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University of South Australia
School of Nursing and Midwifery
NURS 3044: Research Methodology
Assignment 2: Part 1 and 2
This assessment consists of Part 1 and Part 2.
Part 1: Assessing the quality of quantitative or qualitative research
Part 2: Reflection
Part 1: Assessing the quality of quantitative or qualitative research (2000 words)
Background
General Nursing students: After reviewing the literature in Assessment 1, you have likely concluded that there appears to be strong evidence of the benefit of immunisation for children and for public health. From your experience and from information on the internet it would appear that the uptake of immunisation in children is suboptimal. You are thinking that there may be an opportunity to do some research. Two topics that come to mind are (1) the reasons why uptake of immunisation in children is suboptimal; and (2) strategies that have been shown to improve uptake of immunisation in children. Before going any further, you decide to obtain some background information. You now need to consider whether a qualitative or quantitative approach is best suited to provide background information for the topic that you have chosen:
(1) the reasons why uptake of immunisation in children is suboptimal; or
(2) strategies that have been shown to improve uptake of immunisation in children.
To assist you, we have provided a qualitative and a quantitative research paper that you will now need to critique. You need to choose the one article that best suits the topic that you have chosen to research further.
Article 1: Ahlers-Schmidt, C.R., Chesser, A.K., Nguyen, T., Brannon, J., Hart, T.A., Williams, K.S. and Wittler, R.R., 2012. Feasibility of a randomized controlled trial to evaluate Text Reminders for Immunization Compliance in Kids (TRICKs). Vaccine, 30(36), pp XXXXXXXXXXFull text available via Elsevier ScienceDirect (Available from 1995 volume: 13)
Article 2: Kurup, L., He, H.G., Wang, X., Wang, W. and Shorey, S., 2017. A descriptive qualitative study of perceptions of parents on their child's vaccination. Journal of clinical nursing. Full text available via Wiley Online Li
ary (Available from 1997 volume: 6 issue: 1)
To complete part one of the assessment, you will now need to select the research method template that co
esponds with the paper that you have chosen to critique:
(A) If you have selected that article using a quantitative research method, you will need to complete the tool for critiquing quantitative research.
(B) If you have selected that article using a qualitative research method, you will need to complete the tool for critiquing qualitative research.
Template for QUANTITATIVE research + Part B Reflection here
Template for QUALITATIVE research + Part B Reflection here
Assessment template: Tool for critiquing QUANTITATIVE research
Tool for critiquing qualitative research is modified based on the Critical Review Form-Qualitative Studies ©Law, M., Stewart, D., Pollock, N., Letts, L. Bosch, J., & Westmorland, M.
Instructions:
· Complete all of the questions in the template below in reference to the article that you have selected. Ensure that you have selected the co
ect template (quantitative or qualitative) to match the research method in the article that you have selected.
· Where there is a Yes/No option in the question, delete the option that does not apply.
· Word count of the template = 500
Question 1: Study purpose/question
(a) Did the study have a clearly stated purpose
esearch question? XXXXXXXXXXYes / No
(b) Explain your response below:
Question 2: Relevance to nursing/midwifery practice
(a) Explain how this question was relevant to nursing/midwifery practice.
Question 3: Ethics
(a) What were the possible risks of participating in the study?
(b) Were these risks clearly identified by the authors? XXXXXXXXXXYes / No
(c) If risks were identified by the authors, how did they propose to minimise risk?
(d) Did the authors state that they had approval from an ethics committee to undertake the study?
XXXXXXXXXXYes / No
(e) How did the authors obtain informed consent from participants?
(f) Did you identify and potential risks associated with the study that were not identified by the authors and if so, what were they?
Question 4: Study design
(a) Describe the chosen study design for this study.
(b) Was this a suitable study design for the given research question? XXXXXXXXXXYes / No
(c) Explain why the chosen study design was or wasn’t suitable.
Question 5: Sample (Participants)
(a) How many participants were included in the study?
(b) What were the inclusion and exclusion criteria?
(c) Explain how the participants were recruited.
(d) Describe the setting in which the study took place (hospital, community, etc).
Question 6: Methods/Intervention/Data collection
(a) Describe the intervention (eg. treatment, therapy etc)
(b) What was the comparator (eg. alternative treatment or therapy; placebo etc)
(c) Was this intervention adequately described so that it could be replicated in practice? XXXXXXXXXXYes / No
(d) Explain your response to (c)
(e) Describe the method/s used to collect data (you do not need to include basic demographic/sociographic data)
Question 7: Research findings (outcomes)
(a) What were the main findings of this study? (provide a dot point summary)
Question 8: Study limitations
(a) What were the limitations of this study stated by the autho
s?
(b) Explain why these are study limitations.
(c) Explain why bias may reduce the validity of the study.
Question 9: Applicability to clinical practice
(a) According to the Levels of Evidence pyramid, what level of evidence are the reported results from this paper?
(b) Overall, should the outcomes of this study be used to inform evidence-based practice?
XXXXXXXXXXYes / No
(c) Explain your rationale for your responses to questions (a) and (b).
Part 2 Reflection (approx. 500 words)
Write a reflection on the learning that you have undertaken in Research Methodology relating to the questions below. If you use supporting references you should reference as per the UniSA Harvard referencing system.
This should include:
· Did you have prior ‘knowledge’ about immunisation safety for children/pregnant women prior to undertaking this assessment? Describe your understanding of this.
· How did you acquire this knowledge (what way/s of knowing/where did the information come from)?
· Did you have a personal opinion (bias) or concerns about the safety of immunisation for children/pregnant women prior to undertaking this assessment?
· Has anything that you have learnt in the course changed your opinion (bias)/allayed you concerns/increased you concerns about the safety of immunisation for children/pregnant women? If so, why?
Assessment template: Tool for critiquing QUALITATIVE research
*Please do not upload the Background section above to learnonline with this template
Tool for critiquing qualitative research is modified based on the Critical Review Form-Qualitative Studies ©Law, M., Stewart, D., Pollock, N., Letts, L. Bosch, J., & Westmorland, M.
Instructions:
· Complete all of the questions in the template below in reference to the article that you have selected. Ensure that you have selected the co
ect template (quantitative or qualitative) to match the research method in the article that you have selected.
· Where there is a Yes/No option in the question, delete the option that does not apply.
· Word count of the template = 550
Question 1: Study Purpose/Question
(a) Did the study have a clearly stated purpose
esearch question?