You will pick a journal article from the list of available papers to summarize and critique. These articles are those that have had a big impact on the field and/or represents new and cutting-edge research. Some papers may appear to be short (e.g., those from the journal Science), but they will often have supplementary information on the journal website. You are responsible for reading any necessary supplementary materials. Half of the paper should be a summary of the article and the other half should critique/ evaluate the paper. Your paper should be 1000-1500 words (about 2 pages, single-spaced).
Key Components of a Summary
Summarize the research question being answered in the paper and what has been done to date (i.e., review what you learned from the literature review). Condense the content of the work by highlighting its main points and key support for the research question.
Describe the participants, procedures and methods very briefly (to understand the methods, you may need to consult additional resources)
Describe the results including the primary analyses that were used and what they found
Describe the main conclusions of the article
Article Critique/ Evaluation
What are the implications of this research for our understanding of the mind/brain?
Did you notice any problems with the methodology, hypotheses, interpretation, other limitations?
Why do you think this paper is impactful or cutting edge?
Is the work related to problems in our present-day world? If so, how?
How is the material related to your life, experiences, feelings and ideas?
Did the work increase your understanding of a particular issue? Did it change your perspective in any way?