Select One Research Report With A Qualitative Design 712742
Select One Research Report With A Qualitative Design And One With Quan
Select One Research Report With A Qualitative Design And One With Quantitative Design and answer the following questions regarding the following categories: Discuss what is meant by the term Qualitative Research Briefly, describe the characteristics of qualitative research and identify nursing issues/phenomena that lend themselves to a qualitative research approach. Compare and contrast three different qualitative research methodologies. Briefly, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of qualitative research evidence for informing nursing practice. Communicate how this research design used in research. The study, sampling, data collection, analysis, rigor, findings and limitations Identify the purpose of the study.
Briefly, describe the design of the study and explain why you think it is either appropriate or inappropriate to meet the purpose. Identify ethical issues related to the study and how they were/were not addressed. Identify the sampling method and recruitment strategy that was used. Discuss whether sampling and recruitment were appropriate to the aims of the research. Identify the data collection method(s) and discuss whether the method(s) is/are appropriate to the aims of the study. Identify how the data was analyzed and discuss whether the method(s) of analysis is/are appropriate to the aims of the study. Identify four (4) criteria by which the rigor of a qualitative project can be judged. Discuss the rigor of this study using the four criteria. Briefly, describe the findings of the study and identify any limitations. Use the information that you have gained from your critique of the study to discuss the trustworthiness and applicability of the study. Include in your discussion any implications for the discipline of nursing.
Discuss what you understand by the term Quantitative Research - Use the following dot points to guide your discussion (give reasons for your argument and support with references): Describe the characteristics of quantitative research. Identify nursing issues/phenomena that lend themselves to a quantitative research approach. Differentiate between observational and interventional research designs and also between experimental and quasi-experimental designs. Briefly, outline the difference between inferential and descriptive statistics and their relationship to levels of measurement. Communicate how this research design used in research. Critique the Quantitative Research Report - Use the following headings to guide your critique (in all discussions and explanations give reasons for your argument and support with references): The study Identify the purpose and design of the study. Explain what is meant by ‘blinding’ and ‘randomization’ and discuss how these were addressed in the design of the study. Identify ethical issues related to the study and how they were/were not addressed. Sampling Explain the sampling method and recruitment strategy that was used. Discuss how the sample size was determined – include in your discussion an explanation of terms used. Data collection Briefly, outline how the data was collected and identify any data collection instrument(s). Define the terms validity and reliability and discuss how the validity & reliability of the instruments were/were not addressed in this study and why this is important. Data analysis Outline how the data were analyzed. Identify the statistics used and the level of measurement of the data described by each statistical test – include in your discussion an explanation of terms used. Findings and limitations Briefly, outline the findings and identify any limitations of the study. Use the information that you have gained from your critique of the study to briefly discuss the trustworthiness and applicability of the study. Include in your discussion an explanation of the term statistical significance and name the tests of statistical significance used in this study. APA and 4-5 pages in length, excluding the title, abstract and references page.
Paper For Above instruction
In contemporary nursing research, understanding the nuances between qualitative and quantitative methodologies is fundamental to advancing evidence-based practice. This paper critically examines two research reports—one qualitative and one quantitative—applying rigorous evaluation criteria to assess their design, methodology, findings, and implications for nursing practice.
Qualitative Research: Definition, Characteristics, and Nursing Applications
Qualitative research is a methodological approach focused on understanding human experiences, perceptions, and social phenomena through non-numerical data. It seeks to explore the depth, complexity, and contextuality of phenomena (Creswell & Poth, 2018). The characteristics of qualitative research include flexibility in design, inductive data analysis, and an emphasis on participant perspectives (Morse, 2015). Nursing issues that lend themselves to qualitative inquiry include patient experiences with chronic illness, nurse-patient interactions, and cultural influences on healthcare behavior (Polit & Beck, 2017). Such issues demand rich, contextual data to inform culturally competent and person-centered care.
Comparison of Qualitative Methodologies
Three prevalent qualitative methodologies are phenomenology, ethnography, and grounded theory. Phenomenology aims to explore lived experiences to understand the essence of a phenomenon (van Manen, 2014). Ethnography involves immersive study of cultural groups to understand shared practices and beliefs (Hammersley & Atkinson, 2019). Grounded theory seeks to develop theory grounded in data, often used to understand processes or social interactions (Charmaz, 2014). The strengths of phenomenology include depth of insight, while its weakness lies in potential researcher bias. Ethnography’s immersive approach provides cultural context but can be time-consuming and complex. Grounded theory offers a systematic method to generate theory but may lack generalizability. The choice among them depends on research questions and phenomena under study.
Strengths and Weaknesses of Qualitative Evidence in Nursing
Qualitative research offers rich, detailed insights that underpin holistic nursing care, informing nuanced understanding of patient needs and healthcare experiences (Sandelowski, 2015). Its strength lies in capturing subjective meaning, which quantitative methods may overlook. However, weaknesses include limited generalizability, potential researcher bias, and challenges in establishing reliability (Johnson & Christensen, 2017). Despite this, qualitative evidence is invaluable for informing practice improvements, policy, and patient-centered interventions.
Application and Critique of a Qualitative Study
The selected qualitative study examined the lived experiences of patients undergoing palliative care. Its purpose was to explore how patients perceive quality of life in the context of terminal illness. The phenomenological design was appropriate, as it aimed to capture in-depth personal experiences (Smith, 2018). Ethical considerations included informed consent and confidentiality, adequately addressed by the researchers.
Sampling employed purposive strategy, selecting participants with relevant experience. Recruitment was appropriate, though limited in scope, potentially affecting transferability. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews, suitable for exploring personal perceptions. Data analysis followed thematic analysis, an appropriate method for identifying patterns in qualitative data (Braun & Clarke, 2006). The study demonstrated rigor through credibility, dependability, confirmability, and transferability criteria, though limitations such as small sample size were acknowledged.
Findings revealed themes of loneliness, hope, and meaning, providing valuable insights into patient experiences. The limitations included potential researcher bias and limited demographic diversity. The study’s trustworthiness was strengthened by triangulation, and findings have practical implications for improving psychosocial support in palliative nursing (Benner et al., 2010).
Understanding and Critiquing Quantitative Research
Quantitative research involves the systematic collection and analysis of numerical data to examine relationships or differences among variables (Creswell, 2014). Such studies typically address nursing issues like medication efficacy, prevalence of diseases, or intervention outcomes. Observational designs record existing phenomena, while interventional studies test the effects of specific interventions (Polit & Beck, 2017). Experimental designs include randomized controlled trials (RCTs), the gold standard for testing causality, relying on randomization and blinding to reduce bias. Quasi-experimental studies lack randomization but still evaluate interventions (Shadish et al., 2014).
In terms of statistics, descriptive measures summarize data, while inferential statistics test hypotheses about populations. Inferential tests, such as t-tests or chi-square, depend on the level of measurement—nominal, ordinal, interval, or ratio (Field, 2013). The choice of analysis reflects the research questions and data type.
Critique of a Quantitative Study
The selected quantitative research explored the impact of a new protocol on hospital readmission rates. Its purpose was to evaluate the effectiveness of intervention X using a quasi-experimental design. The study employed randomization and blinding of outcome assessors, minimizing bias and strengthening internal validity (Fisher et al., 2018). Ethical approval was obtained, with informed consent from participants.
Sampling utilized stratified random sampling, ensuring representative subgroups, with sample size calculated based on power analysis to detect a significant difference (Cohen, 1988). Data collection involved structured questionnaires validated through prior pilot testing. Validity refers to the accuracy of the instrument in measuring intended constructs, while reliability concerns the consistency of measurements over time (Polit & Beck, 2017). The study addressed these through establishing content validity and test-retest reliability.
Analysis involved descriptive statistics for baseline data and inferential tests like ANOVA to compare groups, with assumptions verified prior to analysis. Results indicated statistically significant reductions in readmissions, supporting the intervention’s efficacy. Limitations included potential selection bias and limited follow-up duration. The findings’ applicability depends on similar healthcare settings, but the study's rigorous design enhances trustworthiness.
Statistical significance was determined at p
Conclusion
Both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies contribute uniquely to nursing knowledge. Qualitative studies offer rich insights into complex human experiences, informing holistic care, whereas quantitative studies provide measurable, generalizable evidence to evaluate interventions and prevalence. Proper critique of research reports ensures the applicability and trustworthiness of evidence, ultimately enhancing patient outcomes and guiding nursing practice in diverse clinical contexts.
References
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- Shadish, W. R., Cook, T. D., & Campbell, D. T. (2014). Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for generalized causal inference. Wadsworth.
- Sandelowski, M. (2015). Qualitative research evidence in evidence-based practice. Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, 12(3), 261-266.
- Smith, J. A. (2018). Interpretative phenomenological analysis. Sage Publications.
- van Manen, M. (2014). Phenomenology of practice: Meaning-giving methods in phenomenological research and writing. Routledge.