Qualitative Research in Radiography - Essay Example

? Qualitative Research in radiography Insert (s) Critique appraisal Introduction Farmer and Davis (2009) conducted a fairly descriptive research investigating the interactions between diagnostic radiographers and psychiatric patients in one of the Irish hospitals. The title of the study and the research question were generally relevant. On the other hand, the abstract is not only specific but is also succinct. The two authors have also used the abstract to summarize all the salient points of their research and correctly represent the entire article. Similarly the purpose of the study is made clear in the introduction and the authors also subjectively described the overall goals as well as the possible outcomes of the phenomenon under study. The methods used in the research were primarily a qualitative approach in which six radiographers practicing in a local Irish hospital were interviewed separately using structural questionnaires. Lastly, the results were finally thematically analysed and conclusions derived. The results of the study suggested that a number of factors such as the qualification of the radiographers significantly impacted on their relationship and interaction with the psychiatric patients. This critique appraisal critically analyzes the journal by Farmer and Davis (2009) with particular emphasis on the relevancy of the research question, appropriateness of the research design, potential methodological biasness as well as the validity of the research findings. Background Building upon the previous researches related to the growing need to ensure healthy interactions between radiographers and psychiatric patients in many Irish hospitals, the researchers sought to investigate the factors which influence the interactions between patients and practitioners in Irish radiographic units. Although the authors did not carry out a literature review for their research study, there are a number of similar studies cited in the work which have immensely contributed to the findings of the research. The failure by the researchers to include a literature review in their study may have however a possible weakness of the research and In addition to the other methodologies used in the research, the authors should have conducted a comprehensive literature review on some of the published materials related to interactions between radiographers and psychiatric patients in hospitals across the republic of Ireland as well as in other regions. Ideally this would have significantly provided the researchers with a good knowledge base and improved the validity of the findings of the study. Trustworthiness of the study In qualitative researches, there are often a number of elements that can influence the dependability and credibility of the study. Some of the main elements related to the trust worthiness of a qualitative research include credibility, dependability, transferability and its conformability (Hoye and Severinsson, 2007, p.67). First and foremost qualitative researches are generally designed to produce trustworthy findings that can support arguments in a particular phenomenon. This is quite different from the quantitative researches which are often largely focused on determining the significance as well as the validity of their findings. With regard to credibility of the study, the authors ensured that their findings are credible by using a number of qualitative techniques. First, the design of research included subjecting the participants to different questions that sought to examine their various perceptions regarding the interactions between diagnostic radiographers and psychiatric patients in the particular Irish hospital. This consequently ensured that their findings were based on a more credible data that effectively supported their grounded theory. The major weakness in the research design was however the fact that the researchers failed to include the psychiatric patients in their choice of interviewees despite the fact that the study sought to explore thoughts and ideas regarding their interactions with radiographers. On the other hand, a good qualitative research should also be transferable. Consequently to enhance the transferability of the study, the two researchers published their research on a peer reviewed journal to make it accessible to other researchers. Additionally in their conclusion, the researchers have also proposed that a larger research that focuses on the entire Republic of Ireland should be undertaken before a final comparative study investigating the phenomenon in the European countries is eventually conducted. These future researchers are expected to use some of the procedures and conclusions made by the two researchers. Lastly the confirmability of this research study can be judged on the context of the degree to which the findings can be corroborated and confirmed by other studies. Generally the researchers have used a number of strategies to enhance the confirmability of their findings. For example they have effectively highlighted some of the limitations of their study and this makes it easier to judge their findings for possible distortion or conformity with the other researches. Methods and research design A qualitative research that explore opinions and thoughts regarding a particular topic of study such as the one which was conducted by the two researchers should have an effectively designed study design that protects against potential biasness while and the same time providing robust findings (Jeanfreau, 2010, p. 615). There are a number of research design strategies that can be used in qualitative researches. For example ethnography as a research design is often used by researchers who seek to carry out research on a particular social group within a particular time. On the other hand, phenomenology is where by the researchers seek to develop a comprehensive understanding of a subjective reality in their own perception. Phenomenology is often largely rooted in philosophy and some of the realities that may be subject to investigations include relationships as well as emotions. Finally grounded theory is where by the research study is designed to provide naturalistic theory and is heavily based in sociological perspectives. Despite the fact that every research design has their positive aspects and drawbacks, the best research design should always focus in addressing the research questions. The authors particularly chose a grounded theory qualitative research design to enable them effectively test their hypotheses regarding diagnostic imaging in Irish hospitals. Consequently the design included the use of semi-structured interviews that were qualitative in nature and were administered on six interviewees. In an attempt to make the study more representatives, the authors used stratified sampling techniques to identify the six interviewees. The clinical choice for the study was a big regional hospital with a psychiatric department attached to it. This selection also ensured that all the radiographers who were interviewed had sufficient interactions with patients suffering from psychiatric illnesses and were therefore able to give accurate information. The researchers then administered structured interviews. Although this type of interviews ensured that the participants only answered questions relevant to the study, it did not give then sufficient room to express information more freely. The authors conducted the interviews themselves using the specified sample of 6 participants. The respondents were individually interviewed and this particularly reduced the likelihood of getting biased answers. Prior to the actual research, a pilot study interview was conducted with one radiographer and some changes were made on the schedule of the main study interview. Lastly, the qualitative data that the researchers obtained from the interviews were thematically analysed through manual means due to the unavailability of computerised data analysis programs at the time. The use of programs such as Wimax would have however significantly saved time as well as enhanced the efficiency of the researchers. Results and analysis A good qualitative research should have a larger size of respondents to improve the reliability and validity of the results. The researchers however argued that their research was unfunded and they also wanted to minimise disruption of the activities at the imaging department during the conduct of their research. With the regard to ethical approval of the study, the authors satisfactorily ensured that their research complied with all the ethical principles as well adhered to the rights of the respondents who participated in the interviews. This was particularly achieved by seeking ethical approval of the study from the relevant authorities and informing the radiographers that their participation in the research was voluntary and they were free to withdraw any time if they wish to do so. Additionally the authors ensured that the identity of the respondents remained anonymous by assigning to them instead of using their real names. Recording of the information obtained from the interviews was done using tapes and Dictaphones which were destroyed after the transcription. This not only ensured accurate analysis of data but also guaranteed the privacy rights of the interviewees. Dictaphones are generally preferred as a way of recording data since they save time and minimize the risk of disruptions during interviews as opposed to taking notes (Coolican, 1994, p.126). Finally the qualitative data that was acquired from the interviews were analysed both manually and the results discussed. The results and conclusions of the research were derived from the responses of the radiographers to the questions posed during the interviews. The authors concluded that confidence and training was a major factor in the interaction between radiographers and psychiatric patients in the Irish hospitals. Conclusion In conclusion, the research on the interactions between radiographers and psychiatric patients carried out by Farmer and Davis (2009) was fairly robust and the phenomenon of study was consistent. The researchers however had a few limitations such as the failure to include a literature review and some of these limitations impacted on the validity and believability of their research findings. References Coolican H.1994. Research methods and statistics in psychology. 2nd ed. London: Hodder & Staughton; pp. 126-130. Curtise K.C & White P. 2005. Qualitative research design and approaches in radiography. Radiography,(11), 217-225. Farmer, A. & Davis, M. 2009. A small scale qualitative study to investigate the interaction between psychiatric patients and diagnostic radiographers in one Irish hospital. European Journal of Radiography, (1), 207-212. Hoye, S., Severinsson. E. (2007). Methodological aspects of rigor in qualitative nursing research on families involved in intensive care units: A literature review. Nursing Health Science., 9,1, 61-68. LoBiondo-Wood,G.& Haber, J. 2006. Nursing Research: Methods, Critical Appraisal for Evidence-Based Practice. (6th ed.). Missouri: Mosby. Jeanfreau, S. G. 2010. Appraising qualitative research in health education : Guidelines for public health educations . National institutes of health,11(5),612-617. Read More