Critique of Selected Journals Using CASP Tool - Annotated Bibliography Example

Critique of Selected Journals Using CASP Tool CASP Questions Qualitative Journal 1051886 (6) Wilkins, 2006; Paper 6 Wilkins C. (2006) A qualitative study exploring the support needs of first-time mothers on their journey towards intuitive parenting. Midwifrey Journal. 22, 169-180. 1. Was there a clear statement of aims of the research? Yes. The Research has a clear statement of aims and objective. The goal of the research was to understand how the care and support availed by professionals in healthcare is viewed by mothers who have delivered and their caregivers. This study is of relevance as it aims to bridge the gap between knowledge and practice. The study also is of importance as it may append to the body of existing knowledge; reveal any emerging perspective in mothers post delivery. This is possible through the exploration of their experiences and emotional state in the weeks following delivery. According to Darvill, Skirton & Farrand (2010) an in depth understanding of these women’s perceptions would serve to enable midwives and health practitioners further understand what women go through at this time and develop appropriate supportive strategies that would make the transition into motherhood easier especially for new mothers. Results of this study may also assist midwives and practitioners in developing new approaches to care of first time mothers. 2. Is a qualitative methodology appropriate? Qualitative methodology is the most appropriate for this study. According to Baker (2006), in a qualitative research, the researcher aims to relate subjective experiences and perceptions. Critiquing this methodology is of importance as the data collected and analysed is of scientific importance. The methodology used is the best at explaining the aims of the study. That is, explaining the expectations that first time mothers have of their midwives and healthcare practitioners. It is therefore important that the journal is further scrutinized. 3. Was the research design appropriate to address the aims of the research? The research design was appropriate for this study. The researcher explains that the study utilized a grounded theory approach that is a qualitative or systematic data collection and analysis method. This, the researcher explains, would allow him or her to understand the first time mothers, their experiences and their view of the world. The researcher uses existing literature to verify, dispute and further explain the themes (Bailey, 2010). 4. Was the recruitment strategy appropriate to the aims of the research? The research explains how recruitment was done. He or she explains that community midwives were involved. They approached women seeking postnatal care and explained the study. They were required to only recruit women who had given birth to their first child, normally or virginally. Those who had undergone caesarian section and those who had had other children were excluded from the study. Women of different ages and professional status were identified and asked to confirm, refute or give alternative professional view regarding the sampling procedure. The researcher explains that this exclusion was to minimize bias that would occur because women who had had other children may add other dimensions to the study. These new dimensions may not fit with the research question, aims and objectives intended for this study. Recruitment was done twice. The second group of women was recruited using the same criteria as the first. The women approached and recruited agreed to participate but later one woman cancelled. 5. Were data collected in a way that addresses the research issue? The setting was an area south of England with a maternity service whose capacity is about 6,000 women per year. The recruited women were interviewed 6 weeks post delivery. Langwith explains the rationale behind this is that postpartum depression (PPD) occurred during this period (2012). The interviews were carried out using tape recorders and the women’s feelings and emotions were discussed. These interviews took place at home and lasted about 1 hour each. The setting was appropriate as these women had been discharged and were possibly recuperating at home. Open-ended questionnaires were also used and women were asked to describe what they were experiencing. Researcher explains that there were modifications to the questions because there was need to accommodate emerging themes that he or she had not planned for. The order of questions asked was determined by the progress of the interview and the participants’ responses. The saturation of data was also discussed. The researcher explains that saturation of categories occurred when no new concept of importance to the developing theory was forthcoming. The final sample for this study was 8 women. 6. Has the relationship between the researcher and the participants been adequately considered? The emerging relationship between the researcher and participant was not discussed. It seems that the researcher did not see the importance of considering their role in the study and the possibility of observer’s bias. Nowhere in the study does the researcher consider the possibility of bias. The effects that the changes in data collection -in terms of altered questionnaire- would have on the results are not considered. 7. Have ethical issues been taken into consideration? The researcher claims that ethical approval was sought and gained from the local Research Ethics Committee. This is rather vague and it is hard to assess whether ethical standards were maintained throughout the study. Further, the researcher only explains that the participants chosen had to be over the age of 18 years to avoid ethical obligations related to parental consent and approval. The introductory letters explaining the study and its purpose were distributed to be read and signed by potential participants. These women were later contacted and interviewed. 8. Was data analysis sufficiently rigorous? This process was explicitly explained. The techniques used were clearly described. For example, the researcher explains the use and processes of coding. Firstly, open coding was used to examine transcripts and assess recurring concepts. Axial coding used to establish relationship between the categories and concepts and selective coding to further modify categories. Thematic sequence was used in analysis. Every theme was explained explicitly. The results were presented in table and diagram forms. Researcher realizes that the sample size was very small and consisted of little diversity in terms of ethnicity and socio economic status. 9. Is there a clear statement of finding? The results are well explained with conflicts brought forward, discussed and further explained. For example the issue of including caesarian section women in study to widen the perspective is discussed. However, the researcher supports the exclusion of these women justifying that the experiences of the women interviewed in the research is reflective of that in the wider population and hence no need to include women who had caesarian section delivery. The credibility of the research is discussed and researcher explains that they cannot guarantee that the results would be applicable to the general population, as the sample size may not result in significance of the findings. 10. How valuable is the research? Researcher claims that this study is of significance as it would add to the existing knowledge in clinical settings. He or she mentions that findings may not be representative of the population given the size of the sample. The findings may however be reflective to some degree of what happens in other populations and may be replicated Word: 1199 CASP Questions Qualitative Letourneau et al 2007; Paper 8 Letourneau N, Duffet-Leger L, Stewart M, Hegadoren K, Rinaldi C. M, Stoppard J (2007) Canadian Mothers’ Perceive Support Needs During Postpartum Depression Joggin Clinical Research 1. Was there a clear statement of aims of the research? Yes. The goal of the research was clearly stated. The researcher aimed to assess the support needs, available resources, and barriers to the access of these resources and preferences for support intervention from the perspective women suffering from PPD (Nicole et al, 2007). This study is of relevance in healthcare as PPD has been shown to cause maternal death yet it goes unreported in many cases. 2. Is a qualitative methodology appropriate? Yes. Qualitative data collection methodology is appropriate as the study sought to collect data on perspectives and preferences (Hennink, Hutter & Bailey, 2011). The research seeks to study the perceptions of mothers regarding the support and resources availed to them postpartum and how these are related to the development of postpartum depression among Canadian women who had just had their first child. These are subjective experiences. This is an interesting study and worth critiquing. 3. Was the research design appropriate to address the aims of the research? Yes. It can be deduced that the research design is suitable in this case. The researcher does not explain his or her choice of qualitative methodology. However, this methodology is appropriate in this case as researcher seeks to explain relationships between variables (Nicole et al, 2007). The design was appropriate as it answered the questions of “who”, “what” and “where”. That is the “women”, “their perceptions” and “Canada” respectively. 4. Was the recruitment strategy appropriate to the aims of the research? Yes. The strategy employed was appropriate for the study’s aims. The researcher clearly explains the criteria used to select the participants. The sampling is done using a combination of two sampling methods; convenience and purposive sampling. The research considers two cities; Alberta (AB) and New Brunswick (NB). The sample sizes for these two cities were n=24 and n=17 respectively, to complete individual interviews and a sub sample of n=5 and n=6 respectively who completed group interviews. There was the use of media to advertise for participants to be recruited for the study. These advertisements were also placed in print, psychiatrist and psychology offices. The eligibility criteria were well explained; eligible women were those whose PPD experience was within 2 years of the study. However, there were no indications that some participants declined to participate or opted out of the study (Nicole et al, 2007). 5. Were data collected in a way that addresses the research issue? Yes. The data collection was done appropriately to address the research question. The question was to determine whether mothers’ perception of support needs was related to postpartum depression. The setting was justified by the researcher. Data was collected from 2 provinces in Canada; one rural-AB-and the other urban-NB-. The urban province population was higher and more diverse than the rural setting. Qualitative, semi-structured individual interview guide was used to collect data from postpartum women. The method used is well explained. The research applied the use of Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) as well as a demographic inventory. According to Cox & Holden (2003) the choice of EPDS was justified; the researcher explained that this would give be useful in giving scores to maternal moods and was graded 0-30. Researcher further explains that in-depth interviews were conducted from participants’ homes. The process is explicitly explained; tape recording to be transcribed and analysed (Nicole et al, 2007). There is no discussion on the saturation of data in this study. 6. Has the relationship between the researcher and the participants been adequately considered? Yes. The research clearly considered issues of bias in this research. This was explained clearly. There is clear explanation about the selection criteria; women selected need to have experienced PPD within 2 years of the study. This is to minimize recall bias and to utilize memory of recent events. Other than this measure, researcher does not indicate whether they controlled for bias in formulation of research question. 7. Have ethical issues been taken into consideration? It is impossible to tell whether ethical approval was sought. The research offered limited information regarding ethical approval and participant awareness regarding the research. There is no indication as to whether the participants were made aware of the research purpose and whether they gave consent. The research vaguely mentions that research approval was obtained for research but doesn’t state from whom. There is no indication as to whether the researcher discussed confidentiality and consent issues with the participants. 8. Was data analysis sufficiently rigorous? There is in-depth description of the data analysis procedure (Nicole et al, 2007). Research clearly explains the methods used to analyze the data collected and what they can be further interpreted and applied. That is, the researcher goes to length to discuss how tape recorder was transcribed, the technique used and how the content was analyzed thematically to explain the data. Researcher does not explain whether the data collected was selected from the original sample and leaves it up to the reader to deduce. 9. Is there a clear statement of finding? The findings were explicitly explained. There are discussions of the evidence are for the stated research questions and not against the research objectives and aims. There are no discussions regarding the validity of the data collected, neither does the researcher mention whether the results would be applicable to the population. The findings were discussed as per the research questions as the researcher gives insight on post delivery women’s support needs, resources, barriers and preferences regarding support intervention and how there relate to PPD (Nicole et al, 2007). 10. How valuable is the research? The researcher does not mention the role that this research would play to science and knowledge in general. There are no discussions on whether the results would be used in other populations. Words: 997 CASP Questions (Quantitative) Dennis & Letourneau 2007; Paper 3 Dennis C and Letourneau N (2007) Global and relationship-specific perceptions of support and the development of postpartum depressive symptomatology. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol (2007) 42:389-395 1. Did the study ask a clearly focused question? Can’t tell It is hard to tell whether there is a clearly focused research question. However, the researcher states that it is unknown whether the interventions targeting maternal perceptions of global support are beneficial in preventing PPD than those that target relation-specific perception of support. 2. Was this a RTC and was it appropriately so? This was a randomised controlled trial and appropriately so as the researcher divided the participants into 2 groups to tackle objective 2 (Predicting PPD) (Jadad, Jadad & Enkin, 2007). The group with women who had experience PPD was the intervention group while that which had women who had not experienced PPD was the control. This approach was appropriate as researcher sought to determine the relationships between global support and PPD as well as relation-specific support and PPD at 1 week and 8 weeks post delivery. 3. Were participants appropriately allocated to intervention and control groups? Was the process truly random? EPDS was used on women 8 weeks postpartum to allocate women to depressive and non-depressive groups. The process appears to be truly random as participants were grouped as they presented at 1 and 8 weeks postpartum. The method of randomisation was not described in detail. The EPDS was used in that, women with scores >12 on EPDS were allocated to depressive group and those with EPDS Read More