Evaluation of Research

Evaluation of Research Methods
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Evaluation of Research Methods
The paper analyses two studies: Hypothalamic—Pituitary— Adrenal Axis Dysregulation in Women With Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Response to Acute Physical Stress” by Fitzgerald, Kehoe, and Sinha and the Schizophrenia and Violence Accepting and Forsaking by Rice. It looks at the research designs in use and their appropriateness for the studies concerned. The outcomes of the analysis illuminate that despite researcher’s willingness to yield accurate information during research processes, the researcher is always bound by the nature of the research, time budgetary constraints and ethical considerations.
Analysis of the Quantitative research design
The study by Fitzgerald, Kehoe, and Sinha (2009), followed the approach of a quantitative design process. The quantitative design was selected as it was the most suitable for getting a statistically reliable result depending on the outcomes of the process. The quantitative research process involves standards of manipulating the independent variables and thus the abilities to generate data that can be analyzed statistically. Its system of scientific measurements follows direct ratio based or interval measures. In fact, the quantitative approach of study provides a framework upon which “true scientific” outcomes can be realized. Notably, the research design played an instrumental role in yielding values that could be put into use throughout the study to help justify its consequences.

One of the benefits of the research was its ability to monitor all the applied interventions. The process of monitoring implied that the quantitative research design was appropriate as its outcomes could be easily confirmed for accuracy and reliability. Besides, the research process offered a platform that could provide relevant communication regarding any form of bias or generalization that could affect the outcomes of the study process. Random methods of selection were also appropriate because the research process aimed at generating the actual picture that affects women when they experience irritation due to physical stress. Besides, the quantitative approach of the study was the only way in which the researcher could yield accurate and reliable results while eliminating bias. Moreover, the applications of Structured Interviewed Questions played instrumental roles in facilitating the analysis of stress symptoms amongst patients. The use of appropriate research controls provided a viable framework in which the outcomes of the process would conduct assessments on the stress levels of the patients.
Unfortunately, the research design was faulty in various aspects. Despite being the most appropriate for the study, Fitzgerald, Kehoe, and Sinha (2009), failed when it came to the selection of the participants. The total population involved in the study process was too small to formulate an opinion regarding the cause of irritation amongst women who experience Hypothalamic-Pituitary adrenal axis when responding to physical stress. Ideally, a higher (N) value for experimental purposes would be ideal for yielding informed outputs out of the process. Nonetheless, the study approach was able to combine the relevant data using a rigorous design testing method to ensure that the results applied to the study.
Although not mentioned, it is evident that budgetary constraints, time, and data collection processes did not deter the researchers from realizing their objectives. The sample size was a hindering element. However, it did not affect the outcomes of the research process. Poor selection processes that are appropriate for quantitative research designs may adversely compromise the research process. Thus, future researchers may consider the outcomes of the selection process and the small number of participants in the study to ensure that the process yields better outcomes of quantitative research processes.
Analysis of the Qualitative Design study
The study by Rice on violence amongst women who have schizophrenia employed a qualitative design approach. Qualitative design approaches have been applauded for their abilities to yield accurate data that is easy to verify and audit. Tashakkori and Teddlie (2010) posit that the credibility of qualitative research designs is dependent on the engagement of the respondents and the audit trails applied to ensure that the results yielded are accurate and represent the facet of the instances evaluated. The research design process has previously been blamed for its complacency and subjectivity to generalization. The fact that it deals with human behavior implies that it is easy to manipulate its outcomes. In the case of the study, analyzing the incidences of violence for women who have schizophrenia, it is evident the process would only work with a research process that can foster the standardization of data for purposes of statistical comparisons and flexibility.
Rice demonstrated professionalism and comprehensive knowledge of the study as a detailed description whereby two perspectives of the research fostered the implementation of integrative analyses. Often, a majority of qualitative researches derive their justification and backup from the results of literature reviews, which help in the assessment of what previous scholars identified (Bryman, 2015). However, when complemented with alternative methods of data gathering such as interviewing, it emerges that the outcomes represent the actual situation under investigation. Besides, the study by Rice also applied a variety of theoretical models, all of which were instrumental in validating the outcomes of the research, and hence guarantees the integrity of the study.
Ritchie, Lewis, Nicholls, and Ormston (2013), emphasize that a reliable qualitative research process must adopt a naturalistic observation form such as ethnography or structured interviews. Rice employed the use of interviews, which implied that the firsthand information was instrumental in the formulation of opinions regarding violence amongst women who have schizophrenia. The researcher documented the views, pain points, behaviors, and changes in patterns that have an impact on the outcomes of the formulated opinions of the research process. The nature of the research also implied that it would be difficult to subject the participants to experimental procedures. Thus, the formulated opinions on the subject matter are products of rigorous and intensive analyses of the interview information and reports given from interviewees who are the subjects of the research process. The validation of the process may be a challenging task. However, the statistical power of the research process was more reliable given the number of studies analyzed and cases interviewed to ascertain the violence incidences amongst women who have schizophrenia.
Conclusion
A researcher takes into account several factors before settling for a particular research design. By selecting the appropriate type of research method, the researcher takes into consideration a variety of factors, which have an impact on the results of a study. Accordingly, a researcher will be interested in identifying whether the research design will yield questions that are appropriate to the research framework and take into consideration time and budgetary constraints. Ethical considerations must also be considered as a research process ought to demonstrate its capacities to protect the identities of those affected. Finally, because experiments may prompt compromises and generalizations, the researcher should foster to minimize them to ensure that the outcomes of the study remain realistic.

References
Bryman, A. (2015). Social research methods. Oxford university press
Fitzgerald, L. Z., Kehoe, P., & Sinha, K. (2009). Hypothalamic—Pituitary—Adrenal Axis Dysregulation in Women With Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Response to Acute Physical Stress. Western Journal of nursing research, 31(7), 818-836.
Rice, E. (2009). Schizophrenia and violence: accepting and forsaking. Qualitative health research, 19(6), 840-849.
Ritchie, J., Lewis, J., Nicholls, C. M., & Ormston, R. (Eds.). (2013). Qualitative research practice: A guide for social science students and researchers. Sage.
Tashakkori, A., & Teddlie, C. (Eds.). (2010). Sage handbook of mixed methods in social & behavioral research. Sage.