Elements of Quantitative Research: Design and Sampling: NR 505 Week 3 Discussion
Elements of Quantitative Research: Design and Sampling: NR 505 Week 3 Discussion
The focus of the Week 3 discussion is on two important elements of quantitative research studies- design and sampling. The approach or design, quantitative or qualitative, also applies to EBP projects. Both quantitative and qualitative have different designs or traditions that fall under these two broad categories.
Select a single-study quantitative research study article related to your specialty track and provide the permalink to the article. Then discuss each of the following items.
Identify whether the research study design is experimental, quasiexperimental, or nonexperimental. Provide the rationale for your answer.
Identify the appropriate representation for the research study article you selected using the nomenclature of X for intervention, O for observation and data collection, and R for random a assignment to a research study group.
Identify the type of sampling (probability vs. nonprobability) that was used in the research study article you selected.
Identify one advantage and one disadvantage to the sampling type used (probability vs. nonprobability).
Identify whether there was random assignment to research study groups in the research study article you have selected.
If random assignment to groups was used, how does this strengthen the research study design?
Elements of Quantitative Research: Design and Sampling: NR 505 Week 3 Discussion SAMPLE
I have chosen a single quantitative research study article that explores whether aerobic exercise reduces postpartum depressive symptoms. Throughout this article, we will examine mothers who are less than a year postpartum and women who have depressive symptoms as measured by a questionnaire or diagnostic tool (Pritchett, Daley, & Jolly, 2017). This particular research study is non-experimental in nature since there is intervention but no control over whether or not these postpartum moms exercise or how much they exercise; they must rely on what they report doing and the intensity of their activity.
The intervention consisted of multiple trial groups, each of which comprised group exercise interventions, exercise counseling, and the participants freedom to pick their own style of exercise (Pritchett, Daley, & Jolly, 2017).
They aimed for about 30 minutes of moderate activity three to five times a week. The purpose of this observation/data collection was
Elements of Quantitative Research Design and Sampling NR 505 Week 3 Discussion
to determine whether exercise has an effect in reducing depressed symptoms in postpartum women. Overall, the study discovered that exercise is a highly effective treatment for postpartum depression. The random assignments included women who chose their own activity, women allocated to exercise groups, and women who got exercise counseling (Pritchett, Daley, & Jolly, 2017).
When weighing probability vs. non-probability for this article, I would choose non-probability because this study is limited to postpartum women, and thus not all postpartum women who are one year postpartum would qualify for this study. When not every person of the population has the same chance of being included in the study, this is called non-probability. This study is limited to women who are less than a year postpartum.
A benefit of employing non-probability is that the population investigated is restricted to women who are one year postpartum. The drawback is that in some women, postpartum depression might linger longer than a year after delivering. As a result, these ladies are omitted from the study.
This study employed a random assignment to place women in a group, receive counseling, or choose their own exercise. This can help strengthen the study by focusing on the area that was most effective, whether it was group activity, individualized exercise, or counseling regarding exercise.
Pritchett, R. V., Daley, A. J., & Jolly, K. (2017). Does aerobic exercise reduce postpartum depressive symptoms? British Journal of General Practice, 67.
SAMPLE RESPONSE
Thank you for your informative and interesting post. While reading it, I had many light bulbs light up of different ways or many other ways to conduct this type of research. Today technology plays a huge role in fitness. A better way that one could keep track of the actual amount of time spent doing exercise instead of simply relying on good faith is having the postpartum mothers wear a fit bit or some other type of smart watch that can keep track of data such as exercise, steps, and heart rate. If I was the one that set up this research study, I would have improved the EBP proposal because science has already established that exercise reduces cortisol and released endorphins. I would have compared exercise to pharmacological interventions to prove which may be more beneficial in the long run. In addition, for the sample that is used, I feel that the guidelines need to be more specific because from just after delivery to one year a lot can change and some women cannot begin physical activity right away due to c-sections which may put those women at a disadvantage.
Thank you
