Overview
The research question posed by Hunleth et al. (2016) is a logical extension of the purpose of the study. The stated research question— “How do people from medically underserved areas experience and give meaning to the process of CRC screening?”—is an appropriate extension of the purpose, which is to move beyond the narrow framing of adherence and instead examine the lived realities of screening in marginalized communities. This question directly addresses disparities in colorectal cancer outcomes and avoids attributing responsibility solely to individual patients. The authors sought to investigate how individuals in underserved communities experience colorectal cancer (CRC) screening, and asking how people “experience and give meaning” to screening fits this purpose because it shifts focus from compliance to lived realities.
The question was framed in the way that best addressed the problem identified in the focus community. Since disparities in CRC outcomes are rooted in systemic and social barriers, it would be limiting to measure only adherence rates. Exploring experiences allows for a richer understanding of the obstacles and supports shaping screening behavior. Also, there is clear alignment between the research question and the chosen design approach because the researchers employed a qualitative, community-engaged Photovoice method, which matches its exploratory nature. The design encouraged participants to visually and narratively represent their struggles and perspectives, which aligns with the question’s emphasis on meaning-making (Burkholder et al., 2020). The method of data collection, including photographs, group discussions, and interviews, was well suited to capture personal and contextual insights.
Evaluating the question against the checklist reveals that it strongly meets the expected criteria. The question relates directly to a qualitative approach by exploring meaning and context. The question begins with how, signaling exploration rather than causation (Burkholder et al., 2020). The question also focuses on a single phenomenon of the process of CRC screening in underserved communities and employs exploratory language and nondirectional phrasing, which permits participants to shape the findings rather than respond within predetermined restrictions. The question is open-ended and avoids imposing assumptions about what participants might say. Lastly, the question specified participants who were people from medically marginalized regions and the research site which was St. Louis in Missouri.
References
Burkholder, G. J., Cox, K. A., Crawford, L. M., & Hitchcock, J.H. (Eds.) (2020). Research design and methods: An applied guide for the scholar-practitioner . SAGE Publications, Inc.
Hunleth, J. M., Steinmetz, E. K., McQueen, A., & James, A. S. (2016). Beyond adherence: Health care disparities and the struggle to get screened for colon cancer. Qualitative Health Research, 26(1), 17–31. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732315593549Links to an external site.