, explain if the data is primary or secondary,
comment on the data quality, and any measurement issues. For example, if the
data is based on survey questionnaire, do you think the survey questions are
really related to the variables in the hypothesis? What are the limitations of the
data overall?
How has the author accounted for internal and external validity threats?
Your review should not be more than 5 pages (double spaced), but I imagine you would need at
least 3 pages. Submit the article along with your review. Also, be prepared to speak about the
article in class.
APPENDIX A: Partial List of journals:
 Administration & Society
 Crime and Justice
 Criminal Justice Policy Review
 Criminology
 Environment and Behavior
 Journal of Criminal Justice
 Journal of Health and Human Services Administration
 Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
 Journal of Policy Analysis and Management
 Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory
 Journal of Public Affairs Administration
 Journal of Public Affairs Education
 Journal of Public Management and Social Policy
 Justice Quarterly
 Policy Studies Review
 Public Administration and Development
 Public Administration and Management
 Public Administration and Management: An Interactive Journal
 Public Administration Quarterly
 Public Administration Review
 Public Budgeting & Finance
 Public Integrity
 Public Performance and Management Review
 Public Voices
 Review of Public Personnel Administration
 State and Local Government Review
 The American Review of Public Administration
You can look for Fulltext journal articles in the FIU library website through the following common
search engines: (a) Expanded Academic Index ASAP; (b) Science Direct; (c) JSTOR; (d)
Kluwer Online; (e) Proquest Direct.