A critical review of the methodology used in the chosen report
In this assignment you will be expected to produce a critical review of the methodology of the report. To achieve this you should look at the questions in the review section that apply to the methodology. I will repeat the relevant ones here and add a few more.
Remember you do not have to cover all these issues but rather the most salient ones that are relevant to a critical appraisal of your chosen report.
1.Is the purpose of the evaluation clear?
2.What is the extent of the previous literature? How is the literature review handled? Are there any significant gaps in the literature review?
3.How has the literature reviewed in the report been organised?
* Content
* Methodology
* Research methods
* Structures
* Major contributors
* Or a combination of the above.
4.Does this make a difference to the way that the report is structured?
5.If there is no literature review as such in the report how have the authors used the existing literature?
6.What are the types of methods used? Qualitative?Quantitative?
7.Now look at your report and list the advantages and disadvantages of using qualitative and/or quantitative methods in this instance.
8.What are the sources for any secondary data? Are they comprehensive? Are there any significant sources excluded?
9.How is the secondary data used in the discussion? Is the data reporting skewed in any way? Are any graphs truly representative of the data?
10.What is the type of language used in the report? Is it technical language? Is there much jargon? Is there a glossary of terms?
11.Do all the recommendations flow from an argued position or do the recommendations come out of the blue?
12.What areas of knowledge, subjects or disciplines does the evaluator draw on? Does this affect the outcomes of the evaluation? Does it limit the types of methods that can be used?
