Critiquing Quantitative, Qualitative, or Mixed Methods Studies (Research Proposal Sample)

CRITIQUING QUANTITATIVE, QUALITATIVE, OR MIXED METHODS STUDIES
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Critiquing Quantitative, Qualitative, or Mixed Methods Studies
Introduction
Nursing research remains a critical element in healthcare since it ensures that there is efficiency, quality, and safety in patient care. On the other hand, nursing knowledge also equips nurses with essential skills and knowledge that advances and enhances the process of practice, thus leading to an improved health care system. Given this, nurses need to take consideration of various research methods to establish those that yield the best evidence-based method that can enhance the provision of healthcare. This paper, therefore, seeks to evaluate and critique the quantitative, quantitative, and mixed research studies and outline some of their merits and demerits thus provide insights into its design. The study will revolve around the implementation of best practices in enabling patients suffering from Major Depressive disorder (MDD) to cope with their situations effectively.
Critiquing Quantitative, Qualitative, or Mixed Methods Studies
1 Research Issue and Purpose     
The study based its findings on the application of the CBASP method in managing depression among the adolescent population, an aspect that justifies the care provided as integral since it was based on EBP. The research study integrated some of the proven and medically researched evidence in consideration of an individual patient’s values and the clinical experienced of providers.                                         
2 Researcher Pre-Understandings
The authors of this literature clearly identify that the diagnosis and management of this disease among adolescents in America remains a health concern that affects the health industry. CBASP remains an efficient treatment process developed in the management of MDD among the adolescents. In this case, the client who is chronically depressed for two years is taken through the process of CBASP treatment.
3 Literature Review
The author of the research study makes use of credible information generated through the studies literature review. Several of the articles used in the survey are relevant to the research topic and clearly, expound on the subject. It is notable that some of the articles utilized in the literature review section are older, thus pointing out to the necessity of incorporating recent research literature in the study. On the other hand, the author critiques the pieces of literature used by alleging that few research studies included the qualitative research design in identifying the diagnosis and management of this disease among adolescents in America.
4 Conceptual Framework
Consequently, the author fails to mention the theoretical frameworks used in the research, a factor that appears that the study borrows from other academic disciplines.
5 Participants
The qualitative study makes use of a semi-structured interview conducted on fifty patients with only 20 giving assent to participate. The ages of the patients were 15-18, with the interviews taking the face to face approach thus making it convenient for the participants. The participant’s selection procedure followed a variation approach in consideration of the socio-demographic variables within the districts. The participants had to be suffering from Major Depressive disorder (MDD) and had not attended any education courses in the management of the illness before the research study. This clearly proves that the setting of the study was appropriate in as much as the sample size was limited. The researcher does not mention the achievement of information redundancy.
6 Protection of Human Research Participants
The research study was guided by the Code of Ethics that required the participants to provide written consent before approval by the Ethics Committee of an Ethics Committee, thus denoting the protection of the human research participants.
7 Research Design
The study also followed a qualitative design that included the use of a semi-structured interview. The selection of this design was initiated in a bid to gain more insight to some of the challenges that inhibit patients from managing the Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) thus proving the need for the use of the qualitative research method.
8 Data Collection/Generation Methods
The research method employed the semi-structured face-to-face interview in the collection of data. The interviews, in this case, were auto-taped through a transcription verbatim. In this case, the use of a single approach in the collection of data rules out chances of triangulation.  
9 Credibility
Through the interviews, the research established that the Major depressive disorder (MDD) remains one of the impairing, chronic, and common ailments that detail an individual’s attempt to commit suicide, abuse drugs, and encounter interpersonal problems. This data remains credible since other literature and solutions support it into this issue are developed in the study.
10 Data Analysis
The approaches employed in the analysis of the data include the qualitative content analysis method. This process involved the categorization of the study’s findings into various codes inductively and deductively. The analysis of the data accurately compares with other previous studies, thus showing some correlations. An instance of this can be seen in the researcher’s comparison of the survey’s findings with other studies in a bid to enhance its accuracy. Alternatively, the data obtained in the study remains replicable since similar findings would result in the generation of comparable results.
Findings
The findings of the study distinctly exhibited the challenges encountered by the Adolescents in copying and managing the Major depressive disorder (MDD). In the application of the CBASP method in managing depression among the adolescent population clearly proves the degree to which the care provided was based on EBP. This lies in the fact that the model integrated some of the proven and medically researched evidence in consideration of an individual patient’s values and the clinical experiences of providers.
Discussion of Findings
In discussing the study’s findings, it is essential to consider that the research seeks to address five questions as generated by the PICOT issues that guide the study. The results of the survey are consequently aligned to the researcher’s expectations since the research explains the approaches incorporated in the management of MDD among the participant's population.   
Limitations
The limitations that were evident in the study include the fact that the researcher selected participants within the city in taking part in the interviews, thus limiting the study to the urban setting and neglecting the rural areas.
Implications
The conclusions drawn in the research were based on the study’s results. On the other hand, all the study’s conclusion was in coherence with the results, thus showing the adherence of the results to the concluding remarks.
Recommendations
The study clearly details the need to develop incentives and facilities that encourage better disease management and adequate care. On the other hand, it is fundamental for the medical institution to improve effectiveness and quality of education among care providers, an aspect that would include the improvement of programs for care practitioners. The organization needs to consider approaches to encouraging the patient to adhere to care provider’s health advice.
Utilization of the Research in Practice
This study is applicable in practice in several ways. The study clearly reveals some of the barriers that are prevalent in the management of MDD among the participant population. As a medical practitioner, there is a need to employ EBP in establishing some of the effective approaches that are backed by research in the management of these disorders. EBP remains necessary in using some of the best practices since it enhances the process of care by initiating appropriate interventions in the management of EBP. In this case, the study is in a position to evoke changes within my area of practice.
Part Two
The General Advantages and Disadvantages of the Two Research Approaches Featured In the Articles
It is important to consider that both the qualitative and quantitative research methods remain important in generating findings that address the research issues pointed out in the study. However, it is essential to establish that each of these research methods h...