Evaluating Research Articles

This article offers guidelines on how to evaluate research articles. It examines the questions we should ask of each research report, namely: What is the context in which the research has been undertaken? How have the data been collected and analysed? How valid is the research, that is, do we trust it? And how effectively have the results been presented and written up? Good research articles are seen to: reflect and describe the research accurately; enable readers to follow what has been done and what led to the conclusion; and stimulate thought, discussion and debate. It is suggested that any article is approached critically, constructively and with realistic expectations.