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A qualitative study exploring women’s perceptions of home birth. BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 18(1), p.105.

ASSESSMENT OF THE MODULE

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT (no academic credit awarded):

Group presentations and feedback using given critiquing tools.

Further guidance will be provided in class, supported by material on Moodle.

Summative Assessment:

The student will undertake a systematic critique of one research paper from a choice provided by the module leader, using an appropriate critiquing tool. The student will discuss how this paper fits with current evidence.

All written coursework will be submitted via Moodle

3000 words +/- 10%

100% Weighting

40% Pass mark

Resubmission date: Week commencing TBC (no late submissions for DDS)

Assignment Guidelines

  1. The assignment for this module is a critique of a published research paper.

  2. You must choose one paper from the two papers detailed below.

Qualitative paper

Smith, J.N., Taylor, B., Shaw, K., Hewison, A. and Kenyon, S., 2018. ‘I didn’t think you were allowed tht, they didn’t mention that.’ A qualitative study exploring women’s perceptions of home birth. BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 18(1), p.105.

OR

Quantitative paper

Mackintosh, N., Agarwal, S., Adcock, K., Armstrong, N., Briley, A., Patterson, M., Sandall, J. and Gong, Q.S., 2020. Online resources and apps to aid self-diagnosis and help seeking in the perinatal period: A descriptive survey of women’s experiences. Midwifery, 90, p.102803.

It is compulsory to use one of the critiquing frameworks below to critique your chosen paper.

For qualitative research:

Ryan, F., Coughlan, M., Cronin, P. (2007) Step-by-step guide to critiquing research. Part 2: qualitative research. British Journal of Nursing, 16, 12, pp. 738-744.

OR

For quantitative research:

Coughlan, M., Cronin, P., Ryan, F. (2007) Step-by-step guide to critiquing research. Part 1: quantitative research. British Journal of Nursing, 16, 11, pp. 658-656.

Structure and presentation of the assignment.

  • Follow these subheadings as a structure for your essay.
  • It is expected that you support your discussion with reference to research textbooks and papers to justify your key points of critique.

Introduction

  • Briefly state the rationale for choosing the research paper and the critiquing framework selected
  •  Critically discuss the focus of the paper, including the literature review, the title, and the terms of reference (aim)

Methodology

  • Present a critical discussion of the key aspects of the methodology

    • Study design/methods/philosophical underpinnings/theoretical framework/ aim/hypothesis

    • Sampling

    • Ethical considerations

    • Data collection

    • Data analysis

Findings of the study

  • Discuss the presentation of data (use of quotes, tables, and statistics), main findings, conclusion and recommendations.

Readability of the paper and application to practice

  • Discuss the key points you consider to influence the readability of the paper and how the paper is relevant to practice, and how the findings apply to practice
  • For this section, you will need to place the findings of this paper in the context of current literature. Discuss with the support of references to five pieces of work relating to the topic.

Conclusion

  • Offer a general conclusion drawing upon the main points raised within the assignment.

The level 5 electronic marking grid for coursework will be used to mark this assignment.

COURSEWORK SUBMISSION

You MUST submit coursework by the published deadline in accordance with the assessment briefing identified in the module guide.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you have back-up copies of any work submitted electronically. Failure of a computer, disk or printer will not be accepted by the Examination Board as a reason for non-submission or incomplete submission of an assessment.

Late submission is not permitted. As a registered professional, you will be expected to meet deadlines, so part of your professional development will be for you to manage your time and commitments so that you can achieve this.

Please note the special instructions for students with DDS requirements.  You will also need to identify that you are registered with DDS when you notify that you will be submitting your coursework late.  Any other form of notification such as email is not acceptable.

Submission Route:

One electronic copy to be submitted via Moodle according to the guidance below:

Instruction to students on submitting assignments electronically

  1. All assignments will be submitted electronically through Moodle. No paper copies need to be handed in.

  2. The submitted assignment on Moodle must have a front page (See Appendix 1).

  3. The submitted assignment must have a footer that includes page numbers and student number.

  4. The Module Leader will set up the Moodle site to open two weeks before the published submission date and the site will close at 11.55pm on the submission date.

  5. Turnitin will also be set up so students can check their work for similarity to avoid plagiarism. This will be configured to allow for more than one submission to enable testing for similarity. Please allow 24 hours before re-submitting your assignment through Turnitin. If submitted earlier Turnitin will recognise the earlier draft and the similarity report will be a high percentage.

  6. Please ensure your completed assignment is uploaded before midnight on the submission date. The Moodle site will close at 11.55pm and no further submissions will be accepted.

  7. Students who are registered with the DDS or any student wishing to submit late will be able to access an alternative Moodle site. This site will open on the 0900 the day after the published submission date and close 11.55pm two weeks after the published submission date. This is available for first attempts only.

  8. Subsequent attempts do not have a two-week extension and so must be submitted on the published date.

  9. Students will receive provisional marks and feedback via Moodle on the date published in the module guide.

  10. If you are planning to submit your assignment close to the midnight deadline, this is likely to be a busy period and may result in missing the deadline.

  11. Not being able to upload onto Moodle close to the 11.55pm deadline will not form the basis for extenuation.

Submission File Format

Microsoft Word document (saved in MS word or rich text format) only. The file must be saved using candidate number e.g. 12345678.docx. Please note that only one electronic file can be submitted so all appendices, reference lists, front page etc. must be merged into a single electronic file. If merging documents is problematic, please discuss this with Student Services.

Document Layout: Please ensure that your paper includes:

  • Front Page (See Appendix 1)
  • line spacing
  • Size 11 font
  • A margin of at least 2cm on all sides of A4 paper
  • Candidate number as header on all pages
  • Page number as footer on all pages

You must ensure that confidentiality is maintained at all times. Students who breach confidentiality will have marks deducted in accordance with the guidance issued in the School of Health and Social Care Confidentiality Policy.

You are reminded that London South Bank University has a policy on claiming extenuating circumstances. Specific details of this policy and others relating to assessment regulations can be found in the Student Handbook You will also find the relevant details on MyLSBU.

Referencing Material

Referencing material for this module must be done according to the house style adopted by London South Bank University. Details of this are given in the following document:

How to do your Referencing Using the Harvard System https://vle.lsbu.ac.uk/pluginfile.php/1309409/mod_resource/content/1/Harvard-referencing-helpsheet%20updated%20March%2016.pdf

Addendum to Harvard Referencing Guide

https://vle.lsbu.ac.uk/pluginfile.php/1309410/mod_resource/content/2/ANP%20referencing%20addendum%20to%20helpsheet.pdf

You can obtain a printed copy of this document from the Library or Learning Resource Centre.

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Short Answer

Systematic Critical Appraisal of a Qualitative Research Study

Smith et al. (2018) – Women’s Perceptions of Home Birth

Introduction

This paper presents a systematic critique of the qualitative research study by Smith et al. (2018), titled “I didn’t think you were allowed that, they didn’t mention that.” A qualitative study exploring women’s perceptions of home birth, published in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth.

The study was selected because home birth remains a debated topic within maternity care, particularly in relation to safety, autonomy, and informed choice. Understanding women’s perceptions is essential for improving maternity services and supporting person-centred care.

The critique is guided by the structured framework developed by Ryan, Coughlan, and Cronin (2007) for qualitative research appraisal. This framework is appropriate because it provides a clear step-by-step method for evaluating methodological quality, ethical considerations, data analysis, and relevance to practice.

The aim of this critique is to assess the strengths and limitations of the study, evaluate its methodological rigour, and consider its relevance to current maternity care practice and evidence-based decision-making.

Critical Discussion of the Focus of the Paper

The title of the study clearly reflects the focus on women’s perceptions of home birth, immediately indicating a qualitative exploration of lived experience. This is appropriate because perception-based topics are best examined through qualitative methods.

The abstract and introduction establish the importance of informed choice in maternity care. However, while the study identifies gaps in understanding women’s awareness of home birth options, the literature review is relatively brief and could have been more critically developed. For example, it summarises existing evidence but does not strongly critique contradictions in previous research.

The aim of the study is clearly stated: to explore women’s perceptions and understanding of home birth as a maternity option. This is appropriate and aligns with the qualitative methodology.

However, one limitation is that the paper could have more explicitly grounded its aim within a theoretical framework such as patient-centred care or decision-making theory. This would have strengthened the conceptual foundation.

Methodology

Study Design and Philosophical Underpinnings

The study adopts a qualitative design, which is appropriate for exploring subjective experiences and perceptions. Qualitative methodology is particularly useful in maternity care research, where personal beliefs and emotional experiences strongly influence decision-making.

However, the paper does not explicitly state a philosophical position such as interpretivism or phenomenology. This is a limitation because qualitative research should clearly identify how knowledge is constructed. Without this, it is less transparent how the researchers interpreted participant experiences.

Sampling

The study uses purposive sampling, selecting women who had considered or experienced home birth. This is appropriate because it ensures participants have relevant experience.

However, the sample size is relatively small, which is typical for qualitative research but still limits transferability. There is also limited explanation of how participants were recruited, which raises questions about potential selection bias.

Ethical Considerations

The study indicates that ethical approval was obtained, and informed consent was given by participants. This demonstrates compliance with ethical standards.

Confidentiality appears to have been maintained, and participants were anonymised.

However, the paper could have provided more detail on emotional safeguarding, particularly given that childbirth experiences can be sensitive or distressing topics.

Data Collection

Data were collected using semi-structured interviews, which is appropriate for exploring perceptions in depth while allowing flexibility in responses.

The interview method is suitable because it enables participants to express experiences in their own words. However, there is limited detail on interview setting, duration, or interviewer influence, which affects transparency and replicability.

Data Analysis

Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns in participant responses. This is a widely accepted method in qualitative research.

The study explains the development of themes but lacks detailed description of coding procedures. It is unclear whether multiple researchers independently coded data, which raises concerns about reliability and researcher bias.

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It is a structured evaluation of a research paper where you assess strengths, weaknesses, and reliability.

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They rely on self-reported data, which can be biased or inaccurate.

Because it affects how representative the results are of the wider population.

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