African American Women in the U.S. Military, Article Critique Example

1 Is the title appropriate to the focus of the study?

The title is appropriate to the focus of the study, although it is quite generic and does not lead much detail into the overall purpose of the study.

2. State the problem. Is the problem clearly stated? Does the problem have a theoretical rational? On a scale of 1-5 how significant is the problem?

The problem is not clearly stated. Parts of the problem, such as the increase in recruitment of African American women into the military in recent history as opposed to that of other ethnicities is explained. However, the overall problem that is expressed early in the article relates to the overall historical trend of a mass recruitment of minorities in times of war and then a brash decrease after the war or crisis has ended. This problem should score a 4 on a scale of 1-5 for overall significance.

3. Is there a review of the literature? If so, is the literature relevant? Summarize the review of the literature?

There is not a precise review of literature. Instead, the author has used literature to help express the history of African American and minorities in the military. The literature that is used is relevant and overall timely.

4. Fully and completely describe the research method that was used to attack and answer the problem. Was the research method used to solve the problem qualitative or quantitative, or both? What instruments were used to answer the problem? Was there a sample used? If so, how was the sample selected?

The author used two distinct surveys from 1985 and another from the late 1980’s to showcase quantitative results of minorities entering the military, the purpose of entering the military and their overall branch of service and position in the military. This research method was primarily re-using research data that had already been compiled to re-assess the problem.

5. State the hypothesis/questions or objectives. Were they stated clearly?

The questions and objectives of the study were to analyze the historical and current trends of women and minorities in the military, especially in relation to crises that the United States was involved in. The author did clearly state the objective which was also to showcase service trends of African American women in specific branches of the military.

6. Are there any probable sources of error that might influence the results of the study? If so, have they been controlled?

The sources of error are primarily historical based. The author is using research studies and surveys from the 1980’s as opposed to more recent data.

7. What were the statistical techniques used to analyze the data? If so, were they appropriate?

Unfortunately, it did not appear that any formal statistical techniques were used. Instead, the author primarily quantified results based on previous research studies that had already been quantified. This was appropriate for the opening section of the study, but the latter portions touched on trends in the military for branch of service which could have used a new study as opposed to census data.

8. Summarize the results. How clearly were the results presented?

The results showcased that there has been an upward trend in African American women and minorities joining the military and serving in multiple branches of the military. The Navy and Army hold the top two branches and positions of service varied greatly by ethnicity. The results were clearly presented in graphical and written context.

9. What are the limitations of the study? Are they stated?

The limitations are on the availability of data. The author used census data calculated by the military as well as previous survey results. These limitations were not directly stated but were clearly reflected throughout the study.

10. Summarize the conclusion(s). Are the conclusions presented clearly? Does the data support the conclusions? Does the researcher over generalize the findings?

The conclusions are presented clearly. The data somewhat supports the conclusions, but the legitimacy and relevance of the data is still in question. The author did over generalize the findings and was a little too liberal on the data as she believed the results reflected trends over the entire military in general. More recent data should have been used to properly generalize as she did.

11. How can the results and conclusions presented in this study be applied in your particular field of study or work environment?

The results presented in the study can be applied to take the study to the next level. Clearly, there is an attractiveness of the military to minorities and individuals of color. Women are also joining the military at a much higher rate than the period from World War II to Vietnam. This does clearly show a change in the military standards and recruiting practices, but further study should be taken to examine the sociological factors that appeal to women and minorities to choose service in the military.