As you learned in previous weeks, alignment means that a research study possesses clear and logical connections among all of its various components. In addition to considering alignment, qualitative researchers must also consider the ethical implications of their design choice, including, for example, what their choice means for participant recruitment, procedures, and privacy.

For this Discussion, you will evaluate qualitative research questions in assigned journal articles in your discipline and consider the alignment of theory, problem, purpose, research questions, and design. You will also identify the type of qualitative research design or approach the authors used and explain how it was implemented. Narrative, ethnographic, grounded theory, case study, and phenomenology are examples of types of research designs or approaches used in qualitative research.

With these thoughts in mind, refer to the Journal Articles document for your assigned articles for this Discussion. 

Article A:

Dale, C. M., Angus, J. E., Seto Nielsen, L., Kramer-Kile, M., Pritlove, C., Lapum, J., . . . Clark, A. (2015). “I’m no Superman”: Understanding diabetic men, masculinity, and cardiac rehabilitation. Qualitative Health Research, 25(12), 1648–1661. doi:10.1177/1049732314566323

Write a 1-2pg. critique of the research study in which you:

1. Evaluate the research questions and hypotheses.

   The Research Questions and Hypotheses Checklist serves as a guide for your evaluation. Please do not respond to the checklist in a Yes/No format in writing your paper.

2. Identify the type of qualitative research approach used and explain how the researchers implemented the design.
3. Analyze alignment among the theoretical or conceptual framework, problem, purpose, research questions, and design.

Be sure to support your Main Issue Post and Response Post with reference to the week’s Learning Resources and other scholarly evidence in APA Style.

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Use the following criteria to evaluate an author’s research questions and/or
hypotheses.

Look for indications of the following:

• Is the research question(s) a logical extension of the purpose of the
study?

• Does the research question(s) reflect the best question to address the
problem?

• Does the research question(s) align with the design of the study?

• Does the research question(s) align with the method identified for
collecting data?

If the study is qualitative, does the research question(s) do as follows?

• Relate the central question to the qualitative approach

• Begin with What or How (not Why)

• Focus on a single phenomenon

• Use exploratory verbs

• Use nondirectional language

• Use an open-ended format

• Specify the participants and research site

If the study is quantitative:

• Do the descriptive questions seek to describe responses to major
variables?

• Do the inferential questions seek to compare groups or relate variables?

• Do the inferential questions follow from a theory?

• Are the variables positioned consistently from independent/predictor to
dependent/outcome in the inferential questions?

• Is a null and/or alternative hypothesis provided as a predictive statement?

Research Theory, Design, and Methods Walden University

© 2016 Laureate Education, Inc. Page 2 of 2

• Is the hypothesis consistent with its respective research question?

• Does the question(s) and/or hypothesis specify the participants and
research site?

If the study is mixed methods, do the research questions and/or hypotheses do
the following?

• Include the characteristics of a good qualitative research question (as
listed above)

• Include the characteristics of a good quantitative research and/or
hypothesis (as listed above)

• Indicate how the researcher will mix or integrate the two approaches of the
study

• Specify the participants and research site

• Convey the overall intent of the study that calls for a mixed methods
approach

Research Questions and Hypotheses Checklist