Journal of Clinical Nursing - Assignment Example

? Article Critique Report Introduction The research report is d “An exploratory study of the follow-up care needs of patients treated for colorectal cancer”. It is well linked with the journal it is published in; “clinical nursing” and the contents contained in the article reflect a well researched on paper. The authors have pout down efforts with key research findings to enrich the existing knowledge in the area of research. On the other hand, the article abstract has been presented in the agreed on manner. In this case, the abstract is brief but will all the key research findings, it is concise in that it presents all the findings in the best way possible using few wordings and it captures every element of the research work. This is in line with the assertions of Alasuutari, P. et al. (2008); Balsley (2007) that a document abstract should in brief present the researcher’s proposed objectives and whether they were met; how he/she had proposed to carry out the research-the research paper design; the reasons for choosing such a design given there are so many design methodologies citing the advantages and disadvantages and comparing the shortcomings with those of other potential design methods; perceived outcomes citing the actual and the expected impacts. Further, the abstract should clearly give the research methodology including the research tools giving reasons of their choice, the data collection methods, , how the data will be analyzed and including the software to be used (SPSS, STATA, EnVivo, GenStat etc) in addition to research schedule and envisaged budget. As Alasuutari, P. et al. (2008) puts it, all the above are meant to present the research protocol in an easier manner to comprehend. The authors of the research paper article have taken all the above into consideration while writing the paper. One important aspect included in the research paper it background, which gives a foundation for the paper citing the existing information gap to form a sound justification for current and future research works in the area. Further, relevance of the research work in the provision of health services is well articulated and sound well for a research work findings which are expected to be generalized and replicated. Evaluation In any research work, the research design and methodology which form the research protocol are entirely based on proposed research objectives. Research objectives guide the researcher in the formulation of specific, measureable, attainable, realistic and time bound activities which guide the researcher in avoiding those that are likely to interfere with the research timelines and budget. According to Kinta, B. et al. (2010), the research objective was to explore patient perceptions of their experiences of follow-up care after treatment for colorectal cancer. The research objective is supported by the formulated questions which the research aims at answering and which are disaggregate into a level which is easily manageable. In this case the null hypothesis assumed that the traditional method of routine hospital follow-up may be effective in the surveillance of disease recurrence, but does not always address patients’ psycho-social and information needs adequately (Kinta, B. et al. 2010). The null hypothesis assumed none effect of follow-up of cancer patients. The formulated hypothesis formed the basis for the development of research tools, data collection protocol, determination of the analysis methods and the way to report the findings. Hypothesis formulation is very important in that, they are integral parts which guide the readers on what to expect, what the research paper aimed at in addition to reducing the research questions into manageable components (Babbie 2007). The importance of a research article is clearly captured by the authors stating that nurse-led clinics and/or telephone follow-up by specialist nurses may be effective models of care for this particular patient group, providing appropriate access for meeting clinical, psycho-social and information needs (Kinta, B. et al. 2010). Babbie (2007) on his part argues that embarking on any research work in which the objectives and the research questions are not clear amounts to waste of resources and is not worth commencing. It is always important to state the advantages of carrying out the research in the first place as this will endear the research work to donors and other financiers. Further, the importance will create awareness that such work has been/is being done and thus creating a framework for sharing ideas and knowledge. In order to come up with a tangible research importance statement, it is always important to coin it the research questions. And as Babbie (2007); Fryer (2006) puts it, research objective which is not properly captured leads to lop-sided research questions, vague hypothesis statements, and hence lack of clarity. In this case the authors have well articulated the importance of the research work. Literature Review Review of literature on the other hand is a key component in any research as it creates a sound basis for readers making them to react in a positive manner. This is so because, research findings based on other authors comments and works have the necessary support to attain the required rigor. According to Kaplan (2005); Kirk and Miller (2006), literature review affords research work credibility and ensures that the findings are reliable and valid as they have been linked to existing information while attempting to bridge the information gap. Results comparisons and citations are an important part of any research work as this raises the bar of expectations. However, the authors referenced are also important. Some research works are of very low standard to warrant mentioning while others have attained the required scientific rigor. Again, different authors have different tastes, preferences and have specialized in different areas and thus different research thrusts. The authors of the research article have compared their findings and made citations of reputable authors. The cited authors have specialized in different areas of clinical health, general research and analysis and this makes the paper attain the required research rigor. The cited areas link well and are properly placed using a recognized citation style. Research Design The researcher employed the use of exploratory qualitative researcher. This method is advantageous in that, it shares the assumed theories of interpretive research and which have a basis on the perceptions of those involved in research (Alvesson and Skoldberg 2006). Qualitative research design concerns much with descriptions, and interpretations of the meanings of personal perceptions (Silverman 2007); Stevens (2007). Qualitative research takes place in a natural setting where the study options are more focused on activities taking place in day-to-day lives of the participants (Silverman 2007; Yin 2008; Bogdan and Taylor 2005; Greenfield 2007). Further, the research design technique is driven not by hypotheses and categorical themes but directed by descriptions. The approach is used in this research in that it leads the research to obtain realistic information which cannot be availed though the use of numerical data and analysis as in quantitative research. Further, the approach affords the researcher the flexibility in data collection, analysis and findings presentation in addition to giving the researcher the ability to get the information from the participants in their own understanding. Even though it results in more information, the technique may make the researcher depart from the original objectives as the research settings keep on changing (Greenfield 2007). The researcher may lose the original research intentions. If possible, the researcher should have combined both approaches since numerical data gives the research findings another dimension of interest. Sampling The research employed the use of a sample to make inferences about the follow-up care needs of patients treated for colorectal cancer. In a research work with the aim of generalizing the research findings, it is always important to use a sample other than a complete count since it is cheaper, has greater scope and takes a short while before the results are produced. The process of selecting a sample from the entire population is referred to as sampling (Marshall and Rossman 2009). The size of the sample depends on the research objectives, the sampling frame-the list of cancer patients identified. Normally, a sample should be representative of the entire target population as his is key if the findings are to be reliable and valid. A researcher should ensure that the determined sample is evaluated for un-biasness by first understanding the population traits. Aspects of socio-economic well being, level of education, eating habits, size of family, race, age etc, are important determinants of the sampling technique to use. Further, the researcher should be aware of the sampling frame and have an understanding of whether duplications, omissions and completeness are adhered to. Availability of the participants, the bound on the error of estimation-the level of significance and willingness to participate based on free consent are some of the determinants of the best representative sample. In this case, if the cancer patients are from the same socio-economic status and of almost same age then simple random sampling would be used. In case all are different, then stratified sampling is used. In this case, purpose sampling was used. Purposive sampling involves handpicking participants based on certain characteristics; in this case cancer patients. The advantage of the method is that it ensures balance of the sample incase different groups are represented e.g. males and females. However, the sample suffers from potential subjectiveness of the researcher. Stratified sampling is a method used in case the target population has varying traits. In such cases, the target population is sub-divided into strata each made up of elements with same traits, say, same socio-economic status. Different traits leads to different perceptions, eating habits and other control phenomenon which gives rise to different versions of results with enormous implications. A sample selected using this method is un-biased and the results are generalized and replicated. This would have been the best sampling technique even-though the availability of the participants would have been a problem. This is so because the patients are not from the same socioeconomic status, are at different level of infection, are of different age, different gender etc. This is so because confounding factors may divert the findings greatly. Purposive sampling used by the researcher is a good practice which takes into consideration the objectives and purposes of the study. In this case, the availability of the cancer patient’s is critical for the objectives to be realized. If the numbers of the patients in the different categories were known, then stratified sampling would have resulted into a representative sample of ‘n’ participants using the formula below; n = N / (1+N (e2)). Where ‘N’ is the number of elements in the sampling frame while ‘e’ is the error of estimation. In most cases, the error of estimation is 5%. The general use of a research study findings has a strong basis on the kind of sample used. It should be un-biased and should capture vividly the requirements of the research study. One aspect of ensuring that the sample is well-representative is to carry out an historical analysis to determine whether historical injustices are present since they may have an interaction effect. Research Ethics Research ethics demands that researchers abide by some set norms if their findings are to be held reliable and valid. A researcher should ensure that he participants make an informed consent based on availability of information (Van Maanen 2005). In this case, the researcher should make sure that the participants are aware of the research objectives, the benefits involved as well as the risks. Participants should be aware that their participation is not by coercions, rather, by free consent. . Further, there is need to make them aware that the research data will he held confidentially and that only responses made in groups will be made public. The researcher should also ensure that he/she works towards minimizing risks and maximizing benefits-beneficence. In this case, since the research involved human beings, the researcher took the effort to make the participants ware of the research objectives and goals. This made them make an informed consent about their participation. The participants where further allowed to ask questions about their participation. Data Collection The researcher employed the use of in-depth interviews which were sub-divided into several sessions. A series of both open-ended and closed questions were used in designing the interview guide. Open-ended questions are used in most cases as they give more information since research participants are not restricted in any way. Closed questions are restrictive and are easier to analyze (Patton 2006); Ting-Toomey (2006). Both structures complement each other. However, the data collection methodology is for both qualitative and quantitative research design as opposed to qualitative design used in this case. The use of questionnaires would have been an important data collection method for they give the participants more chance to respond to different issues. Data Analysis and Presentation Descriptive statistics for the closed questions and qualitative analysis for coded data were used. Findings were presented using tables. This is a recommended way of giving results as readers are able to understand and comprehend the findings. Discussion The research findings were in line with the objectives and formulated hypothesis. The findings were presented using tables and explanations. The entire report is well linked with the journal it is published in and the authors have put down efforts with key research findings to enrich the existing knowledge in the area of research. The article summary has been presented in the agreed on manner. It is brief and has all the key research findings, it is concise-presents all the findings in the best way possible using few wordings. Further, it captures every element of the research work. The authors of the research paper article have taken all the above into consideration while writing the paper. One important aspect included in the research paper is background, which gives a foundation for the paper citing the existing information gap to form a sound justification for current and future research works in the area. The findings are in line with the information gap which they attempt to fill. Further, relevance of the research work in the provision of health services is well articulated and sound well for a research work findings which are expected to be generalized and replicated while the findings fit the bill. The research design and methodology are entirely based on proposed research objectives and have guided in the formulation of specific, measureable, attainable, realistic and time bound activities. The null hypothesis assumed that the traditional method of routine hospital follow-up may be effective in the surveillance of disease recurrence, but does not always address patients’ psycho-social and information needs adequately and formed the basis for the development of research tools, data collection protocol, determination of the analysis methods and the way to report the findings. However, the results confirm that the null is not true. The researcher laid down the importance of a research article clearly capturing statement that nurse-led clinics and/or telephone follow-up by specialist nurses may be effective models of care for this particular patient group, providing appropriate access for meeting clinical, psycho-social and information needs (Kinta, B. et al. 2010). To enrich the research paper, the researcher made a review of literature page. This is a key component in any research as it creates a sound basis for readers making them to react in a positive manner. Research findings based on other authors comments and works have the necessary support to attain the required rigor. Results comparisons and citations are an important part of any research work as this raises the bar of expectations since different authors have different tastes, preferences and have specialized in different areas and thus different research thrusts. The researcher employed the use of exploratory qualitative research method which leads the researcher to obtain realistic information which cannot be availed though the use of numerical data and analysis as in quantitative research. Further, the approach affords the researcher the flexibility in data collection, analysis and findings presentation in addition to giving the researcher the ability to get the information from the participants in their own understanding. Even though it results in more information, the technique may make the researcher depart from the original objectives as the research settings keep on changing. The researcher may lose the original research intentions. If possible, the researcher should have combined both approaches since numerical data gives the research findings another dimension of interest. To draw inferences, the research employed the use of a sample of the follow-up care needs of patients treated for colorectal cancer. The size of the sample depended on the research objectives, the sampling frame-the list of cancer patients identified. The sample was representative of the entire target population as this is key if the findings are to be reliable and valid. The determination of sample size depended on the availability of the participants, the bound on the error of estimation-the level of significance and willingness to participate based on free consent are some of the determinants of the best representative sample. Purposive sampling used by the researcher is a good practice which takes into consideration the objectives and purposes of the study. In this case, the availability of the cancer patient’s is critical for the objectives to be realized. To abide by the set ethical norms, the researcher ensured that he participants make an informed consent based on availability of information. In this case, the researcher made sure that the participants are aware of the research objectives, the benefits involved as well as the risks. Participants should be aware that their participation is not by coercions, rather, by free consent. Further, they were made aware that the research data will he held confidentially and that only responses made in groups will be made public. The researcher worked towards minimizing risks and maximizing benefits-beneficence. In this case, since the research involved human beings, the researcher took the effort to make the participants ware of the research objectives and goals. This made them make an informed consent about their participation. The participants where further allowed to ask questions about their participation. Conclusions The research findings are in line with the objectives and formulated hypothesis while research report in its entirety is well linked with the journal it is published in and the authors have put down efforts with key research findings to enrich the existing knowledge in the area of research. The article summary has been presented in the agreed on manner. The importance of the research findings has been underscored and will form a strong basis in future research. The research methodology is critically founded. The results are valid and reliable. References Alasuutari, P. et al. (2008). The SAGE handbook of social research methods London: SAGE. Alvesson, M. and Skoldberg, K. (2006). Reflexive methodology: new vistas for qualitative research. London: Sage. Babbie, E. (2007). The Basics of Social Research, Belmont, C: Wadsworth Balsley, H.L. (2007). Quantitative research methods for business and economics. New York: Random House. Bogdan, R., & Taylor, S.J. (2005). Introduction to qualitative research methods. New York: John Wiley. Fryer, D. (2006). Qualitative methods in occupational psychology: Reflections upon why they are so useful but so little used. The Occupational Psychologist, 14 (Special issue on qualitative methods), 3-6. Greenfield, T (2007). Research methods for postgraduates, Arnold, London. Kaplan, D. (2005). The Sage handbook of quantitative methodology for the social sciences. Thousand Oaks, Calif.; London: Sage Kinta, B. et al. (2010). An exploratory study of the follow-up care needs of patients treated for colorectal cancer. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 19, pp.3291–3300 Kirk, J., & Miller, M.L. (2006). Reliability and validity in qualitative research. Qualitative Research Methods Series, 1. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications. Marshall, C., & Rossman, G.B. (2009). Designing qualitative research. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications. Patton, M.Q. (2006). Qualitative evaluation methods. Newbury Park, CA: Sage. Silverman, D. (2007). Interpreting qualitative data: methods for analyzing talk, text, and interaction. 2nd ed. London ; Thousand Oaks, Calif. : Sage Publications Stevens, J. (2007). Applied multivariate statistics for the social sciences (3rd ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers. Ting-Toomey, S. (2006). Qualitative research: An overview. In W.B. Gudykunst, & Y.Y. Kim (Eds.), Methods for intercultural communication research (pp. 169-184). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications. Van Maanen, J. (2005). Qualitative methodology. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications. Yin, R.K. (2008). Case study research: design and methods. 3rd ed. Thousand Oaks, Calif. : Sage Publications Read More