Analysis of an Empirical Article

This paper is a brief analysis of the scientific methods in research. The article being analyzed is a study of the socioeconomic conditions and the risk factors of mental depression. The study was conducted on Brazilian nationals. The primary target of the research was to determine and analyze the relationship between mental depression and socioeconomic factors (Santos, Kawamura & Kassouf, 2012). The socioeconomic factors understudy were specifically in connection with education and family income. The researchers did not want to consider the individuals of ages below 25 and the ones of 65 years and above (Santos, Kawamura & Kassouf, 2012). Other people who were not considered for the study were domestic servants, family members of the servants, and those who declared to have zero family income. The chosen scientific method presented five major disadvantages over the other ones used for different studies.

First, the sample size used for this study was not adequate to provide the real picture of the relationship between the mental condition and the socioeconomic factors given that the study aimed to provide conclusions that represent a whole nation. Secondly, the coverage period for the investigation to be completed was too short and hence no comprehensive conclusions. The empirical procedure is one of the empirical strategies that are utilized in estimating the pooled empirical models. These strategies use the same expansion factors that are associated with each observation made during research. The researchers used this strategy to estimate depression prevalence in Brazil. One conclusion that they ended up is that the prevalence of depression in Brazil is higher in women than in men.