Research Method/ Quantitative paper
Box 5.1 framework for critiquing quantitative research
You should not expect to get answers to every question in each section, as what is important will vary from study to study. the questions provided here are to give you some guidance.
1. Focus
In broad terms, what is the theme of the article? what are the key words you would file this under? Is the title a clue to the focus? how important is this for the profession/practice?
2. Background
What argument or evidence does the researcher provide to suggest this topic is worth exploring? Is there a review of previous literature on the subject, or reference to government or professional reports that illustrate its importance? Are gaps in the literature or inadequacies with previous methods highlighted? Are local problems or changes that justify the study presented? Is there a trigger that answers the question, ‘why did they do it then’? Is there a theoretical or conceptual framework that helps us to see how all the elements in the study may be related?
3. Aim
What is the aim of the research? this will usually start with the word ‘to’, e.g. the aim of this research was ‘to examine/determine/compare/establish/etc’. If relevant, is there a hypothesis? If there is, what are the dependent and independent variables? Are there concept and operational definitions for the key concepts?
4. Study design
What is the broad research approach? Is it quantitative or qualitative? Is the design experimental, descriptive or correlation? Is the study design appropriate to the aim?
5. Data collection method
Which tool of data collection has been used? has a single method been used or triangulation? has the author addressed the issues of reliability and validity? has a pilot study been conducted or tool used from previous studies? have any limitations of the tool been recognised?
6. Ethical considerations
Were the issues of informed consent, confidentiality, addressed? was any harm or discomfort to individuals balanced against any benefits? did an ethics committee approve the study?
7. Sample
Who or what makes up the sample? Are there clear inclusion and exclusion criteria? what method of sampling was used? Are those in the sample typical and representative of the larger group, or are there any obvious elements of bias? on how many people/things/events are the results based?
8. Data presentation
In what form are the results presented: tables, bar graphs, pie charts, raw figures, or percentages? does the author explain and comment on these? has the author used correlation to establish whether certain variables are associated with each other? have tests of significance been used to establish to what extent any differences between groups/variables could have happened by chance? can you make sense of the way the results have been presented, or could the author have provided more explanation?
Rees, Colin. An Introduction to Research for Midwives, Elsevier Health Sciences, 2011. ProQuest Ebook Central,
http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/lsbuuk/detail.action?docID=1722038.
Created from lsbuuk on 2021-10-09 06:42:05.
9. Main findings
Which are the most important results that relate to the aim? (think of this as putting the results in priority order; which is the most important result followed by the next most important result, etc. there may only be a small number of these.)
10. Conclusion and recommendations
Using the author’s own words, what is the answer to the aim? If relevant, is the hypothesis accepted or rejected? Are the conclusions based on, and supported by, the results? what recommendations are made for practice? Are these relevant, specific and feasible?
11. Readability
How readable is it? Is it written in a clear, interesting style, or is it heavy going? does it assume a lot of technical knowledge about the subject and/or research procedures (i.e. is there much unexplained jargon)?
12. Practice implications
Once you have read it, what is the answer to the question, ‘so what’? was it worth doing and publishing? how could it be related to practice? who might find it relevant and in what way? what questions does it raise for practice and further study?
