Qualitative Research Critique Essay Example

Qualitative Research Critique Essay Example Qualitative Research Critique Essay Qualitative Research Critique Essay Introduction Nurses are responsible in providing holistic, quality care to their clients. In order to effectively provide such care Boswell and Cannon (2009, p. 2 7) states that nurses must base their provision of care on the most current, up-to-date health information available and sound nursing knowledge. This is where evidence-based practice (EBP) comes in. Polit and Beck (2010, p. 4) defined EBP as the use of the best clinical evidence in making patient care desicions. This usually comes from research conducted by nurses and other healthcare professionals. Thus it is pertinent that research reports are critically analyzed. A research critique aims to measure the value and significance of a study. These are determined by analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of the report (Brockopp Tolsma, 2003, p. 400). Recommendations for areas of improvements are also included in a research critique. This paper critically appraises a qualitative research article titled Womens perception of being pregnant and having pregestational diabetes (Lavender, T. , Platt, M. J. , Tsekiri, E. , Casson, I. , Byrom, S. , Baker, L. , et al. , 2010, p. 589-595). Title and Abstract The title of a research report is the first thing that readers look at to have a gross idea about what the study is about (Brockopp Tolsma, 2003, p. 446). It should contain 15 words or less and in qualitative studies, the title would typically include the central phenomenon and group under investigation (Polit Beck, 2010, p. 89). In their research report, the researchers used 9 words for the title to accurately describe their study. From the title, we can tell that the central phenomenon is ‘pregestational diabetes and the population being studied is women. This is consistent throughout the study as the participants include women who have either type 1 or type 2 diabetes, although the title did not specify the pregnancy status of the participants. This may mislead readers into thinking that the study was being done only on pregnant women. The title also did not specify where the study was being conducted. It would be good if it did so that readers can gauge the context of the study. We can also tell from the title that this is a qualitative study using phenomenological approach since the study is exploring women’s perceptions. According to Polit and Beck (2010, p. 9), the abstract is a concise summary of the study written in 100-150 words. This should include the problem, how the study was done, the number of participants and the major findings (Brockopp Tolsma, 2003, p. 67). The researchers used specific headings to organize their summary for the study. It is systematic and enabled readers to find information with ease. Althoug h the abstract is slightly longer than recommended, the researchers addressed the essential components such as problem (pregnancy with pregestational diabetes), methods (focus groups and individual interviews), results and conclusion (Polit Beck, 2010, p. 9). The purpose and context of the study were clearly stated and the information provided was consistent with the contents of the research report. The abstract built on the title by elaborating on the issue of interest thus enticing readers to read further. Literature Review Information from literature provides a foundation and framework for research (Brockopp Tolsma, 2003, p. 139) and in qualitative studies, a conceptual framework is essential as the study have to be linked to other research ideas about the topic (Holloway Wheeler, 2002, p. 31). As stated by Polit and Beck (2010, p. 85), a literature review should supply readers with an impartial, systematic summary and analysis of the current state of evidence on the chosen to pic. The researchers provided a comprehensive and well-organized review of literature in a logical manner. They started by listing the complications of pregnancy in women with pregestational diabetes and how risk of complications can be reduced with preconception care. They then pointed out that less than half of the women actually received such care. This prompted them find out why many did not receive the care that they should. The researchers identified gaps in knowledge from the various reviews (Polit Beck, 2010, p. 185). They acknowledge that although there is an abundance of literature documenting outcome data related to management of diabetes in pregnant woman, there are few qualitative studies that explore issues of reproductive health and diabetes from the viewpoint of the woman. They highlighted a Swedish study of womens perspective and pointed out its limitations. These gaps supported the need for further study. There are 33 sources, of which 26 were cited in the review. The researchers used 18 primary sources from reputable medical and nursing journals. This strengthened the quality of the review as primary sources are the most reliable and are expansive and impartial (Polit Beck, 2010, p. 171). The article was accepted in 2009 and out of the 18 primary sources, 15 were over the recommended period of 3 to 5 years (Houser, 2008, p. 139). This was justified when the researchers pointed out the limited studies done on womens experiences and perceptions. There is also 1 source from 1962 but this is exceptional as it as a seminal work (Houser, 2008, p. 39). Study Design This is without a doubt, a qualitative study. It is appropriate because qualitative research is a systematic approach into understanding the experiences of others (Houser, 2008, p. 480) which is in tune with the objectives of this study. The researchers chose to use a Hermenuetic Phenomenological approach to explore the perceptions of women with diabetes and its impact on their reproduct ive health. This is because they want to put emphasis on the centrality of the participants in exploring the meanings of the phenomena (Lavender et al, 2010). Like Phenomenology, Hermeneutic Phenomenology is concerned with lived experiences but is focused in highlighting details within experiences with a goal of creating meaning and achieving a sense of understanding (Laverty, 2003). Methods Sampling The population was adequately described. The researchers informed readers that the population being studied was pregnant and non-pregnant women who attended specialist diabetes clinics in 2 areas in the North West of England. Since the central phenomenon is pregestational diabetes, it is an appropriate setting. The participants were identified from clinic lists. For the pregnant women, information sheets were given during clinic visits and they were given the opportunity to discuss the study. For the non-pregnant women, information sheets were posted and they were given time to consider their participation after which they were contacted to make arrangements for interviews. This informs the readers that the participation in the study was not forced onto the women. They were offered a choice of individual or focus group interviews. A written consent was obtained prior to the interviews. It was also mentioned that the study gained approval from the local research ethics committee. In keeping with the tradition of qualitative research, the researchers used purposive sampling and this was mentioned in the report. This is because they need participants who fulfill a certain criteria. This criterion involves a shared experience and provides the most information about the topic of interest (Houser, 2008, p. 481). In this case, the participants have to be White British and South East Asian women who have type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The researchers also mentioned that a Black African woman was included in the study by accident. A total of 22 women were recruited. It is not known if saturation was achieved. To explore the diversity of individual experiences, the researchers recruited women from 2 study areas and the women were of different parity, ethnicity and diabetes type (Polit Beck, 2010, p. 323). Data Collection To collect data, semi-structured interviews in the form of individual interviews and focus group interviews were used as it allows the researchers to â€Å"explore the broad areas of interest and encourage respondent-led nquiry† (Lavender et al, 2010). This is a congruous and primarily used form of data collection in qualitative studies (Holloway Wheeler, 2002, p. 80). The individual interviews took place in either the hospital or participants homes. It was not mentioned how many were done in the hospital and how many were done at home. Interviews done at participants’ homes would yi eld better information as they are in a comfortable environment and privacy is ensured. It is also not known how long the interviews lasted. The readers have no way of knowing if the participants had time to put thought into their answers and if the information was useful. There are also 2 focus group sessions which was conducted in the hospital. This is appropriate to the study as it produces thoughts and opinions about a topic relevant to the participants experiences and this is what the researchers are looking for (Holloway Wheeler, 2002, p. 111). All interviews were audio recorded. This reduces the potential of losing any data. There was no mention of who conducted the interviews for the White British women and if the interviewers were trained. It was not said if the researchers conducted the interviews themselves and how many interviewers were there in total. The researchers only mentioned that the South East Asian lay researchers were trained. Readers would assume that only the South East Asian women were interviewed by trained lay researchers and the White British women to be interviewed by the main researchers. This may cause inconsistencies in how the interviews were being approached. However, the South East Asian women probably could identify with the lay researcher and thus are more comfortable in providing information. Data Analysis The data was then transcribed verbatim. This ensures richness of data (Holloway Wheeler, 2010, p. 282). Interviews conducted in Punjabi and Urdu were translated and transcribed by a trained lay researcher and validated by an independent translator who translated the data back to the original language. This ensures that the transcriptions are accurate and validly reflect the totality of the interview experience (Polit Beck, 2010, p. 465). However, the independent translator must be advised on confidentiality relating to the data but this was not mentioned y the researchers (Holloway Wheeler, 2010, p. 282). The data was managed manually and no software was used to aid in organizing the data. The researchers used an interpretive approach guided by the principles of Heidegger and Gadamer. This is compatible with the research tradition being Hermenuetic Phenomenology. There was immersion in data but the readers were not informed how the data was coded and categorized. How ever the researchers came out with 3 main themes so the readers can conclude that the researchers used thematic analysis, which is befitting of a qualitative study. Trustworthiness Trustworthiness was demonstrated through peer debriefings, data triangulation and researcher credibility. Triangulation in data collection was achieved through space triangulation and person triangulation (Polit Beck, 2010, p. 497). Space triangulation was achieved by collecting data from multiple sites, which gives the researchers an opportunity to check for consistency of information. Person triangulation was achieved by collecting data from women of different parity, ethnicity and diabetes type, giving the researchers data from different perspectives. The researchers are professionals in the field of Midwifery and Maternal Health with 2 of them having published papers which were used in the literature review. This shows researcher credibility. Because they are all from the same field of study, they had five diabetes specialists participate in the study to reduce potential bias. Findings Findings such as â€Å"other significant health problems† and â€Å"use of insulin† were presented but the researchers did not demonstrate if these findings are related to the purpose of the study. Table 1 provides the reader with a breakdown of the participants demographic characteristics to give a better picture of the population under study and allow them to determine if the findings can apply to another context. Three major themes emerged from the data. Of the three themes, only the first theme had sub-themes which progressed logically. The themes connected with each other to form an integrated whole and were effectively summarized with excerpts from the interviews included in the report. This gives readers a chance to see the raw data and how it links to the themes. Pseudonyms were used to ensure confidentiality. The findings illustrate the obvious variations of perceptions between the White British and South East Asian women. The researchers recognized that the sample size was limited as the study aimed to explore perceptions related to a number of variables. They also pointed out that although overall themes were consistent between different ethnic groups, some differences were seen due to cultural beliefs and this would require further research. However, they acknowledge that the study has given a useful insight into issues related to pregestational diabetes. Discussion, Application, Implication and Recommendations Majority of the findings were related to women’s experiences of healthcare services in diabetes and maternal health clinics and their perception of the care provided. This was discussed within the context of previous studies in this area. Five references were used in the discussion and two were primary sources. Similarities in findings were highlighted between this study and Berg and Hoklanso’s (2000) study. The researchers also used Verheijen’s et al (2005) study to explain the significance of ethnicity in the outcome of pregnancies in women with pregestational diabetes. As pointed out by the researchers, although this study produced an abundance of useful data on women’s experiences, there were some limitations as this is the first study to explore diabetes and pregnancy within various populations. Issues of transferability was addressed (ethnicity and cultural beliefs) and they suggested further study in those areas. Implications for clinical practice were discussed. Information from the findings is useful to healthcare providers who work in the affected areas. Healthcare providers are made to question their approaches (routine and medicalised) in supporting the needs of diabetic women with regards to their reproductive health through the women’s perspectives. Healthcare providers are encouraged to be more sensitive to these women’s needs so that they can enjoy their pregnancy and not be too focused on diabetes management. The researchers propose for strategies to ensure focus of pregnancy and to incorporate social model of care alongside medical model. They encouraged healthcare providers to re-evaluate their roles. They also propose preconception care to be made accessible and for health providers to recognize socio-cultural differences and engage with significant family members. Conclusion Overall, the paper was well presented and flowed logically. It lacked details such as data saturation. The findings were well described. It has provided great insight into the experiences of women with diabetes and their views on pregnancy. This paper could provide a good foundation for others who want to study the same field. References Brockopp, D. Y. Tolsma, M. T. (2003). Fundamentals of nursing research (3rd ed. ). New York: Jones Bartlett. Boswell, C. , Cannon, S. (2009). Introduction to nursing research; incorporating evidence- based practice (2nd. ed. ). Sudbary, Massachusetts: Jones And Bartlett. Holloway, I. , Wheeler, S. (2002). Qualitative research in nursing (2nd ed. ). Malden, MA : Blackwell Science. Holloway, I. , Wheeler, S. (2010). Qualitative research in nursing and healthcare (3rd ed. ). Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell. Houser, J. (2008). Nursing research: reading, using, and creating evidence. Sudbury, Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Lavender, T. , Platt, M. J. , Tsekiri, E. , Casson, I. , Byrom, S. , Baker, L. , et al. (2010). Womens perception of being pregnant and having pregestational diabetes. Midwifery, 26, 589-595. Laverty, S. M. (2003). Hermeneutic Phenomenology and Phenomenology: A comparison of historical and methodological considerations. International Journal of Qualitative Methods , 2(3), 21-35. Polit, D. F. , Beck, C. T. (2010). Essentials of nursing research: appraising evidence for nursing practice (7th ed. ). Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams Wilkins.