Introducing the Analysis of Journal Articles

The ability to critically read peer-reviewed journal articles is a skill that is developed with practice. And while this skill is essential for graduate students who are budding members of the community, it appears overlooked at the undergraduate level and especially in the community college setting. By not introducing the analysis of journal articles to this student population, we may be limiting their future success. Therefore, how can we introduce the analysis of journal articles to community college students and what effect does this have on their skills and interests? Utilizing a pre-test/post-test research design across five political science courses in a single semester at a community college, I examine how a Journal Article Analysis module, which is a collection of assignments and assessments, effects students’ ability to analyze political science journal articles and their interest in the discipline.