A critical appraisal and assessment of the article’s contents are necessary when evaluating scholarly article. It requires you to provide your informed opinion on the scholarly article’s content, structure, methodology, reasoning, and conclusions. It implies that a more in-depth examination of the article is necessary instead of providing a mere summary. A new researcher might find it daunting. However, when you engage in research, you invest your time and energy in studying a particular topic, and your views on how that topic is presented in the literature are crucial. They can contribute to the discussion surrounding your subject area. This article will tell you about some of the best ways for evaluating scholarly article.

What are the 7 best ways for evaluating scholarly article?

Here are the 7 best ways for evaluating scholarly article:

Identify the Research Problem, Aims and Objectives of the Study

Examining the research’s main argument should be the first step in evaluating scholarly article. You must evaluate the researcher’s overall argument and the aims and objectives of the study. Consider assessing the following things for assessing the article’s central argument:

• Examine the introduction section and assess whether the author has provided ample background information on the topic and contextualised it properly
• Assess the research problem and see if it makes sense to you and whether it is a coherent statement or just a vague conjecture
• Read the aims and objectives of the study carefully
• Read the abstract of the research paper because an abstract is a synopsis of the entire scholarly article. Reading the abstract will help you determine the article’s relevance to your research and understand the gist of the article

Evaluate the Scholarly Article’s Significance

Assessing the significance of the research paper is the next step in evaluating scholarly article. Research must be meaningful and valuable to the body of literature. Consider the following key points for evaluating the article’s significance:

• Assess and evaluate the article’s contributions to the available body of literature
• Does the article provide some fresh insights on the subject matter? Or does it replicate the previous studies?
• Examine the literature review section of the article and identify the strengths and shortcomings. The author identified what gaps in the literature, and how did the researcher justify his or her research for addressing those gaps?
• Evaluate the sources and determine whether the author used the credible sources for the literature review
• Did the author critically evaluate the prior research?
• Did the author review the trending research on the subject matter?

Assess the Methodology Section

The research methodology defines the measures researchers undertake to gather and analyse data. A thorough assessment of the research process is required when evaluating scholarly article. A well-defined approach that can answer the research questions is included in the research methodology. Additionally, authors must explain why they opt for a certain research approach and how it relates to their topic. You can assess the following things:

• Thoroughly review the research methodology and assess the success of the chosen method in addressing the research questions.
• What were the researcher’s criteria for data collection? For example, sampling criteria, exclusion, and inclusion criteria for data collection.
• What tools were used by the researcher to analyse the data? How did the author ensure the validity and reliability of the research findings?
• Can you replicate the research method for your research?
• Did the author justify the significance of chosen research method in addressing the research questions?

Logical Consistency and Argumentation

Examining the way ideas are presented, and the coherence of the arguments are key components in evaluating scholarly article. The concepts must flow together and make sense in relation to the research’s central premise. The capacity to keep the thoughts flowing shows that the author can create patterns and connect various ideas. You must inquire about the following:

• Does the article have a clearly defined research problem?
• Does the author justify the research problem throughout the research with supporting arguments and evidence?
• Is there logical consistency between the ideas?
• Does each paragraph of the article have key points that validate the research problem?
• Did the author provide enough evidence to corroborate the claims?
• Did the author include counterevidence which refutes the author’s stance?
• Did the author use transition words to show a transition between the ideas?
• What are the strengths and shortcomings of the author’s arguments?
• Evaluate the logical rigour of the arguments that whether the author’s conclusions follow from the premises
• Examine the paper’s overall organisation and determine if the article has logical consistency between the ideas and evidence.

Examination and analysis of the research article’s arguments require skill and in-depth knowledge of the subject matter. If you experience any difficulties in evaluating scholarly article, you can always take help from expert writers at PhD Dissertation Help.

Identify the biases and subjective aspects of the article.

Research is an objective process, and authors try to maintain objectivity; however, despite one’s attempts, biasness is prone to seep into the research. It is because every person has biases due to their cultural environment and certain philosophical dispositions. Therefore, it is crucial to recognise and assess the researcher’s prejudices and presumptions. You must inquire about the following:

• Did the author maintain impartiality in providing the arguments to support the key stance?
• Was the research influenced by the author’s predispositions, such as philosophical and political outlook and associations with any organisation?
• Which arguments are loaded with subjective ideas and personal biases?
• Critically Analyse the Article’s Findings
• The most crucial thing to keep in mind while evaluating scholarly article is to assess the results and findings. You can inquire about the following things:
• Are the results or findings consistent with the study’s research questions, aims and objectives?
• Identify the anomalies in the data and how did the researcher correct them
• How did the author ensure the validity and reliability of the results?
• How do the research findings add value to the existing literature?
• What are the practical and theoretical implications of the article’s findings?
• Did the author provide recommendations for future research in the conclusion section?

Conclusion

Evaluating scholarly article requires breaking down the article into several components and evaluating each component analytically. It requires appreciating the contributions of the author in the relevant field while at the same time being critical of the research’s shortcomings.