Casp Qualitative Research Analysis Coursework Example

CASP Qualitative Research Analysis
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Abstract
Research is an essential element of any profession, perhaps more so in the field of psychology. Research not only constitutes the basis for developing and adapting in health care, but it also permits professions to observe important changes, as well. The CASP (Critical Appraisal Skills Program) tools have been developed with the goal of teaching people how to carry out a critical appraisal of different types of evidence. It is worth mentioning that critical appraisal constitutes an important aspect of evidence-based practice (EBP) in the sense that it aims to identify the strengths and possible methodological errors in the literature and provide readers and consumers of research evidence the chance to examine the quality of the said evidence and make informed decisions about it. This paper employs the CASP framework to critically appraise the article by Gustafsson et al. (2003) titled The Use of Information Technology among Young Adults—Experience, Attitudes and Health Beliefs.
Keywords: critical appraisal, research evidence, CASP, evidence-based practice

CASP Qualitative Research Analysis
Research is an extremely important aspect of any profession, perhaps more so in the fields of psychology and health care. Without a doubt, research not only constitutes the basis for developing and adapting in health care, but it also permits professions to observe important changes. This essay employs the CASP (Critical Appraisal Skills Program) framework in critically appraising a research article by Gustafsson et al.

(2003) titled The Use of Information Technology among Young Adults—Experience, Attitudes and Health Beliefs (hereafter referred to as ‘the article’). The main reason for appraising research articles is to be able to gather the sheer volume of information that can be obtained in healthcare settings, as well as to screen out misleading information and low-quality research studies.
The title of the article lucidly explains what the research is about without being excessively broad, using inappropriate words, or divulging the results of the study. The title straightaway informs the reader of the aims of the research without being tedious. The principal aim of a title is to give a synopsis of the content. Therefore, a good title must be simple because a title that is poorly written will tend to deter the reader. Aside from the title, the abstract of the article also clarifies the aim of the research, the methodology employed, as well as the results and the reasoning behind the findings. Everything that has been captured in the abstract is present in the body of the article. Overall, the abstract has been written effectively and summarizes the essence of the article such that the reader is made aware of what to expect.
Gustafsson et al. (2003) clearly identify the aims of their research (both in the abstract and within the text” as, “to explore attitudes, coherence, and health beliefs among young adults, related to their use and experience of information technology.” By keying out the aims, the results of the study and the discussion become easy to interpret and flow smoothly throughout the article. It is worth noting that the aims of research should be written in a simple, non-technical language and should identify the concepts that the research seeks to address. Concise and logical aims enable the reader to grasp what the researchers are seeking to find out, which helps in giving focus to the research.
The researchers have also clearly explained the relevance and importance of research aims. These include the need to identify the conditions and factors related to the use of information technology that influences people's health (both negatively and positively), especially considering the augmented utilization of information technology at work and at school, as well as during leisure time (Gustafsson et al., 2003). By explaining the relevance and importance of the research aims, the reader is able to grasp the concepts behind the study, thereby giving credibility to the aims and supporting their inclusion in the results. The introductory information indicates that the topic has been sufficiently researched, which helps in the formulation of the appropriate aims and research methodology.
The research employs a qualitative approach, which is considered appropriate for this kind of research since the researchers are attempting to comprehend the experiences of, and attitudes towards, information technology among young technology users. The study did not employ statistical analyses. Instead, the researchers looked at the responses of the participants and their subjective experiences concerning the topic. This is consistent with the goal of most qualitative studies, which is to examine the meanings of social phenomena, thereby enabling people to understand people’s actions and the factors that inform such actions. The researchers also use the abstract to identify the method of data analysis as a grounded theory that is based on a constructivist approach, together with the thematic analysis of interviews with twenty-five young IT users aged between 18 and 24 years.
Grounded theory refers to s systematic methodology that entails the formulation of a new theory through the methodical collection and analysis of data. Research studies utilizing the grounded theory often start with a question, or sometimes a compilation of qualitative data. As the researcher examines the gathered data, recurring elements, concepts, or ideas become evident and are tagged using codes that have been derived from the data. With the gathering and reevaluation of more data, the codes can be categorized into concepts, and eventually into groups that then become the basis for a novel theory. Therefore, grounded theory differs from the conventional model of research that often involves the researcher selecting an extant theoretical framework and gathers data to demonstrate whether a specific theory is applicable to the phenomenon being studied.
Gustafsson et al. (2003) analyzed the transcribed interview data using a systematic coding procedure by transforming the crude data into clearly defined codes that identified the events or actions within them. The researchers then sorted the codes into classes and subclasses by constantly comparing them with the crude data where the links between a class and the corresponding subclass were searched. Ultimately, the concepts that re-emerged repeatedly were investigated and in a theoretical core category. Grounded theory was used appropriately in the study in the sense that it led to the creation of a new theory (information technology as a tool for being and acting in the present) that is applicable to real-life situations. The utilization of grounded theory is clear in the research.
The selection of the participants (consisting of twenty-five young students aged between 18 and 24 years) was made through strategic sampling, which no inducements to participate in the study. The researchers selected the participants in a manner that is representative of the different types and degree of IT usage, presently and potentially in their future work (Gustafsson et al., 2003). Strategic sampling is appropriate for both the researchers and the respondents because all participants are young students and, therefore, the conclusions of the study applies to nearly all young adults, who are themselves mostly students. However, the researchers have not considered ethical issues since there is no statement that an ethics committee approved the study or the information about the ethical questions considered regarding the participants.
While no ethical issues concerning participants’ welfare were recorded, the researchers also failed to explain the concepts of informed consent and confidentiality. It can be presumed that the participants gave their informed consent by virtue of their acquiescence to volunteer in the research. The principle of informed consent requires that participants be furnished with sufficient information concerning the research. The researchers analyzed the data adequately using thematic analysis, which utilizes coding in identifying recurring themes in the interviews. Thematic analysis is frequently employed in qualitative research to emphasize persistent feelings, attitudes, and ideas. The researchers placed the recurrent themes in multiple nodes that were linked to the study aims. The results suggest that young adults experienced two diametrical sides of “being social, efficient, and independent” when using technology.
Young adults described nearly unlimited opportunities with regard to IT, but expressed perceptions of risks concerning IT usage. There were no contradictory views among the participants, which points to the need for further research on the experiences, attitudes, and health beliefs of young adults with respect to IT usage.

References
Gustafsson, E., Dellve, L., Edlund, M., & Hagberg, M. (2003). The use of information technology among young adults-experience, attitudes and health beliefs. Applied Ergonomics, 34(6), 565-570.