Research Critique
The title of the research article “This Too Shall Pass: A Grounded Theory Study of Filipino Cancer Survivorship” is an appropriate one for the paper because it captures the key phenomenon under study. Moreover, the title also mentions the group of people under study. Therefore, in terms of appropriateness, I would say the title is appropriate.
Taking a look at the introduction, the researchers did good job in giving an overview of the worldwide prevalence of cancer and also gave a good definition of cancer survivorship. However, after going through that section, one cannot really point to a clearly stated Statement of the problem. Although, the researchers stated that they sought to formulate a theoretical model which would explain the survivorship as it occurs in the test subjects. I see this more as a form of justification for the study than a statement of the problem. However, the study has immense significance for the field of nursing because this study on what cancer survivors go through would go a long way in enhancing the knowledge of nurses and would no doubt guide them in the process of caring for cancer survivors. Although, it should also be pointed out that it is difficult to generalize conclusions of qualitative research. Therefore, looking at this section, I would say that the statement of the problem is incomplete because it was not stated in an unambiguous manner.
Although the literature review was not extensive, it nevertheless defined in detail some of the concepts on which the paper is based. The concept of cancer survivorship was extensively defined, among other things. Therefore, the literature review was sufficient to provide a good ground for undergoing the study. It would not be out of place to say that the literature review was adequate.
The researchers gave a detailed account of how the data collected was manipulated till the results were arrived at. The mode of analysis was similar to what obtains in previous researches; it was also compatible with the type and the nature of the data that was obtained from the subjects. Moreover, the process of analysis does not suggest that any form of biases were encountered by the researchers in the course of analyzing the results.
Moreover, the researchers made an effort to present the research findings in a concise form. However, I would say that the findings were very extensive.
The themes discussed were apt in capturing the essence of the data collected from the subjects. It also appears as if the project was able to capture the concepts explained by the themes and also the patterns recognized in the collected data. To cap it, I would say that the analysis provided a comprehensible picture of the concepts under investigation.
A logical connection was established among the themes discussed and the researchers made an effort to integrate these themes into a whole. The researchers also made use of tables to summarize the concepts which made the results more understandable.
The researchers made an effort to interpret the findings of the study within the framework of previous studies done on similar subjects since prior works have not been on the topical issue. The study's limitation of difficulty in comparing with previous studies makes the interpretation of the results a little unstable. Therefore, it remains to be seen if transferability of the findings of this study can be guaranteed.
In the area of protection of participants' rights, the researchers ensured that the aim and objectives of the research was explained to the research subjects in detail and the subjects were made to sign consent forms to show that they agree to willingly participate the research. The researchers also offered the test subjects to choose a location and time for the interview to take place. Looking at the efforts of the researchers, one might be quick to commend the effort at safeguarding the rights of the participants. However, taking a closer look, one would notice that there was no mention of any time where the test subjects were told that they could decide not to participate in the research any longer. Also, there was no mention of any of the subjects who decided not to go on with the research. Therefore, I would conclude that all ethical principles were not adhered to in the course of doing this research.
The report was well written although the tone of the paper suggests that English language is not the primary language of the researchers. Nevertheless, a lot of effort was made to organize the paper in a logical manner. The description of the methodology of the research is also detailed. Confidence in the results and its interpretation is above average. The truth value of the result is also acceptable. Over and above all, the study contributed immensely to the body of nursing knowledge.
REFERENCES
A de Guzman et al (2013). This Too Shall Pass: A Grounded Theory Study of Filipino Cancer Survivorship. Journal of Holistic Nursing. Volume 31 Number 1. doi 10.1177/0898010112462066
Allan, G. W. (2003). A Critique of Using Grounded Theory as a Research Method. Electronic Journal of Business Research Methods, 2, 1-10.
