Critique of Research Article - Book Report/Review Example

These issues did not detract from the clarity of the title, which set the main goal in plain terms. c) Abstract: In under 200 words, the major points such as selection methods, population, instruments, e.g "Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF 36)" Suzuki, Ohyama, Yamada and Kanamori (2002), measurements, outcomes and recommendations, were all included. The Abstract explicitly outlined all aspects of the study, and the purpose of researching the problem of fear of falling in elderly people was given in a clear and concise manner that was easy to understand. d) Introduction: A good overview of the literature was given, along with what the study sought to clarify about how fear of falling adversely affected the lives and well-being of many elderly people and the "activities of daily living (ADL), functional disability, and health related quality of life" (Suzuki et al, 2002).

This led into the purpose of the research and expanded the components involved. Studies cited supported the hypothesis, and the research questions led from the evidence and framework in a way that was fluent and easy to understand. The reader could recognize the significance of the problem and the importance of carrying out the research. It posed no problem at this point that no theoretical framework was stated. "The fear of falling can contribute to psychological condition. Though not labeled as a 'problem statement', this did not detract from meaning or understanding, as it was easily inferred from the Introduction, literature review and background of the main researcher.

These points were expanded on in the report and in the final Discussion. f) Statement of Purpose: The purpose was outlined clearly, so there were no doubts about what would be done:"to investigate the relationship between fear of falling and functional disabilityduring daily activities, and the relationship between fear of falling and health-related QOL in potentially housebound and bedridden elderly persons usingDay Service (DS)." (Suzuki et al, 2002)The purpose was explicit, along with the major goals, in the first two sentences of the Abstract, inferring that the study was valid and could usefully contribute to knowledge of service delivery to elderly people.g) Literature Review: References included studies from over 20 years back, up to Suzuki's own recent work in 1999, forming the background for the current research and supporting the hypothesis and research questions.

There were no citations that did not support this research. A reason given was that "In Japanthere have been few reports on fear of falling among the healthy elderly." (Suzuki et al, 2002), implying that more studies were needed.h) Theoretical/Conceptual Framework: This was shown in the Abstract, Introduction and Discussion. The concept that fear of falling led to other problems, what these were, supported by other research findings, was explained in a way that was easy to understand and linked to the purpose, hypothesis and research questions.

The report posed no difficulty in understanding the 'what' 'why' and 'how' of the research.i) Research Design: The METHODS