Critiquing Quantitative

Application: Critiquing Quantitative, Qualitative, or Mixed Methods Studies

Critiquing the validity and robustness of research featured in journal articles provides a critical foundation for engaging in evidence-based practice. In Weeks 5 and 6, you explored quantitative research designs. In Week 7, you will examine qualitative and mixed methods research designs. For this Assignment, which is due by Day 7 of Week 7, you critique a quantitative and either a qualitative or a mixed methods research study and compare the types of information obtained in each.

To prepare:

• Select a health topic of interest to you that is relevant to your current area of practice. The topic may be your Course Portfolio Project or a different topic of your choice.
• Using the Walden Library, locate two articles in scholarly journals that deal with your portfolio topic: 1) Select one article that utilizes a quantitative research design and 2)  select a second article  that utilizes either a qualitative OR  a mixed methods design.  These need to be single studies not systematic or integrative reviews (including meta-analysis and metasynthesis). You may use research articles from your reference list. If you cannot find these two types of research on your portfolio topic, you may choose another topic.
• Locate the following documents in this week’s Learning Resources to access the appropriate templates, which will guide your critique of each article:
  • Critique Template for a Qualitative Study
  • Critique Template for a Quantitative Study
  • Critique Template for a Mixed-Methods Study
• Consider the fields in the templates as you review the information in each article.
• Begin to draft a paper in which you analyze the two research approaches as indicated below.
• Reflect on the overall value of both quantitative and qualitative research. If someone were to say to you, “Qualitative research is not real science,” how would you