THE RESEARCH CRITIQUE

THE RESEARCH CRITIQUEPrepared by Arif Rakhman1ObjectivesBackgroundPurpose of research critiquesElements of a research critiqueBackgroundNursing practice can be based on solid evidence only if research reports are critically appraised.Most research has limitations and weaknesses.Consumers who can do reflective and thorough critiques of research reports also play a role in advancing nursing knowledge.Purpose of Research CritiquesTo demonstrate the methodologic skillsPlays a role in assembling evidence into integrative reviews of the literature on a topicDetermine the strengths and limitations of a piece of researchTo develop a balanced evaluation of a studys contribution to knowledge.Help to advance a particular area of knowledge.Reflect a balanced consideration of a studys validity and significanceGuidelines for the Conduct of a Written Research CritiqueBe sure to comment on the studys strengths as well as weaknesses. The critique should be a balanced analysis of the studys worth. All reports have some positive featuresbe sure to find and note them.Give specific examples of the studys strengths and limitations. Avoid vague generalizations of praise and fault finding. Justify your criticisms. Offer a rationale for your concerns.Cont,,,Be objective. Avoid being overly critical of a study because you are not interested in the topic or because your world view is inconsistent with the underlying paradigm.Be sensitive in handling negative comments. Put yourself in the shoes of the researcher receiving the comments. Do not be condescending or sarcastic.Dont just identify problemssuggest alternatives, indicating how a different approach would have solved a methodologic problem. Make sure the recommendations are practical.ELEMENTS OF A RESEARCH CRITIQUESubstantive/theoretical dimensions,Methodologic dimensions,Interpretive dimensions, Ethical dimensions, and Presentational/stylistic dimensionsSubstantive and Theoretical Dimensions (Box 2 4)The substantive and theoretical dimensions of a study are normally communicated in a reports introduction.Significance of the problem, the soundness of the conceptualizations, the appropriateness of the conceptual framework, philosophical or theoretical underpinnings, hypotheses and literature review. Ask?Researchers must consider how to advance knowledge on a topic in beneficial ways. Ask?Methodologic Dimensions (Box 5 16)How to go about answering the research questions or testing the hypotheses.The heart of a research critique lies in the analysis of the methodologic decisions adopted.Focus critical : Quantitative research and Qualitative research.Quantitative study -- the 4 major decision points to focus critical attention are as follows:Design: What design will yield the most unambiguous and meaningful results about the relationship between the independent & dependent variable? What extraneous variables need to be controlled, and how best can this be accomplished?Sample: Who should participate in the study? What are the characteristics of the population to which the findings should be generalized? How large should the sample be, from where should participants be recruited, and what sampling approach should be used?Cont,,,Data collection: What method should be used to collect the data? How can the variables be operationalized and reliably and validly measured?Data analysis: What statistical analyses will provide the most appropriate tests of the research hypotheses or answers to the research questions?Qualitative studies, the major methodologic decisions to critique are as follows:Design: Which research tradition best matches the research question?Setting and study participants: What setting will yield the richest information about the phenomenon under study? Who should participate, and how can participants be selected to enhance the studys theoretical richness? How many participants are needed to achieve data saturation?Cont,,,Data sources: What should the sources of data be, and how should data be gathered? Should multiple sources of data (e.g., unstructured interviews and observations) be used to achieve method triangulation?Data analysis: What data analysis techniques are appropriate for the research tradition?Quality enhancement: What types of evidence can be obtained to support the credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability of the data, the analysis, and the interpretation? Ethical Dimensions (Box 17)Inadvertent actions or activities that researchers did not interpret as creating an ethical dilemma.Made a conscious decision that the violation was modest in relation to the knowledge that could be gained by doing the study in a certain way.Interpretive Dimensions (Box 18)Research reports usually conclude with a Discussion, Conclusions, or Implications section.Attempt to make sense of the analyses, to consider whether the findings support or fail to support hypotheses or theory, and to discuss what the findings imply for nursing.Wary if a discussion section fails to point out any study limitations.To contrast your own interpretation with that of the researcher and to challenge conclusions that do not appear to be supported by the results.Presentational and Stylistic Dimensions (Box 19)The writing in a research report should be clear, grammatical, cogent, concise, and well organized.Be alert to indications of overt biases, unwarranted exaggerations, emotionally laden comments, or melodramatic language.SummaryResearch critique is not only to judge the exist research, but to advance knowledge together between reviewers and researchers. It is important to the reviewers whose will conduct research, because of research critique serve as an insight to conduct better research. Reviewers should strive to be as objective as possible and to indicate the reasoning for the judgments made.