Qualitative Research Critical Analysis Paper
Introduction
This paper is an academic critique of a qualitative research paper written by Bridgitte Cypress (2014) entitled “The emergency department: Experiences of patients, families, and their nurses.” In this research, the subjects were investigated with regards towards lived experiences to gain insights on how each key elements correlate in the Emergency Department. This academic critique will highlight its strengths and gaps by operating an analytic approach based on the research process in which it exemplifies the parts and qualities of a qualitative research
Research Design There is a commitment in maintaining the social context/emic perspective in this study to capture and reflect worldviews …show more content…
The Belmont Report had identified three basic ethical principles in involving human subjects: respect for persons, beneficence and justice (National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research, 1978). Cypress revealed that the selection of the participants for the patients have met the required “cognitive score and thus fully awake and oriented” to provide consent on the interview which was held in the medical-surgical floors post discharge in ED. It was broadly stated that none of the subjects dropped out or refused to be or in the study, inferring the nurses and family members’ consent were obtained. It was not stated if the participants signed a consent form or obtained verbally. The researcher identified that the patients were chosen under the “critically ill” category prior to transfer to a regular, medical floor or the intensive care unit; but on the data collection section it was determined to be only that of a medical floor. It becomes unclear whether this was a conscious selection to exclude interviews on the ICU as it may place the clients in a vulnerable state or possibly restricted by hospital protocols. It is also uncertain why the “critically ill” category was selected (e.g. puts a different perspective on factors such stress …show more content…
There was no indication of reflexivity –a critical aspect of a qualitative research – stated in the article in order to set aside personal biases. As the only instrument of the study, it would have been solid basis to note for the processes taken to achieve this because it greatly influences the study’s procedural rigour and credibility. The author described its data collection procedures indicating the time frame and accumulated hours of interviews. The length for each interview was not identified to be either fixed or flexible in this section. (e.g. nurses on a limited lunch break may indicate a rushed interview). However, it was stated in the limitation section that it differed between participants and could have affected the