Experimental design methods

  1. What is the hypothesis or idea the paper tests, or what is the problem the paper investigates?
  2. What is the experimental design, or what is the approach used to collect the data? Can you draw a layout diagram based on the detail given in the methods?
  3. Do the data collected actually test the hypothesis (i.e. is the design adequate)? What data would critically test the hypothesis?
  4. Are there other interpretations of the results that the author does not acknowledge or reject?
  5. Are there other experiments or observations necessary to support the conclusions made by the author?
  6. How do the specific results and conclusions of this particular paper fit into the broader context of the theoretical background and other empirical evidence of the general problem dealt with by the paper?