Danger Of Ignoring Validity In Research Assignment (Research Paper Sample)

The validity of a research determines how well a research study is done. Validity of a research can be categorized into internal validity, external validity, statistical conclusion and construct validity. (Polit & Beck, 2017). Internal validity of a research is the degree to which the outcomes of a research depend on the independent variable. It is achieved when the effect of the dependent variable is only due to the independent variables.
Study chosen and analysis
The study by Metheny, Davis-Jackson, & Stewart, uses a quasi-experimental design on two groups to determine the frequency of pneumonia and aspiration on patients confined in Intensive Care Units receiving tube feeding and who were ventilated mechanically. Metheny, Davis-Jackson, & Stewart, 2010)
In this study, the threats to internal validity exist. The selection of patients is non-randomized and the patients selected are not of a similar prognosis. The inclusion criteria are limited to patients under mechanical ventilation with feeding tubes present. Similarly, the selection of different sample sizes in the two groups, 329 for the care group and 145 for the ARRP group affects internal validity. The study gap existing in the research between the two groups pose a threat to its validity due to the advancement in medicine and technology over the years. Instrumentation threat exists in the study due to the use of instruments in measuring gastric content aspiration. Use of the same instruments could lead to increased resistance or reduce the subject's sensitivity to tests.
Strengthening Validity of a research study
Strengthening the validity of the research could be achieved by limiting the ages during the inclusion of subjects. The selection process should be randomized and the sample size should be a representation of the population. (Polit & Beck, 2017). These interventions will strengthen construct validity. Statistical conclusion validity in the study could be strengthened by the use of test instruments that have been proved to produce consistent results. For the outcomes to represent and apply to a larger population, a sample size should be larger and more varied. An appropriate sample size strengthens the external validity of a research. (Macnee & McCabe, 2008).
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