Clarity of Article in the Abstract, Introduction, and Its Title
The article under review revolves around the issue of drug addiction among teenagers and its effects on their respective families. Remarkably, drug addiction is a problem that continues to affect several contemporary families (Campa, Martinez, & Baum, 2017; Knudsen, 2018; Bhat, 2016). Right from the abstract, the article points out the crucial elements associated with addiction among teenagers. By outlining its important elements, the audiences get a clear picture of the contents of the paper prior to reading it. As such, the abstract is well structured and has the right information in relation to the topic discussed in the article. Consequently, the introduction plays an integral role in helping the reader connect with the main discussion. The introduction gradually establishes the mind of the audience so that by the time they begin reading the main discussion, their level of preparedness is high and optimal. It is also vital to note that the report has a suitable title that resonates well with the main contents that it outlines. A glance at the title reveals to the audience that the report is about how families suffer in the face of their addicted teenagers.
Misrepresentation, Relevance, and Pertinent Nature of Literature
Unlike some journals, which use irrelevant literature and sources, the report under analysis employed sources, which suit the topic that it discusses. Fundamentally, relevant sources amplify the quality of information analyzed by a journal (Fusch & Ness, 2015). From the onset, it is clear that the article dwells on the effect that addiction has on families. Everitt and Robbins (2016) note that the issue of addiction among adolescences is serious and impacts on the performance of caregivers, siblings, and the society, a position held by the report under review. Therefore, the journal maintains some level of relevance from the introduction to its conclusion. Conversely, one of the drawbacks that present itself at the end of the report is reliance on outdated sources. Sources drafted as early as 1983 used by the article, may not be applicable to the present issues affecting addicted teenagers.
Emphasis, Modification of the Manuscript, and Clarity
A look at the paper under review reveals that the author dwells much on the impact of addiction on adult members of a family. Little information explains the challenges faced by the siblings. The only section where the siblings come into play is on theme 7 where the author explains the different perspectives adopted by siblings as they attempt to address the challenge of teen addiction. McGinty, Goldman, Pescosolido, and Barry (2015) argue that taking control, being passive, or engaging in other activities are some of the perspectives adopted by siblings when one of them becomes an addict. The overemphasis on the impact of addiction on adult family members is notable and could call for adjustments such as omission so that the manuscript becomes fair and balanced. Besides the overemphasis and use of outdated sources that require omissions, the overall scale of clarity demonstrated by the statements in the report is high and orderly.
Assumptions, Objectivity of the Experiments, and Description of Research Methods
One of the major assumptions made by the author that hampers the validity of the journal is the use of a homogenous population as a sample for the research. From the report, all the interviewees were Caucasians except one. The assumption stems from the racially homogeneous sample and hinges on the fact that all teenagers have experienced similar to those faced by Caucasians, which is incorrect. In the words of Best et al. (2016) as well as Fattore and Melis (2016), the issue of addiction differs from one region and race to another and relies on the challenges suffered by the respective populations. The objectivity presented by the report is concise and well designed. Moreover, the research method that coins the objectives envisioned by the article is orderly and takes the audience systematically to the point where it concludes.
Research Procedures, Presentation, and Content Duplication
The procedures used by the article are systematic and follows a format that enables the audiences to understand the outlined points. Due to the systematic nature of the procedures, the journal is interesting to read. The procedures, which are mainly qualitative, help in gathering information based on the respondent perspectives. Lewis (2015) and Berger (2015) assert that qualitative procedures enable researchers to get authentic information as compared to those that are quantitative.
Another important component that emerges from the paper under review is the high-end presentation of the selected procedures. The report presents these procedures using themes, which enable the audience, get information on the several aspects outlined as objectives of the research (Choate, 2015). Although the issue of duplication is not easily detectable in the report, there are few instances when it appears. The tables showing the caregivers and teenagers could be merged in order to minimize space that could be useful in discussing other major issues. Moreover, the repetition of parents interviewed that appears several times in the journal and on the tables challenges the overall relevance of the report.
References
Berger, R. (2015). Now I see it, now I don’t: Researcher’s position and reflexivity in qualitative research. Qualitative Research, 15(2), 219-234.
Best, D., Beckwith, M., Haslam, C., Alexander, S., Jetten, J., Mawson, E., & Lubman, D. (2016). Overcoming alcohol and other drug addiction as a process of social identity transition: The social identity model of recovery (SIMOR). Addiction Research & Theory, 24(2), 111-123.
Bhat, A. (2016). The menace of drug addiction: Causes, consequences and remedies. International Journal of Research in Economics and Social Sciences, 6(3), 71-76.
Campa, A., Martinez, S., & Baum, M. (2017). Drug addiction, relapse, and recovery. J Drug Abuse, 3(1), 12-58.
Choate, P. (2015). Adolescent alcoholism and drug addiction: The experience of parents. Behav. Sc, 5(1), 461-476.
Everitt, B., & Robbins, T. (2016). Drug addiction: Updating actions to habits to compulsions ten years on. Annual Review of Psychology, 67(1), 23-50.
Fattore, L., & Melis, M. (2016). Sex differences in impulsive and compulsive behaviors: A focus on drug addiction. Addiction Biology, 21(5), 1043-1051.
Fusch, I., & Ness, L. (2015). Are we there yet? Data saturation in qualitative research. The Qualitative Report, 20(9), 1408.
Knudsen, H. (2018). Author information pack. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 2(1), 1-14.
Lewis, S. (2015). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Health Promotion Practice, 16(4), 473-475.
McGinty, E., Goldman, H., Pescosolido, B., & Barry, C. (2015). Portraying mental illness and drug addiction as treatable health conditions: Effects of a randomized experiment on stigma and discrimination. Social Science & Medicine, 126(1), 73-85.