What knowledge gaps are addressed by the study? Why is this research important?

BI3352 Cancer: Molecular mechanisms, diagnostics and therapeutics

Coursework 1 assessment

Short answer essay: critical analysis of a research paper (1100-1300 words)

The rationale of the study. 

·   Introduce the topic/background for the study.

·   What knowledge gaps are addressed by the study? Why is this research important?

·   What do the study aim to achieve? Do they set out a hypothesis/advance the field?

·   Are the study timely considering the year published?

Evaluate the key experiments and results of the study. 

·   Identify 2-4 key figures/figure panels from the paper to recapitulate the main results.

·   Critically appraise the techniques used in your selected figures/panels. [HINTS: consider if the appropriate models/methodology are used. Did the authors interpret the data correctly? Suggest how experimental design could be improved/modified or any additional experiments that can be made].

·   Evaluate the merits of each experimental approach

  The conclusions for the study. 

·   Does the study answer the hypotheses tested?

·   How does the most recent publication build on the findings reported in the paper?

·   Is there an overall conclusion that can be drawn?

·   Which study (if any) in your opinion makes the greater contribution to knowledge or impact in its field of research? 

What new research directions and questions are uncovered by these studies, and what future experiments could be performed to address these? 

·   Are further investigations revealed in the study, and are they warranted/important?

·   Are there new ‘state of the art’ experiments that could be used to advance our knowledge in this area, or key experiments that could be undertaken to further support the author’s findings?