The purpose of this assignment will be to summarize and explain a peer-reviewed research
article and assess how well a media article reported the results of the study or studies.
? Students are to identify an article in the popular news (e.g. People, CNN, New York Times,
Washington Post, Runners World, Muscle & Fitness etc.) that references a scientific research
study. Each article should be related to exercise physiology, sports nutrition, health, obesity,
or strength & conditioning.
o Next, locate the full text peer-reviewed journal article on which the news article is based.
o Introduce the general topic and the research questions that were addressed.
o Provide a brief summary of the research article methods, results, and conclusions (as you
did in your Annotated Bibliography assignment).
o Analyze the extent to which the news article appropriately reported the study findings
and think critically about factors that may influence the credibility of the study reported
in the popular media. Also mention what possible implications there could be regarding
how the media article presented the information.
? It is preferable that the journal articles are original research and not reviews of
previous research or position stands. While original research articles are preferable,
reviews or observational studies will be fine if that is what was referenced by the
media article, since you cant control the source of the media article. If you do choose
one that references a review article, then there may not be a methods section, so you
should instead provide a deeper critique of the media article than if they were
reporting on an intervention and/or mechanistic study.
o Find an additional original research article that either supports or refutes the media
article.
o Reference both the research articles and the media article / website in APA format at
the bottom of the page. This should also include a hyperlink of the media article!
o Length requirement is between 700 and 1100 words.
o All assignments should be formatted like the example on the following pages to ensure
consistency. FOLLOW the formatting in one of the examples on pages 2-3!
? Each assignment should use Times New Roman 12pt font and 1-inch margins.
? Place your heading in the Header & include a brief topic title in Header (e.g.
Sedentary vs. Smoking)
? Add 1 blank line between each of the following sections/paragraphs:
Topic intro
Methods summary
Research article results, conclusions, & limitations
Critique & comparison of research to media article
? Finally provide the 3 references in APA format
o Submit your completed assignment by uploaded a .doc or .pdf file in USAonline.
o When submitting it, also upload a .PDF copy of the research article!
