Yay! I was excited this week because this is the section that, in the past, I would jump to and read anyways. Not surprisingly, this section requires a more in-depth look than what my unpracticed eye has been used to.
Part A
1. What are the similarities and differences in the discussion/conclusion section of a qualitative and quantitative research report?
I do recognize that learning really isn’t demonstrated by simple repetition and rote, but the answer to this question is really most concisely and clearly portrayed in Figure 14.1 in Plano-Clark and Creswell, 2015, p. 472. So I have chosen to adapt the format and reproduce that information here as I don’t think that I could present it any clearer.
Part B
2. Discuss your evaluation of the quality of the discussion/conclusion section of the servant leadership article chosen.
The article I chose this week was “The Impact of Servant Leadership Dimensions on Leader-member Exchange Among Health Care Professionals” authored by Hanse, Harlin, Jarebrant, Ulin, and Winkel in 2016. The evaluation is represented in Table 1. I do recognize that as a student there is value to expanding my scope of knowledge beyond my own personal environment and expect to do so, but right now I am drawn to the articles that are in the health care setting because that is where I lead for over 40 hours per week and where I have spent the last 30 years of my life working.
As I stated in my last blog I am finding it somewhat alarming that my more recent evaluations have overall higher ratings that my initial evaluations. I suspect that this is related to my ability to identify the criteria more easily rather than the actual quality of the research, however, if I am able to find time after the completion of this course I want to go back and test that theory.
Table 1
Part C
As I have mentioned in earlier blogs this is the section that I have typically jumped to when reviewing articles relevant to my practice. As a clinician, the most important aspects to me as a reader are the conclusions and the implications for practice. However, based on the learning over the last number of weeks I realize now that I need to pay attention to the research in its entirety and think critically when reading. Specific to the discussion/conclusion section I am not used to looking for the justification for the interpretation or the rationale for the practice implications. I need to start looking for this information in addition to practicing the other critical thinking skills that have been identified in earlier posts. As I conceptualize and implement what I have learned from this course it is immediately applicable to my work context and current leadership experience.
The only outstanding question I have about this section, which I recognize isn’t entirely related to this section, is the purpose of a study. I do recognize that there is value in being able to reproduce the findings of another researcher, but I recognized this week that I have always assumed or had a preconceived idea that “good” research extends beyond past research and adds to the body of knowledge in that area. I am no longer confident that this idea is valid, but there is a part of me that still thinks that the most valuable research will not only support previous studies, but will also expand knowledge in that area of study. So my closing questions are: do you also place a higher value on research that appears to answer new questions in the field? Do you think that research that doesn’t answer new questions, or is inconclusive is less valuable?
References
Hanse, J.J., Harlin, U., Jarebrant, C., Ulin, K., & Winkel, J. (2016). The impact of servant leadership dimensions on leader-member exchange among health care professions. Journal of Nursing Management, 24, 228-234.
Plano-Clark, V. & Creswell, J. (2015). Understanding research: A consumer’s guide (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.