ARTICLE REVIEWS
Introduction
An important part of any graduate level course is the exploration of classical and contemporary research in the field of study. The practice of public health has seen remarkable changes in recent years with respect to the understanding of social and behavioral influences on the human condition and ways to improve it. Keeping current in the literature of the field is essential to finding and using what works in this area and avoiding what doesn’t. This evidence-based approach is the foundation for personal and population health enhancement.
Instructions
In this assignment you will read and analyze six (4) peer-reviewed articles or published reports and write a 500-600 word review of each using 12-point, double-spaced text with standard 1-inch margins. Stay within the word limits: be concise in your comments, using bulleted phrases and short sentences, not long narrative paragraphs. (This skill will be useful as a practicing health professional who must get important information across succinctly as well as comprehensively.) Do not count words in your title page or source citation. Be sure to present tense, active professional writing and format your paper to follow AMA guidelines. Follow the outline provided below for each review. The hallmark of a good article review is a focused and accurate summary with critically reasoned conclusions, not choppy extractions with personal opinions.
For each article review, include and label the outline sections exactly as listed below in bold face font. Work independently, and use your own words, avoiding any copying or quoting of the original work. Include a separate title page (title of paper, name of assignment, your name, course number and name, date, and word count). Save your work as an MS Word file and upload it by the due date shown in the Course Calendar to the Assignment link provided. Late assignments will not be given full credit.
To get the full impact of an article’s content, be sure to open any figures and read any appendices provided. In many cases this is facilitated by a link that opens the article as a PDF file, allowing you to view it in its full publication format.
OUTLINE FOR ARTICLE REVIEW—USE THESE FOUR LABELS AS THE SECTIONS OF YOUR PAPER
Citation – Provide the full article citation in correct AMA style at the top of the first page of text.
Purpose – Briefly state (in one or two sentences) the author’s specific purpose for writing the article, i.e., what you think the author intended for his readers to get from his research or report. To help you determine this, try to identify what you think the author wanted his target audience to do with the information he gave.
Summary – Summarize the key points or findings of the entire article in a few bulleted phrases. (Do not just cut and paste the abstract!) Expand and explain each key point in more detail with bulleted subpoints.
Conclusion – Focus your conclusion on three areas: 1) Did the author achieve his purpose? In other words, did the article accomplish what you stated the author’s purpose was? 2) What are the major strengths and weaknesses of the article that support your conclusion? 3) What recommendations can you give to improve it (all publications can be improved). Consider a few of the universal intellectual standards to help you address numbers 2 and 3.
Articles (Click on article name here or in Course Calendar for hyperlink to it. Due dates appear in Course Calendar.)
- Marmot M. Social determinants of health inequalities. Lancet. 2005; 365(9464):1099-104. http://www.liberty.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/199002814?accountid=12085
- Ezzati M, Friedman AB, Kulkarni SC, Murray CJL. The reversal of fortunes: Trends in county mortality and cross-county mortality disparities in the United States. PLoS Med. 2008: 5(4): e66. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0050066
NOTE: View corrections to above article at the following URL:
Ezzati M, Friedman AB, Kulkarni SC, Murray CJL. Correction: The reversal of fortunes: Trends in county mortality and cross-county mortality disparities in the United States. PLoS Med. 2008; 5(5): e119. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0050119
- Hummer RA, Moulton BE, Rogers RG, Romero RR. Religious involvement and adult mortality in the United States: Review and perspective. South Med J. 2004; 97(12): 1223. http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Religious+involvement+and+adult+mortality+in+the+United+States%3A…-a0127069493
- Egerter S, Braveman P, Sadegh-Nobari T, Grossman-Kahn R, Dekker M. Education matters for health. Issue brief 6: Education and health. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Commission to Build a Healthier America; 2009. http://www.commissiononhealth.org/PDF/c270deb3-ba42-4fbd-baeb-2cd65956f00e/Issue%20Brief%206%20Sept%2009%20-%20Education%20and%20Health.pdf
- Brug J, Oenema A, Ferreira I. Theory, evidence and intervention mapping to improve behavior nutrition and physical activity interventions. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2005; 2:2. doi: 10.1186/1479-5868-2-2