US Higher Education Research Critique

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Research objectives
Research design
Data collection method
Sample design and size used
General findings or results of project
Limitations author suggested
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Reviewers have a wide range of instruments for criticizing research works. Generally, “the tools raise questions that help the reviewer ascertain the degree of accuracy in the research” (Coughlan, Cronin, and Ryan, 2007, p.660). The questions may be divided into two groups based on their intentions. Some questions seek to determine the credibility of the research, while others seek to determine the integrity of the research. The credibility questions concentrate on determining if the researcher actually qualified for the study. On the other hand, the integrity questions focus on the vigor of the research method. They seek to identify if the researcher observed the established research guidelines. They help to determine the trustworthiness of the research. Using the integrity questions, this paper will criticize research conducted on students’ enrollment at Roosevelt University.

Research objectives

According to Burns and Grove (1999), research objectives ought to establish a connection between the research question and the order in which the research is conducted. Research objectives ought to be clear and precise. Moreover, they should be in line with the information contained in the literature review. In this research, the objective given is clear, understandable, and precise. The researcher was direct in coming up with her research objective. At times, researchers fail to meet the objectives of their research due to the use of ambiguous words or phrases in the research objectives. Whenever there is the use of ambiguous words or phrases in research objectives, it becomes hard for the pollsters to identify the path to take in conducting their study. Eventually, the pollsters fail to come up with accurate research. In this research, the objective is very clear. The words used in stating the objective are clear and unambiguous. Hence, any researcher conducting this study would establish the path to take during the research process upon reading the research objective.

Research design

Research design determines the method of data collection and analysis that research will assume. A research design ought to bring out the proposed plan for the anticipated research. The research design comprises of the research questions, accounts for the data collection and analysis techniques to use during the study, and focuses on the academic framework (Robson, 2002). The research design used in this study was appropriate. The design accounted for a data collection method where the pollsters administered interviews to students and the marketing manager of Roosevelt University. It would be hard for the study to meet its objectives without coming up with a data collection method. The decision to conduct exploratory research gave the pollsters a room to access numerous sources of information to reinforce their study. Moreover, it gave them time to have direct interaction with their research subjects, thus getting firsthand information. If well used, the exploratory research could guide the researcher in conducting her subsequent studies.

The objective of the research is to determine the motivating factor that leads to a high number of students’ enrollment at Roosevelt University, thus leveraging it in the subsequent marketing strategies. The pollster opted to conduct an exploratory research. This gave her an opportunity to interact with students directly thus getting accurate information as to why they prefer the school. Besides using the exploratory research, the selection of research variables was appropriate. Among the research variables selected included student’s personal income, family income, home location, University’s reputation, programs offered in the university, mission statement, tuition, and influence from parents and friends among others. All these variables are the main factors that may influence a student to prefer one university to the others. Consequently, the variables were in line with the objective of the study, which was to determine the factor(s) that influenced the rate of students’ enrollment in Roosevelt University. With all these variables, the pollster was in a position to determine the factors that greatly contributed to the enrollment thus working on improving it.

In spite of the research design being appropriate, still there was room for improvement. The research did not use other secondary sources for information. Hence, to improve on the integrity of the study, the researcher would have used secondary sources. She would have used the existing data that shows the previous trend of enrollment in the university. It would help in supporting her argument thus coming up with a solid conclusion.

Data collection method

Based on the nature of the study, pollsters can use a number of data collection methods during their research. Some of the data collection techniques available to the researchers include questionnaires, interviews, observational technique, and attitude scales (Polit & Beck, 2006). In this study, the researcher opted to use interviews in collecting her data. The good thing with using interviews is that it is flexible. Hence, the researcher can adapt to the capabilities of the interviewees. The research included numerous variables. Moreover, all these variables influenced the students when making decision on which university to join. By using interviews in data collection, the researcher managed to confirm the variable that greatly contributed to a student joining Roosevelt University. Consequently, relative to all other methods of data collection, interview was the most appropriate method for this study.

In addition, colleting data through interviews helps the pollsters come up with a perfect sample of the target population. Therefore, the conclusions made at the end of the study fit the population. Despite the advantages of interview as a method of data collection, it has numerous drawbacks. The method is time consuming, as the pollsters have to interview every participant. In this study, the researcher administered some of her interviews through the Internet while some students received hard copies of the interview. This method undermines the credibility of the findings. As the researcher did not interact directly with the interviewees, it was hard for her to make clarifications on areas that students had challenges. Consequently, chances are high that some students did not respond accurately to the interview thus affecting the results of the study.

Sample design and size used

The adequacy of any research depends on the size of the sample obtained from the target population (Polit & Beck, 2006). It is imperative that the pollsters use an appropriate probability sampling technique to come up with the appropriate sample size (Parahoo, 2006). The sample size is very crucial, as using a small sample for a small population may lead to the researchers not coming up with accurate findings. Coughlan, Cronin, and Ryan (2007) posit, “Researchers should identify the target population and have clear methods of including or excluding the different participants in the selected sample to come up with a sample population” (p.661). Researchers should be clear on the criteria they use in coming up with their sample and give the actual number of the participants (Russell, 2005). One of the limitations of this research was in the sampling design used for the study. The researcher used the snowball effect as one of her techniques of coming up with the sample data. Rather than the pollster coming up with the sample size by herself, she used students to recruit their colleagues into the study. One of the demerits of this method is that there was a high chance that all the students that served as the sample data shared similar characteristics. Hence, the sampling technique was biased thus affecting the outcomes.

Another limitation of the sampling techniques used for this study is that it was hard to tell if the sample size used was large enough to represent the entire population. It is hard to account for the size of the population used in the study. Moreover, the researcher did not use any probability technique in obtaining the sample size. Failure to use a probability technique in selecting the sample size may lead to the researchers obtaining skewed results. It is hard to ascertain the credibility of the outcomes obtained from this study since the sampling method used was poor. According to the survey, only a hundred and four students responded to the interview questions sent to them. Bearing in mind that Roosevelt University is a big institution, this sample size was too small for the university’s population. The researcher targeted any student in the university, implying that the research population comprised of the entire population in the university. The sample used in the study was too small. Hence, it is hard to rely on the research’s findings.

General findings or results of project

In any research study, data analysis is, in most cases, perceived as a scary process. For reliable analysis and results the pollster has to state the statistical tests used in coming up with the results and give clear explanation for using the tests. Often, researchers organize their results in a series based on the research objectives. Such an approach helps in ensuring that the study meets all the objectives (Russell, 2005). When determining the generalizability of the findings, it is imperative to look at the sample size relative to the population. The sample population needs to comprise of at least fifty percent of the participants to ensure that a researcher does not obtain biased results, (Polit & Beck, 2006).

After the research, the pollster managed to identify the various reasons that make students enroll in Roosevelt University. Besides, she managed to arrange all the reasons starting with the most influential to the least influential. To some extent, the research managed to achieve the objective of the study, which was to determine the reasons that lead to students enrolling in Roosevelt University. Nevertheless, the method of data collection used in the study weakens the findings. In spite of the results responding to the research objective, it is hard to ascertain the accuracy of these findings. One of the elements that contribute to the accuracy of the results is the sample size used in the study. In this case, the researcher used a small sample size. The number of students that enroll in Roosevelt University is big relative to the sample size used in this study. Hence, in spite of the pollster coming up with results that address the research objective, the reliability of the results is doubtful.

Limitations author suggested

The quality of research findings depends on the method of research used. Research design, data collection method, and analysis technique used contribute to the quality of results obtained (Bassett & Bassett, 2003). The limitations given by the researcher are the ones that mostly influenced the quality of the findings. Apart from the mistakes in survey design, the method of data collection was also a limitation to the research. Use of snowball effect in collecting data from students may have led to skewed results.

Conclusion

The process of reviewing research entails a thorough assessment of every step of the research process. Research critic is not a disparagement; instead, it is an unfriendly examination of research work. The process uses an objective and balanced approach to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the study thus ascertaining the reliability and trustworthiness of the study. Varied elements of the study are considered when critiquing or reviewing any research study. They include the research objective, research design and method of data collection, sample design, general findings, and the limitations of the study. The research objective(s) acts as the guideline during the research process. One ought to compare the findings with the research objective(s) to tell if the study was successful. The research design influences the quality of the research findings since it dictates on the method of data collection to use, the sample size to use, and the method of data analysis.

References

Bassett, C., & Bassett, J. (2003). Reading and critiquing research. British Journal of Perioperative Nursing, 13(4), 162-164.

Burns, N., & Grove, S. (1999). Understanding Nursing Research (2nd ed.). Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.

Coughlan, M., Cronin, P., & Ryan, F. (2007). Step-by-step guide to critiquing

Research. British Journal of Nursing, 16(11), 658-663.

Parahoo, K. (2006). Nursing Research: Principles, Process and Issues (2nd ed.). Houndmills Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.

Polit, D., & Beck, C. (2006). Essentials of Nursing Care: Methods, Appraisal and Utilization (6th ed.). Philadelphia, USA: Lippincott and Wilkins.

Robson, C. (2002). Real World Research (2nd ed.). Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing.

Russell, C. (2005). Evaluating quantitative research reports. Neplinal Nursing Journal, 32(1), 61-64.

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