A Research Paper Critique

Answer

A Research Paper Critique
Attitudes of Medical Radiation Students to Research
It is a bit disturbing when young scholars develop wrong attitude on quality research in their fields of interest. Active research facilitates professional advancement through clear reflection of how clinical activities are undertaken. It also provides solutions to the question on whether there are better interventions of approaching certain issues with regard to nursing (Riffin et al, 2015). However, according to Mägi & Beerkens 2016, quality research often reinforces the professional quo of clinicians and allow adaptation to better strategies applicable in clinical setting. Moreover, active participation by individual medical radiation personnel provides systemic problem-solving approaches to test newly developed ideas, enhance research skills in pursuing the research career at large.
It is crucial to acknowledge the fact that amount of published research in the fields of nuclear medical technology and radiotherapy is very limited (Harding et al., 2014). In as much as most radiographers are derailed by lack of adequate research resources, this limitation equally affects the entire healthcare setting (Ryan, 2016). According to the article on promoting positive attitudes in educative research in the Journal of Advanced Nursing of 2017, it’s clear that a medical radiation personnel’s attitude plays a vital role in quality of data generated from quality researching (Mikkonen et al, 2015). Negative attitude has a close relationship with limited degree of research skills and poorly developed research culture which all derails research activities in learning institutions. Since today’s graduates form the future’s most potential researchers, proper attention ought to be given to the current undergraduate scholars to sufficiently equip them with better research approaches for improving their fields of profession (Pillemer et al., 2015).
Research is however not properly undertaken as evidenced from the program that entirely applies problem based approaches ({learning format that in 1999 was the recipient of the Australian Award for Excellence in University Teaching in the Biological Sciences, Health and Related Studies category). Despite it producing a large number of highly qualified graduates in medical field, it still had a narrow margin of students willing to boost their studies to the next level of education in Honors degree. This is out of fear of pursuing a degree in clinical environment research (Marbach et al., 2014). Since negative attitude has been categorized as a main factor leading poor performance in research among the medical radiation students, the entire study was aimed at investigating how student’s attitude, within the enrolled program of the undergraduate studies, affected such programs.
METHODS
Use of open questionnaires was not adequate especially in determination of range of attitudinal opinions from the students in the Bachelor of Medical Radiation program because they only focused on three representatives, without seeking the opinions of the fourth years (Visser-Wijnveen,et al., 2016). However, such approaches are key in addressing major attitudinal areas including how the general population perceive research programs, concerning what they think it is and who should be responsible of modelling it (Tight, 2016). They are also in a position to define their expectations with regard to both undergraduate and post-graduate studies, including their perception about importance of such programs in their professional fields. The students were only provided with basic background information that was required by related ethical consideration to avoid biasness in their opinions.

Attitudes of Medical Radiation Students to Research
Most undergraduate students who major in Bachelor of Applied Science in Medical Radiation mostly perceive themselves as being confident in academic researches though they often loose interest in pursuing more research after graduation. This factor greatly reduces the amount research carried out (Malcolm, 2014). It is clear that most of them show less interest when undertaking research which is core in their studies, both from University of Australia among other institutions. The sudden reduction in amount of student interest and perception about research should be treated as a matter of concern since it is likely to be the source of limited researches generated from undergraduate students, regardless of whether it is done through formal training programs or within healthcare environments.
Contributing factors to interest decline
The main factor leading to this decline is limited exposure of clinical students to research related projects due to lack of role models since most of their mentors rarely get involved in research programs like reading and reviewing of different articles and extracting of research proposals as opposed to active participation (Chen et al., 2014). Another potential factor to this is that students are expected to undergo a training in Professional Development Year(PDY), after completion of their undergraduate program. They have a negative attitude towards undertaking an Honor’s, expressing that they think it won’t favor them in the job market (Ward, 2014). Most of them however fail to return for an Honor’s year especially after undertaking job.
Student’s perception and attitude towards work can be improved through granting students experience opportunities in research process to increase their knowledge when undertaking such practices (Harding et al., 2014). It was also agreed upon that introduction of such programs into undergraduate curriculum would be key in boosting student’s attitude through connecting -both research and clinical processes. It is clear that most nursing students develop negative attitudes towards cooperating with the elderly during researches especially when students are expected to implement certain research on basis of clinical practice into a long-lasting care setting (Liu et al., 2013). They often feel that they are more knowledgeable on application of nursing researches into actual medical practice after such experiences.
Active involvement of Medical Radiation students in projects relating to research and fixing such programs in their final year studies gradually improves their research attitudes (Kobayashi et al, 2017). Periodic involvement of medical student’s in research related aspects during their experience in clinical field through consistent investigation of developmental approaches, would be very beneficial in effecting this program on students’ attitude to research. This will allow them to enhance research in degree programs and undertaking of small projects to facilitate preliminary responses.
According to the article on Strengthening Teaching and Learning in Research Universities of 2017, direct involvement of the teaching staff in academic researches will also change their student’s perception and attitude towards research related programs. Active staff involvement can be enhanced through provision of adequate release time for research activities and consistent provision of research grants by the institution to improve the entire process.