RESEARCH RESOURCES APPRAISAL

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Research Resources Appraisal

Introduction

This paper appraises two research papers; quantitative and qualitative, since they investigate dangers of smoking among pregnant women. The essay explains how the application of systematic methods comprising targeted information searches from relevant health science databases resulted in the identification of these studies. An analysis of each selected paper, lets the researcher recognize the relevance and the supporting evidence of each study, and whether health practitioners in the United Kingdom (UK) can replicate their findings.  

The Rationale and the Focused Question

The increase in the use of tobacco has prompted a rise in pregnancy adverse health outcomes. In my community, there is a higher prevalence of mothers smoking during gestation; therefore, I propose exploring these challenges and understanding how tobacco propagates health risks. I trust that it is essential to investigate the relationship between pregnancy and smoking. The following is the umbrella question to this research appraisal, “What are the negative effects of smoking on pregnancy?” The sub-questions include; (a) for the quantitative study, “What is the difference in outcome for women who ceased smoking within 15 weeks of gestation and those who continued?”, and (b) for the qualitative paper, “What are the implications of social stigma on women smoking during pregnancy?” Recent trends indicate that knowledge levels and understanding of the effects of tobacco on gestational age infants may be inadequate in the UK. Consequently, the inadequacy in awareness limits the ability of maternity care providers to create critical campaigns against smoking during pregnancy, and this concern justifies this study.

The Account of Search and Retrieval

To search and retrieval process, one need to developed a focused query and framework that enabled the researcher to access the required information from online academic databases. In this research appraisal, the structure assisted in the selection of both qualitative and quantitative papers from potent medicine and healthcare databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, and UpToDate. The use of keywords supported by the inclusion and exclusion criteria that enhanced the searches and subsequent identification of relevant journals. From this framework, one should access journals that addressed the adverse implications of women using tobacco during gestation.

In the search and retrieval process, one uses key terms such as smoking and pregnancy and inputted them into the identified databanks. Outcomes found 76 entries (see Appendix I); however, they were too extensive, forcing the researcher to reduce the bulk by eliminating older and less important articles. Using specific filters, the researcher restricted the available journals to those published within the last 12 years, reducing the entries to 30, the geographical aspect demanding them to be from Europe and Australia, ultimately narrowed down the search to 6. The final selection element regarding whether they were qualitative or quantitative limited the number to 3, augmenting the identification of the right researches. Using a selection criterion, the researcher used a checklist...