HAN 251 Chapter 3: Part 2
questions to keep in mind when reading a research article:
- Is it peer reviewed? -is the question implicitly or explicitly stated? -is it logically organized and easy to follow? are the procedures clear and easy to follow? -Are the studies described and well integrated? synthesized? -Are the data collection method and analysis fully discussed? -Are the authors interpretations and conclusions included? -What are the strengths and weaknesses of the article?
Mixed Methods Research Articles
-Include both quantitative and qualitative designs and methods and include a discussion of both results and findings. Must share rationale for why conducting both qualitative and quantitative study was required to answer the research questions.
Important things to look for when critiquing the introduction
-Researcher bias (literature must argue all sides of a topic, not just to support the research question) -Link to theoretical framework: Is the presentation of facts clear and objective? Link framework to literature review to expose gap in literature -Writing style: direct and to the point. fact driven and heavily cited with all statements supported by previous research -Importance of the research: Is it significant to society? It is important for it to have some personal relevance to allow for the desire for new studies to contribute deeper to the existing knowledge. Additionally, it MUST meet criteria for scientific merit and a clear significance to the field of health science.
what do all articles begin with?
An abstract- an accurate, well written, concise and specific overview of all the components within the article. It helps the reader determine whether to continue reading the article.
What is the term 'Operational definition'?
Assigning meaning to a construct or a variable by specifying the activities or 'operations' necessary to measure it. It is a specific explanation of how something is being measured within a study.(must be detailed and clearly stated) -Does the research question contain an operational definition of each term?(critique)
Qualitative Research Articles( Four Sections)
Background, the Methods, Analysis/Findings and the Discussion/Conclusion
Methods Section (qualitative research article)
Detailed information on research design and research methods, sampling, data collection, and data analysis methods used in study. -Includes information about the role of the researcher in the study and the relationship between the researcher and study participants. -Qualitative researchers immerse themselves in the data collection and analysis process
Evaluating or Critiquing the Results Section(quan)
Did the researcher select the most appropriate statistical procedures to analyze the data? was analysis clearly presented for each research question? Did the narrative presentation of the results support the numerical presentation of the results? Were the results presented clearly logically, and accurately
Methods Section (quantitative research articles)
How a research question was addressed. Includes: -Methodology -Design -Methods(sampling, data collection and data analysis) - This section should be explained in sufficient detail so another researcher can use the parameters discussed and replicate the study
Quantitative research articles (4 sections)
Introduction, the Methods, the Results, and the Discussion/Conclusion.
Why is synthesizing literature an important step?
It pulls together diverse perspectives and research results into a cohesive document that flows from the overarching idea (research problem) to the specific focus being addressed (research purpose)
What comes after the abstract?
Key word list- identifies the key words searched when compiling the review and allows researchers to conduct their own research on the topic using the same or similar terms.
When should citations be added to the literature review?
Once the draft is finished, citations from the articles can be incorporated into the draft to support statements and arguments. The more sources that are cited to support each statement or argument, the stronger the literature review.
What is the last step when writing a literature review?
Revise, revise, and revise again. Revise the writing to eliminate unnecessary words and repetition throughout the document.
Research Questions and Hypotheses
Stated after the Research purpose statement -drive the quantitative study -provide clarity to the research problem statement -give a specific and narrow explanation of the questions the current study will be looking to determine
What should the first draft of any literature review look like?
- Should be written from memory following a path that moves from broad, encompassing statements to statements that focus more specifically on the research purpose. * Side notes & reminders in parentheses throughout the writing assist in areas that many need clarification or fact checking later on.
Background Section (qualitative research article)
- review of the literature, similar to quantitative introduction but significantly shorter. Much of qualitative research is exploratory to gain an understanding of a phenomenon, a trend, the how and why. -Starts with a statement identifying why this research is important, then utilizes the research purpose statement or the aim of the study to narrow the focus.
What are some ways a literature review can be structured?
-Comparing and contrasting varying theoretical perspectives - Highlighting conflicting findings on a topic -Identifying the research progression over time
Evaluating or Critiquing the Discussion/Conclusion Section(quan)
-Is the author's conclusion statement consistent with the statistical analysis of the study? (should not misinterpret or misrepresent data) -Can the conclusion be linked to the theoretical framework of the study, the literature review, problem statement, and the specific research questions found in the introduction? -how did the study open new avenues of inquiry? -Are the limitations of the study clearly stated and discussed?
What are the two important goals of a literature review in a researchers journal?
-It must demonstrate that the research topic is important -It must shows that the results presented in the article are filling a gap in literature.
Introduction section (quantitative research articles)
-Often referred to as the literature review section -Most important goal is to identify the gap in the literature -Ends with research study's problem statement, purpose statement and research questions.
Results section (quantitative research articles)
-Presents statistical results of the study's data analysis. -Should not contain any interpretation or discussion of the meaning of the results of the study in this section.
Evaluating or Critiquing the Background Section(qual)
-Quality of literature reviewed, author's credibility and skills should align with the appropriate perspective to accomplish claims. -Does the literature review lead to a rationale explaining the gap in literature? -Provides theoretical framework to ascertain the value or rationale for carrying out the study and determining whether or not the study accomplished its goal.
Discussion/ Conclusion Section (Qualitative Research Article)
-Rich description to discuss the findings and conclude the study -Findings should be tied back to the central phenomenon described in the background
Evaluating or Critiquing the Methods Section(quan)
-Sampling methods should be listed and clearly align with research design and questions -How data was collected(detailed process) - information on tool/instrument used to collect data including validity and reliability. -review of data analysis procedures: statistical tests used to analyze the data. can statistical tests utilized in the study actually answer the stated research question(s)?
Evaluating or Critiquing the Introduction Section
-To determine the quality of the literature reviewed as well as the author's credibility. -does it provide a theoretical framework to ascertain the value or rationale for carrying out the study and determining whether or not the study accomplished its goal? -Important to identify that the cited material is current and relevant to determine credibility -Do the authors emphasize primary, rather than predominantly secondary sources(which should be used sparingly and always clearly identified)
What should a literature review provide the reader with?
-an overview of the most CURRENT and RELEVANT previous research conducted on the topic to clearly identify the gap in the literature
Analysis/Findings Section (Qualitative Research Article)
-can vary greatly depending on methods, research design, and data analysis strategies employed. -includes interpretation of results(unlike qual results section) -integrates analysis with the presentation of findings, often citing literature to support the findings being presented. -includes pictures, direct quotes, flow charts for data analysis grouped by themes
Evaluating or Critiquing the Discussion/Conclusion Section (qual)
-evaluation of the study's overall trustworthiness -review of the study's credibility, dependability, transferability with this evaluation spanning the methods, analysis/findings, and discussion/conclusion sections of the article
Discussion/Conclusion Section (quantitative research articles)
-interpretation of the results, limitations of the study, and suggestions for further research studies that can build upon the results of the study. -Discusses the results of the study in relation to the research questions and hypothesis posed earlier in the introduction. How the study generated new knowledge and added to the body of scientific literature
qualitative research-literature review
-look to gain an understanding of the underlying how or why of a behavior, situation, or real life process. -explores phenomena that has not been previously looked at in research and incorporate less preliminary research in the literature review than quantitative research which is narrowly focused and has extensive previous research
Research articles describes the..
-methodology followed -study design utilized -data collection and analysis methods employed -introduction of all new knowledge discovered
Evaluating or Critiquing the Analysis/Findings Section (qual)
-researcher should describe the methods used to protect the analysis from being influenced by the researchers own values and outlooks. -qualitative researchers do not think in terms of validity or reliability but rather establishing trustworthiness. -For ex: asking participants to review the analysis are common ways that qualitative researchers establish trustworthiness.
Critiquing a Review of the Literature Article
1) Establish the ideology dictating the focus of the review. General statement that gives a broad overview of the question or theoretical framework. 2)Indicate the relevance of the topic being reviewed 3)discuss the parameters within which the review was conducted(time line set, journals included or excluded, search engines used, types of sources used(scholarly, etc) 4)Review should use subheadings within the body to clarify key points as they are covered and guide the flow of the research topic. Following the body, the review should end with a conclusion that restates the purpose and provides closure to the argument
What does a balanced literature review include?
A critical analysis of the relationship between works in addition to identifying a theoretical framework and a rationale for a new research study. It looks to both support the research question and counter the research question. (known and unknown on both sides of the topic)
What is an exception to the given year range for articles included in the literature review?
An exception is given to seminal research, groundbreaking research that has been proven to set the standard in the field and has been cited repeatedly in relevant sources. Additionally, older research that add important concepts or clarification to the body of literature can be included and backed up by similar claims in newer research to justify relevance.
Qualitative Research Articles
Seeks to develop understanding in an area that has yet to be fully explored in research. Interested in the how and why of phenomena's. Flexible study designs with patterns and themes emerging throughout the research process.
What is meant by current?
The articles that the researcher summarized, integrated, and synthesized must have been published in the past 5-7 years.
Professional Assessment
The last critique is the reader's individual interpretation of the article. This is an opportunity for the reviewer to determine the scientific merit of the study and the contribution it has made to literature. -The critique is guided by the purpose of reviewing the literature, Evidence Based Practice(EBP), or to create a problem statement.
What is meant by relevant?
The researcher conducts an in depth digging through all that has been previously written specific to the purpose of the proposed research topic and incorporates all that relevant information.
Evaluating or Critiquing the Methods Section(qual)
There should be enough detail for another researcher to make judgements about the quality and rigor of the study. -Has the relationship b/w researcher and participants been adequately considered? Has the relationship been accounted for and explained in this section? -Was the design appropriate to address the aim of the research? -Was the recruitment strategy appropriate to the aims of the research and the design of the study? -Is there a detailed description of who the sample was?
Literature Review
Written as a part of a journal article's introduction section. -Its purpose is to provide background info to review the current and relevant prior research that has been conducted in relation to the topic, and then help the reader of the article understand the gap in the literature(problem statement) that led to this new research study.
What is included in an abstract?
it is only a paragraph long ( 5 to 6 sentences max) and covers a few basic items such as: -what is being studied and why it is important? -what is the study methodology? -what are the findings and what is their significance -must provide : problem/purpose, sampling, methodology, and findings.
Aim of the study(qualitative research)
known as the purpose statement and provides premise for the study and includes the central phenomenon, the participants, and the location of the study. -It is usually open ended as research questions evolve throughout the course of data collection and analysis process. Qualitative research questions are broad and open ended as well
