Research in Practice 1 Individual Assignment – Research Critique | ATU Ireland

Assignment Brief

Assignment:

Critically review the article “A Qualitative study of the value of simulation based training for nursing students in primary care” (Bray and Østergaard 2024) using the Ellis (2019) research critique framework

Instructions:

• Word count: 1500
• University guidelines regarding assignment presentation, cover sheet, plagiarism and referencing must be strictly adhered to.
• You must submit your assignment to Turnitin on or prior to 5pm Friday the 28^th of November 2025 -assignments not submitted to Turnitin will not be graded.

Research Critiquing Framework with Additional Model Specific Questions (Eilis 2019)

The first section of this framework can be applied to all forms of research. The later sections apply specifically to qualitative and quantitative research and ask questions in a manner specific to these methodologies.

Questions that Apply to All Research Background issues :

Title

Does this identify:

• the type of people to whom the research is being applied?
• the research question/aims/hypothesis?
• the model/methodology/data-collection method?
• the main finding(s) of the study?

Author credentials

Can you identify the author(s)’?

• qualifications?
• professional background?
• current job?
• experience of doing similar research.
• conflicts of interest?

Core research issues

The question

• Does the introduction and background to the study identify the need for the research to be done?
• Can you identify the purpose of the research (its aim, objective, question or hypothesis)?

Methodology, methods, and sampling

• Given the question, do the research paradigm and methodology chosen make sense?
• Even if ‘yes’, are there alternative methodologies that might also be appropriate?
• Given the methodology identified (if any), are the research data-collection methods, correct?
• Even if ‘yes’, are there alternative methods that might be appropriate as well?
• With regard to the sample:
  • Is the method of recruiting reasonable?
  • Might the recruitment method introduce some form of bias?
  • Is the sample of the right size?
  • Do the author(s) discuss how it was calculated/arrived at?
  • Does the sample represent the people the study is about?
  • Even if ‘yes’, are there alternative strategies that might have made the process as good or better?

Results, Conclusions and Discussion

• Is the approach to analysis of results consistent with the type of data collected?
• With regard to the results:
• Is it apparent how the data were analysed?
• Are these clear?
• Do they reflect what the researchers set out to answer?
• Does the discussion:
  • reflect the results?
  • reflect the purpose of the research?
  • identify practical issues that have impaired the research?
  • identify compromises that have been made to allow the research to proceed?
  • only make claims about things the research set out to answer?
  • explain why the results have occurred?
  • contain additional results?
• Does the conclusion:
• only discuss what the aim(s) of the research were about?
• reflect the results and discussion?
• identify and compare the results to other similar research?
• identify and compare the results to existing and potential policy?
• suggest possibilities for future research?

Ethical issues

Have the researchers?

• Demonstrated the research is necessary?
• Gained ethics approval?
• Demonstrated concern for confidentiality and anonymity?
• Shown concern for informed consent including:
• freedom from coercion (or appearance of potential coercion)?
• information giving?
• freedom of choice?
• right of participants to withdraw?
• extra concern for potentially vulnerable participants?

Have the researchers shown concern for the ethical principles of:

• doing good?
• avoiding unnecessary harm?
• respecting participant autonomy (see also consent)?
• respect for fairness?

Additional questions that apply to qualitative research

• When critiquing qualitative research, these additional questions, using terms specific to qualitative research, must also be considered.

Rigour

• Has the research process been fully explained in a transparent manner that is clear from the article? Dependability
• Has the study been undertaken in a consistent manner?
• Have all researchers used the same procedures? Credibility
• Have the researchers checked the level of agreement with their findings?
• Did the researchers check their interpretation with the participants and/or other professionals? Confirmability
• Have the data been dealt with in a neutral manner?
• Consider Reflexivity Transferability
• Does other research appear to support the findings?
• If no, are the reasons for the difference explained coherently?

Reference

• Eilis, P (2019) Evidenced Based Practice in Nursing, 4^th London: SAGE