Qualitative research article critique and analysis

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The provision of contraceptive and family planning counseling to women of reproductive age is the focus of the research by Akers, Gold, Borrero, Santucci, & Schwarz, (2010). The researchers were concerned about the factors that limit the delivery of these services in primary care practices (PCP). The research was exploratory in nature and examined the question: What are the opinions of primary care providers about the barriers to the provision contraceptive counseling?

To answer this question a qualitative methodology was employed. The qualitative methodology is generally very useful for exploratory research since it allows the investigators to examine unexplored phenomenon. This exploration is designed to unearth new categories for data analysis and give the context to understanding the phenomenon.

The researchers employed a focus group. Eight different focus groups were conducted between November and December of 2007. The focus groups involved 48 of the primary care practitioners associated with the four academic and community care facilities run by the University of Pittsburg Medical center. The focus group was comprised of doctors, nurses and pharmacists employed at these facilities. The groups were recorded and transcribed for analysis by Atlas Ti. A grounded theory approach was used for the content analysis of the data.

The choice of a focus group provided the researchers with the appropriate method that was consistent with the data required to answer the research question. The group consisted of the persons who have the required information additionally they were placed together so that the effect of group synergy could produce more reliable and valid data. The focus group allowed for the in-depth exploration of the phenomenon. There were some considerations that the researchers did not discuss; firstly, they did not state how they managed the power inequity between the different groups of individuals in the focus group setting. Additionally, they did not get opinions from the women who would have alternate opinions on the barriers to the provision of counseling.

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The urban environment attracts persons from multiple cultural extractions. Consequently, counseling in the urban environment should give consideration of that cultural diversity. As variant communities often require approaches to counseling that should be sensitive to their cultural nuances. Keller and Helton (2010) explore the "application of a strengths-based empowerment approach in the delivery of counseling. A case study is the research design chosen for this exploratory research.

The research question examined in this work is: How can specific counseling theories be utilized in accordance with specific Appalachian cultural values for client assessment and empowerment? The case study was conducted involving a 28-year-old female. The woman was divorced and at the time was living with her two sons on the west side of Cleveland. The researchers examined the life of the case through observation and in-depth interviews. The data were subsequently analyzed using a strengths-based empowerment framework. The strength-based empowerment framework allowed the researchers to examine existing theoretical frameworks such as feminism, existential therapy and solution focused therapy in addition to others.

The case study demonstrated that strength-based counseling approaches could be used successfully with clients from the Appalachian Mountains. The client was successful in gaining professional services that assisted her in coping with her life challenges. At the end of the sessions, the client was described as being more self-confident in her abilities to become more self-deterministic.