- Description
HCS 465 Week 3 Components of a Research Study
As a team, review and select one peer-reviewed article from the Week Two Administrative Health Care Annotated Bibliography assignment. Prior to selecting the article, review the Questions to Prompt Critical Thinking worksheet to ensure you have selected an article that is most appropriate for completing the prompts provided.
Each team member is responsible for reading the research article. In the team forum, discussthe research study and different steps or components addressed in the study.
Complete the Questions to Prompt Critical Thinking worksheet.
Cite the peer-reviewed article you selected for this assignment.
Format your reference section and references used in your prompts according to APA guidelines. Include a title page at the beginning of your worksheet.
Click the Assignment Files tab to submit your assignment.
Questions to Prompt Critical Thinking
Complete the following worksheet. Remember to delete the examples provided as you compose a response to each prompt.
Research Steps
- Define the problem.
- What is the problem identified in your chosen article?
Example: the Ebola outbreak and its prevalence in West African nations
- Why is it a problem?
Example: Ebola is a disease that is contracted from… Its symptoms are… (x) amount of people die each year… This is a problem because…
- What is the problem that the article or study is trying to resolve?
Example: Ebola has spread among the West African people because of… This research seeks to identify solutions that will prevent it from spreading among the African people.
- Why is the problem important for health care administrators to study?
The research article may not identify a specific reason the research is important to health care administrators. That is okay. Write about why a health care administrator would want to study this topic. How could knowledge of this topic help you as a health care administrator?
Example: As an assistant manager of a nursing home, I know that many of the residents have watched the news reports on the Ebola outbreak in Africa and its potential outbreak in the United States. Because I know little about the disease and knowing the concern that the reporting of this disease has brought on the residents of the nursing home, I felt that it was my responsibility to know more about the disease and how to prevent its spread. Providing the residents with this knowledge can go a long way toward calming their fears and enabling them and their caregivers to take measures to prevent any outbreak.
- Identify the purpose.
- What is the purpose of the study?
- What is the author trying to accomplish in this paper?
If the answers to these questions are not expressly stated in the article, consider its entirety and then write what you think the answers are.
Example: The purpose of the study was to create awareness of the Ebola outbreak, to provide statistical data to give an accurate account of the scope of the outbreak, and to identify known methods to minimize exposure, recognize symptoms, and prevent outbreaks.
- What are the study variables?
- What are the independent and dependent study variables?
Independent variables represent ‘inputs’ and can have any value.
Dependent variables represent ‘outputs’ or ‘effects.’
Example: The study collected data that observed changes in the number of people becoming infected by the Ebola virus by varying amounts of education/awareness being facilitated by the American Red Cross. The amount of education/awareness given by the American Red Cross is the independent variable while the number of people who were or were not infected after public awareness efforts is the dependent variable.
- Identify the research question and/or hypothesis.
- Was a research question or hypothesis provided in the article? If so, what? If not, why?
- What was the answer to the research question? Was the hypothesis accepted or rejected?
Example: The initial research question may be: What is the prevalence of Ebola in the West African nations after a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) protocol was implemented? The research explains in depth the living conditions that exist in the West African nations and why the disease is so prevalent. It further identifies and explains existing research conducted by the CDC that confirms the medical community awareness of the disease and established protocol to prevent it. The hypothesis can be: There is no statistically significant difference in Ebola prevalence after the CDC protocol was implemented.
Research Methodology, Design, and Analyses
- Was the research qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods? Explain.
- What population or sample was studied?
- What was the sampling method and type?
- How long did the study take?
- How was the data collected?
- What type of statistical analysis was used?
Example: The research used quantitative data collected by the American Red Cross, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Data collection occurred over a five-year period with help from six West African governments. The data tracked 100 residents from each country and monitored the spread of the disease among the citizens. Data analyses analyzed disease prevalence for decreases. Depending on Ebola prevalence, the research question can be answered. If Ebola prevalence decreased after implementing the CDC protocol, the hypothesis would be rejected.
Findings
- What were the findings?
- Were the research questions or hypotheses addressed?
Conclusion
- What were the recommendations?
- Are the findings relevant to consumers or health care professionals or both?
- How could you as a health care administrator use the information within this article?
Example: The reporting of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa caused global panic, but also brought awareness of its cause and measure that can be taken to prevent its spread. The research conducted… As a health care administrator, I can use the information to…