Q: Question QALMRI WORKSHEET 1. What is the diffuse, "big picture" research question? (one sentence) 2. What is the specific, "small picture" question addressed in the research question? (one sentence) 3. What is the connection between the "big picture" and "small picture" questions? A: Alternatives (possible alternative answers) 1. What is the authors' main hypothesis? 2. What are the other, alternative answers to the research question? a. Note: these should not just be alternative patterns of data (will/wont have an effect), but alternative ideas about how things work more generally -- such that if they were true, this would cause the different patterns of data. What would make us predict that the thing we are investigating would or would not have an effect? L: Logic and Design 1. What is (are) the specific dependent variable(s)? 2. What is (are) the specific independent variable(s)? 3. What is the deductive logic statement ("if-then") for the research question that demonstrates how an experiment will determine which of the possible alternative answers is most likely to be true? a. Note: These statements should take the form: If [hypothesis] then [prediction]. M: Method In other words: If [this idea is true about how things work more generally], then [in our specific experiment, we should find X]. 1. Who are the participants? 2. How do the authors measure the dependent variable(s)? 3. How do the authors measure the independent variable(s)? 4. What is the procedure? (What are the study instructions, what do participants see/do, how is data collected, etc.) R: Results 1. What were the results? 2. Are the findings reliable (hint: this is what statistics are for)? I: Inferences 1. What do the findings tell us about the answer to the "small picture" research question? 2. What do the findings tell us about the answer to the "big picture" research question? 3. What are the limitations to the study? How could these limitations be overcome? 4. What questions remain unanswered? What could researchers do to study this topic further?