Ch_14 Critical Review Quantitative and Qualitative Research Articles 11/18/24

Core Critical Thinking Skills

Chapter 14: Inference

• Critical Review Analysis of Quantitative and Qualitative Research Articles

• Focus on Skills: Interpretation, Thinking, Self-Regulation, Evaluation

Overview/Introduction

• Aimed at developing effective consumers of research for clinicians

• Upon completion, you should be able to:

  • Describe the concept of a consumer of research and its importance

  • Critically analyze quantitative peer-reviewed research articles

  • Critically analyze qualitative peer-reviewed research articles

General Critical Review Strategies: Quantitative Articles

Introduction slide 4

• The goal of the Introduction section:

  • Provide an overview of the rationale for the study

• Essential components include:

  • References and interpretation of existing literature

  • Identification of gaps in the literature

  • Discussion of relevant theories, frameworks, or clinical applications

  • Motivation for conducting the study; authors must highlight the importance of their research

Common Questions for Analyzing the Introduction

• What is the underlying problem or question?

  • Is it clinical or theoretical?

• Has relevant literature been reviewed to support the research question?

• Are the aims and objectives clearly stated and motivated?

• Are the hypotheses and expected outcomes clear?

Methods slide 6

• This section must provide detailed technical descriptions of the study

• Critical analysis questions:

  • How were the research questions addressed? Are the methods appropriate?

  • What are the inclusion and exclusion criteria?

  • What are the independent and dependent variables?

  • Is there enough detail for replication of the study?

Results

• Purpose:

  • Present obtained data without making claims or conclusions

  • primary purpose is to present the data

• Important questions:

  • Are the data easy to view and organized?

  • Are visuals (tables, figures) readable?

  • What analytic methods were used? Were they appropriate?

  • Were the results clinically and statistically significant?

Discussion/Conclusion

• In this section, research questions are answered, and implications discussed

• Key considerations include:

  • Do the results address the proposed questions?

  • Third comparison of results to similar studies

  • Limitations and future research directions

Questions for the Discussion Section-9

• Do results answer the research questions?

• Did the authors adequately interpret the data?

• How do results compare to similar studies?

• What were the study's strengths, weaknesses, and limitations?

• What are the practical implications?

General Critical Review Strategies: Qualitative Articles

Key Considerations

• Qualitative research is less structured; involves more flexibility

• Consumer's responsibility to assess usefulness and criteria for acceptance

Procedural Criteria for Qualitative Research slide 12

• Suggestions for evaluation:

  • Triangulation

  • Member checking

  • Disclosure of bias

  • Sufficient time spent with subjects

  • Peer debriefing and external audits

Interpretive Criteria

• Evaluation of constant comparison and reflexivity leading to:

  • Rich/thick descriptions

  • Subjective interpretation of the research text

Qualitative Methodologies

• Examples sorted by stringency:

  • Autoethnography (the piano lesson article)

  • Phenomenology

  • Grounded Theory

  • Conversation Analysis

Introduction and Literature Review for Qualitative Research

• Covers study rationale and existing research

• Can be more personal and reflective

• Grounded theory may involve literature review after data analysis

Methods & Results in Qualitative Studies

• May not be clearly distinguished; can blend

• Iterative coding involved in analysis

• Data presentation can vary (descriptive statistics, narratives)

Discussion/ Conclusion in Qualitative Research

• Ensure conclusions are within the research scope

• Indications of reflectiveness should be present

• No final, authoritative answers expected

Critical Review: Quantitative Example

• McCreery, et al. (2020). Audibility-based hearing aid fitting criteria

Critical Review Elements for Quantitative Research

Introduction

1. Identify underlying problems and whether they are clinical or theoretical

2. Review relevant literature

3. Clearly state aims and objectives of the study

4. Clearly state hypotheses and expected outcomes

Methods

• Details on methods, criteria for selection, and technical specifics

Results

• Evaluation of data organization, visual aids, and significance

Discussion/Conclusion

• Address research questions, compare with similar studies, and discuss implications

Summary of Differences Between Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis

• Analyzing quantitative articles typically follows a prescriptive process

• Qualitative articles offer more open interpretation due to less rigidity

Discussion Questions for Class

• Similarities and differences between quantitative and qualitative articles

• Purposes of Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion sections

• Concept of author bias in qualitative research with examples.