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, you will 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- (Pediatric Nursing). 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 respond?

To complete this Assignment:

· Complete the two critiques using the appropriate templates.

· Write a 2- to 3-page paper that addresses the following:

· Contrast the types of information that you gained from examining the two different research approaches in the articles that you selected.

• Describe the general advantages      and disadvantages of the two research approaches featured in the articles.      Use examples from the articles for support.
• Formulate a response to the      claim that qualitative research is not real science. Highlight the general      insights that both quantitative and qualitative studies can provide to      researchers. Support your response with references to the Learning      Resources and other credible sources.

· As you complete this Assignment, remember to:

· Submit your paper to Grammarly and SafeAssign through the Walden Writing Center. Based on the Grammarly and SafeAssign reports, revise your paper as necessary.

· Reminder: The School of Nursing requires that all papers submitted include a title page, introduction, summary, and references. The School of Nursing Sample Paper provided at the Walden Writing Center provides an example of those required elements (available from the Walden University website found in this week’s Learning Resources). All papers submitted must use this formatting.

· Combine all three parts of this assignment into one Word document including both critique templates and the narrative with your references. Submit this combined document.

Required Readings

Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2017). Nursing research: Generating and assessing evidence for nursing practice (10th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer.

• Chapter 10, “Rigor and      Validity in Quantitative Research”

This chapter introduces the concept of validity in research and describes the different types of validity that must be addressed. Key threats to validity are also explored.

• Chapter 11, “Specific Types      of Quantitative Research”

This chapter focuses on the specific types of quantitative research that can be selected. The focus is on the purpose of the research rather than the research design. These include such approaches as clinical trials, evaluation research, health services and outcomes research, needs assessments, or replication studies.

Cantrell, M. A. (2011). Demystifying the research process: Understanding a descriptive comparative research design. Pediatric Nursing, 37(4), 188–189.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

The author of this article discusses the primary aspects of a prominent quantitative research design. The article examines the advantages and disadvantages of the design.

Schultz, L. E., Rivers, K. O., & Ratusnik, D. L. (2008). The role of external validity in evidence-based practice for rehabilitation. Rehabilitation Psychology, 53(3), 294–302.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

This article details the results of a study that sought to balance concern for rigor with concern for relevance. The authors of the article derive and determine a rating format for relevance and apply it to cognitive rehabilitation.

Walden University. (n.d.a.). Paper templates. Retrieved July 23, 2012, from http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/57.htm

This resource provides you access to the School of Nursing Sample Paper, which will serve as a template for formatting your papers.

Document: Critique Template for a Qualitative Study (Word document) ATTACHED

Note: You will use this document to complete this week’s Assignment.

Document: Critique Template for a Quantitative Study (Word document) ATTACHED

Note: You will use this document to complete this week’s Assignment.

1. Make sure all of the topics in the case study have been addressed.
2. Cite at least three sources—journal articles, textbooks or evidenced-based websites to support the content.
3. All sources must be within five years.
4. Do not use .com, Wikipedia, or up-to-date, etc., for your sources.

Case Study 1

Structure and Function of the Male Genitourinary System

Mario is a 68-year-old male whose wife died of cancer five years ago. Since her death, he began to eat more fast food and stay at home and watch television. Recently, however, Mario’s friend introduced him to a woman whom he became to like very much. After seeing her a few times, Mario became concerned about his health and went to see his doctor. He noticed a change in his sexual performance when he turned 60 and, after seeing so much on television about erectile dysfunction, was concerned he would experience this with his girlfriend.

1. What factors are present in Mario’s history that predispose him to erectile dysfunction?
2. What condition would you suspect if Mario had a blood test indicating elevated LH and decreased testosterone levels? What effect do low testosterone levels have on the reproductive organs of the male?
3. How do the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems generate erection, emission, and ejaculation?

Case Study 2

Disorders of the Male Genitourinary System

Darius is 63 years old and began to wake up at night to urinate. When he went to the bathroom, he had to strain to initiate the flow, and the stream of urine was weak. Over time, the pattern became more apparent during the day; he often had a sense of urgency and felt he was going to the bathroom frequently. When he did, however, he did not always feel he had emptied his bladder, and he tended to dribble throughout the day. Much to his reluctance, his wife urged him to see a physician. At the doctor’s office, his case history was carefully taken, a digital rectal exam was performed, and lab work was ordered. His blood results were unremarkable, but his urinalysis showed an elevated white blood cell count and bacteria. His physician diagnosed Darius with benign prostatic hyperplasia and urinary tract infection.

1. How does BPH contribute to the signs and symptoms of bladder dysfunction, and how was Darius prone to developing a urinary tract infection?
2. What are the static and dynamic components of BPH? Why are α1-adrenergic receptor blockers sometimes used to treat prostatic hyperplasia?
3. How does the prostate feel during a digital rectal exam with benign prostatic hyperplasia, acute bacterial prostatitis, and prostate cancer?
4. Why does the patient with prostate cancer present with symptoms later in the disease?

Case Study 3

Structure and Function of the Female Reproductive System

Janice is 49 years old, is married, and has two teenage children. Over the last year, her periods tended to be irregular and heavier than usual. She also noticed intercourse was becoming more painful for her, and her interest in sex declined. She knew her mother was 51 when she reached menopause, and Janice was concerned about having the mood swings and hot flashes her mother had experienced. She phoned some of her friends to seek their advice. Some said she should try hormone therapy, while others said it was not a good idea at all. Other friends said she should use remedies like red clover tea and soy isoflavone supplements. Janice decided her best bet was to go to the local women’s health care clinic to discuss her options with a nurse.

1. Using the data collected by the Women’s Health Initiative and the Nurses’ Health Study, why are some women at an increased risk for CHD and others are at a decreased risk when hormone therapy is prescribed?
2. Why are alternative methods like red clover and some plant oils being promoted for the menopausal woman? What are the changes that occur in a woman’s reproductive organs when estrogen levels decline?
3. How does estrogen affect bone growth during puberty? Why are postmenopausal women at risk for osteoporosis?

Case Study 4

Disorders of the Female Reproductive System

Tracie is 39 years old and is in a casual relationship with a man. She had her first sexual relationship when she was 13 and prefers to have short-term sexual relationships with men instead of a monogamous, committed partnership. It had been several years since Tracie had a complete physical, so before going on a vacation, she decided to have one done. Tracie’s Pap smear indicated CIN 3 (HSIL) dysplasia. Her physician immediately ordered a colposcopy and LEEP excision, and then asked to see Tracie for a follow-up appointment 6 months later.

1. Why is cervical cancer considered a sexually transmitted disease?
2. Explain what the Pap smear entails and why it is an effective tool in the detection of cervical cancer. What does Tracie’s result mean?
3. What is the transformation zone, and why is it vulnerable to the development of cervical cancer?
4. What is the LEEP procedure, and why is it useful for the diagnosis and treatment of cervical dysplasia?

To view the Grading Rubric for this Assignment, please visit the Grading Rubrics section of the Course Home.