Benchmark – Article Critique
Using an Empirical Article.. Find a scholarly peer reviewed journal from the library. Select a research study (complete with Method, Results, and Discussion sections).
In 750-1,000 words, analyze the article.
List the research question(s)/hypothesis being considered in the article.
Summarize the study being conducted, including the purpose of the study.
Describe the method and design used to test the research question(s)/hypothesis, including:
Discuss if you believe the method and design was the correct method and design for the study. If not, what would your suggestion for method and design be?
Describe the variables, how were they defined and operationalized?
4. Discuss if the study is ethically sound. Why or why not. What elements are present, or lacking, to show it is ethically sound.
Include at least two to four scholarly sources.
Sample Answer
Research Questions
The research question being considered in the Khruakhorn & Chiwarakranon (2021) article is what is the effect of land-based exercises and hydrotherapy on the quality of life and mobility of patients with knee osteoarthritis. In the article, the researchers, therefore, want to determine which between land-based exercises and hydrotherapy are more effective in improving the mobility and the quality of life of patients with knee osteoarthritis.
Summary of the Study
The purpose of Khruakhorn & Chiwarakranon, (2021) study was to determine which land-based exercises and hydrotherapy are more effective in improving the mobility and the quality of life of patients with knee osteoarthritis. Therefore, the researchers adopted a randomized control trial approach and allocated 34 participants with knee osteoarthritis to either the land-based exercises or the hydrotherapy groups. An equal number of participants, which was 17, was allocated to each intervention group. After the intervention, including the land-based exercises or hydrotherapy, the research participants were then evaluated using different tests to determine their functional mobility and questionnaires to assess their quality of life. The tests included time up and go, stair climbing test, five times sit to stand, and quality of life evaluation questionnaires. According to Khruakhorn & Chiwarakranon (2021), there was no significant difference in outcomes related to functional mobility and quality of life for both groups of research participants, including those who participated in hydrotherapy and those who participated in land-based exercises after six months. However, among the intervention groups, a lot of improvement was noted in functional mobility in land-based groups and hydrotherapy groups. On the other hand, a lot of improvement was also noted in the improvement of quality of life among knee osteoarthritis patients in both the land-based and hydrotherapy groups. According to Khruakhorn & Chiwarakranon (2021), land-based exercises and hydrotherapy are equally effective in improving patients’ quality of life and functional mobility with knee osteoarthritis.
Method and Design
In Khruakhorn & Chiwarakranon (2021), the researchers utilized the quantitative research method and adopted the randomized controlled trial research design. According to Siepmann et al. (2016), the randomized control trial design is a research design that entails allocating research participants randomly into a control group and the experimental group. After conducting an RCT, the expected differences between experimental and control groups will be the outcome variables being studied. According to Hariton & Locascio (2018), the main benefits of an RCT research design include reduction of any instances of population bias as a result of randomization and ease of masking of blinding compared to observational studies. On the other hand, the RCT also has the advantage of allowing results to be easily analyzed through statistical tools and the clear identification of the populations of participating individuals. On the other hand, the main limitations of a randomized control trial include being expensive in both money and time, and volunteer bias is in that the participating individuals may not represent the population as a whole (Hariton & Locascio, 2018).
In Khruakhorn & Chiwarakranon (2021), research participants who included patients with knee osteoarthritis were therefore allocated to the control group of land-based exercises and the experimental group of hydrotherapy. The outcome variable that was being investigated in Khruakhorn & Chiwarakranon, (2021) study was mobility and quality of life of patients with knee osteoarthritis.
The quantitative method and the randomized controlled trial research design adopted in the Khruakhorn & Chiwarakranon (2021) study were the correct method and designs that suited the research study. This is because the research involved comparing the efficacy of two approaches to determine which one produced better outcomes among patients. The RCT design is, therefore, the most ideal for comparing the efficacy of different interventions.
