researchers argument:
What assumptions does the research rest on, and are these assumptions persuasive?
Why or why not? If not, would changing the assumptions change the outcome of the
study?
Was the data collected in a way that could have biased the studys results?
o
Does the researcher present evidence to support his/her findings? Is the evidence
convincing? Why or why not?
o Does the researcher over-generalize his/her findings, beyond what the
evidence would support?
o Does the researcher claim to demonstrate causation when s/he really only
demonstrates correlation?
Does the author describe and refute other plausible explanations of the phenomena
they are studying?
Who funded the research, and why? Could the source of funding possibly have
biased the research results?
Questions that do NOT help you directly assess the strengths and weaknesses of a
researchers argument:
How many sources are listed at the end of the article describing the study?
Does the author include any solutions to the problem s/he describes?
Does the author argue for or against the findings of previous studies on the same
topic?