Critique of a Quantitative Study

Grossman, Chaloupka & Sirtalan (1995) conducted a study in which they examined alcohol addiction. This empirical research was carried out to review and enhance the empirical literature regarding sensitivity to alcohol consumption and extreme consumption to variations in prices of alcoholic beverages. These researchers based their study on a model of rational addictive behavior that focuses on the link between past, current, and future consumption of a potentially addictive product. The study found that alcohol consumption among young adults is addictive on the basis that increases in past or future consumption contributes to an increase in current consumption. This paper provides a review and critique of this study based on its structure and content and the recommended content sections of a research study.

Elements Influencing the Believability of the Research
Is the report well written - concise, grammatically correct, avoid the use of jargon? Is it well laid out and organized?
The research article is well written using concise and grammatically correct language. Additionally, the researchers have avoided the use of jargon, which helps in improving readers’ understanding of the report. However, the report lacks a proper structure since some of its sections are not labeled or specified. The researchers did not follow the recommended content of sections for a research study by failing to specify the various segments in the article.
Does the researcher(s') qualifications/position indicate a degree of knowledge in this particular field?
The author’s qualifications/positions demonstrate some level of knowledge relating to the research issue. The complex nature of the research issue requires different perspectives for analysis, which makes the authors’ qualifications suitable for the study and particular field.
Is the title clear, accurate and unambiguous?
The title of this research report is clear and unambiguous since it shows the specific topic that will be studied and the method to be employed by the researchers i.e. empirical analysis.
Does the abstract offer a clear overview of the study including the research problem, sample, methodology, finding and recommendations?
The abstract provides a clear overview of the research by including the phenomenon under investigation, sample size, and methodology to be employed in examining the research issue. However, the researchers do not state their recommendations in the abstract segment though they clearly state the study’s findings.
Elements Influencing the Robustness of the Research
Is the purpose of the study/research problem clearly identified?
The purpose of the study is not only stated in the Abstract but also clearly identified immediately after the Literature Review section. Through the clear identification of the purpose of the study, its easy for the reader to identify the research problem.
Does the research report follow the steps of the research process in a logical manner? Do these steps naturally flow and are the links clear?
Since the researchers did not specify the various segments in this study, the report does not follow the steps of the research process in a logical manner. As a result, it lacks flow and confusing because some of the segments are placed in the wrong place such as study variables, which are included in the data analyses section.
Is the review logically organized? Does it offer a balanced critical analysis of the literature? Is the majority of the literature of recent origin? Is it mainly from primary sources and of an empirical nature?
While the review of literature is logically organized in this study, the researchers primarily focused on analyzing literature relating to the proposed model that acts as the theoretical foundation or framework for the study. The researchers did not review literature relating to the research issue, but primarily focused on how the theoretical model of addictive behavior explains individual’s behavior from a rational perspective. Even though this review was based on primary sources, it did not focus on earlier studies carried out on the phenomenon under investigation. Additionally, the literature review segment is not clearly identified but included as part of the introductory segment of the research report.
Has a conceptual or theoretical framework been identified? Is the framework adequately described? Is the framework appropriate?
Based on a review of literature relating to the proposed model to be included in the study, the theoretical framework for the study has been identified. This framework is sufficiently described and suitable for the research since its used in other studies that examine addiction, particularly cigarette smoking addiction.
Have aims and objectives, a research question or hypothesis been identified? If so are they clearly stated? Do they reflect the information presented in the literature review?
While the aims of the study are clearly identified, the researchers did not state the research objectives and research question or hypothesis. The failure to specify the research question makes it relatively difficult to determine the specific issue that guides the study. Therefore, they do not reflect the information provided in the review of literature, which focuses on examining the proposed theoretical framework for the study.
Has the target population been clearly identified? How were the sample selected? Was it a probability or non-probability sample? Is it of adequate size? Are the inclusion/exclusion criteria clearly identified?
The target population has been clearly identified i.e. young adults aged between 17 and 27 years since prevalence of alcohol dependence and abuse is high within this age range. The sample was selected from a national representative sample of between 15,000 and 19,000 high school seniors Grossman, Chaloupka & Sirtalan (1995). The sample was selected randomly and was of adequate size since it was large enough and suitable for the issue under investigation. However, the researchers did not specify the inclusion/exclusion criteria since they relied on a sample from Monitoring the Future research program by the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research.
Were the participants fully informed about the nature of the research? Was the autonomy/ confidentiality of the participants guaranteed? Were the participants protected from harm? Was ethical permission granted for the study?
Despite the significance of the research in understanding the issue of alcohol consumption and addiction among young adults, the research report does not include information about measures undertaken to protect participants from harm, ethical permissions, and safeguarding participants’ autonomy and confidentiality.
Are all the terms, theories and concepts mentioned in the study clearly defined?
The study does not include operational definitions of the terms, concepts, and theories included in the research process.
Is the research design clearly identified? Has the data gathering instrument been described? is the instrument appropriate? How was it developed? Were reliability and validity testing undertaken and the results discussed? Was a pilot study undertaken?
The research employs empirical analysis as the research design and several data collection instruments i.e. surveys, questionnaires, and observations. These data collection methods helped in collecting baseline data and subsequent experimental data on the research issue. The research design and data collection methods were developed using rational addiction model of alcohol consumption and an analytical framework based on several equations. However, the researchers did not conduct a reliability and validity testing or a pilot study prior to conducting this research.
What type of data and statistical analysis was undertaken? Was it appropriate? How many of the sample participated? Significance of the findings?
For data analysis, the researchers employed regression analyses, means, and standard deviation of research variables. These analyses were suitable because they provided a framework for analyzing the various aspects relating to the research issue. The sample size that participated in the research was 14,400 out of the approximately 19,000 nationally representative sample. The findings of the data analyses helped in arriving at the study’s conclusion through a comprehensive approach that examined different aspects of the research issue.
Are the findings linked back to the literature review? if a hypothesis was identified was it supported? Were the strengths and limitations of the study including generalizability discussed? Was a recommendation for further research made?
The findings of the study were linked back to the literature review on the premise that positive and significant impact of future alcohol consumption is in line with the theory of rational addiction and incoherent with the theory of myopic addiction. The researchers neither discussed the strengths and limitations of the study not provided recommendations for future studies as required in quantitative studies (Coughlan, Cronin & Ryan, 2007).
Were all the books, journals and other media alluded to in the study accurately referenced?
The researchers provided accurate in-text and reference page citations of all sources.
References
Coughlan, M., Cronin, P. & Ryan, F. (2007, March). Step-by-Step Guide to Critiquing Research. Part 1: Quantitative Research. British Journal of Nursing, 16(11), 658-663. Retrieved from http://www.unm.edu/~unmvclib/cascade/handouts/critiquingresearchpart1.pdf
Grossman, M., Chaloupka, F.J. & Sirtalan, I. (1995, July). An Empirical Analysis of Alcohol Addiction: Results from the Monitoring the Future Panels. National Bureau of Economic Research, 1-48.