Week 8: Summative Assignment: Critique of Research Article
A research critique demonstrates your ability to critically read an investigative study. For this assignment, choose a research article related to nursing.
· Articles used for this assignment cannot be used for the other assignments (students should find new research articles for each new assignment).
· The selected articles should be original research articles. Review articles, concept analysis, meta-analysis, meta-synthesis, integrative review, and systemic review should not be used.
· Mixed-methods studies should not be used.
· Dissertations should not be used.
Your critique should include the following:
Research Problem/Purpose
· State the problem clearly as it is presented in the report.
· Have the investigators placed the study problem within the context of existing knowledge?
· Will the study solve a problem relevant to nursing?
· State the purpose of the research.
Review of the Literature
· Identify the concepts explored in the literature review.
· Were the references current? If not, what do you think the reasons are?
· Was there evidence of reflexivity in the design (qualitative)?
Theoretical Framework
· Are the theoretical concepts defined and related to the research?
· Does the research draw solely on nursing theory or does it draw on theory from other disciplines?
· Is a theoretical framework stated in this research piece?
· If not, suggest one that might be suitable for the study.
Variables/Hypotheses/Questions/Assumptions (Quantitative)
· What are the independent and dependent variables in this study?
· Are the operational definitions of the variables given? If so, are they concrete and measurable?
· Is the research question or the hypothesis stated? What is it?
Conceptual Underpinnings, Research Questions (Qualitative)
· Are key concepts defined conceptually?
· Is the philoosoophical basis, underlying tradition, conoceptual framework, or ideological orientation made explicit and is it appropriate for the problem?
· Are research questions explicitly stated? Are the questions consistent with the study’s philosophical basis, underlying tradition, conceptual framework, or ideological orientation?
Methodology
· What type of design (quantitative, qualitative, and type) was used in this study?
· Was inductive or deductive reasoning used in this study?
· State the sample size and study population, sampling method, and study setting.
· Did the investigator choose a probability or non-probability sample?
· State the type of reliability and the validity of the measurement tools (quantitative only)
Qualitative studies (answer the following questions in addition to those above except the last bulleted item)
· Were the methods of gathering data appropriate?
· Were data gathered through two or more methods to achieve triangulation?
· Did the researcher ask the right questions or make the right observations and were they recorded in an appropriate fashion?
· Was a sufficient amount of data gathered?
· Was the data of sufficient depth and richness?
Were ethical considerations addressed? Were appropriate procedures used to safeguard the rights of study participants?
Data Analysis
· What data analysis tool was used?
· Was saturation achieved? (qualitative)
· How were the results presented in the study?
· Were the data management (e.g., coding) and data analysis methods sufficiently described? (qualitative)
· Identify at least one (1) finding.
Summary/Conclusions, Implications, and Recommendations
· Do the themes adequately capture the meaning of the data?
· Did the analysis yield an insightful, provocative and meaningful picture of the phenomenon under investigation?
· Were methods used to enhance the trustworthiness of the data (and analysis) and was the description of those methods adequate?
· Are there clear explanation of the boundaries/limitations, thick description, audit trail?
· What are the strengths and limitations of the study?
· In terms of the findings, can the researcher generalize to other populations? Explain.
· Evaluate the findings and conclusions as to their significance for nursing (both qualitative and quantitative).
The body of your paper should be 4–6 double-spaced pages plus a cover page and a reference page. The critique must be attached to the article and follow Help write my thesis – APA guidelines.
Week 8: Summative Assignment: Research Article Critique
A research criticism exhibits your ability to analyze a research project critically. Choose a nursing-related research article for your task.
This assignment’s articles cannot be used for any other assignments (students should find new research articles for each new assignment).
Original research articles should be among the articles chosen. Concept analysis, meta-analysis, meta-synthesis, integrative review, and systematic review are not appropriate.
Mixed-methods research should be avoided.
Dissertations are not to be used.
The following should be included in your critique:
Problem/Purpose of Research
Clearly state the problem as it appears in the report.
Have the researchers framed the research problem in the perspective of previous knowledge?
Will the study address a nursing-related issue?
Declare the research’s purpose.
Examine the Literature
Identify the themes that were discussed during the literature review.
Were the references up to date? What do you suppose the causes are if not?
Was there any evidence of reflexivity (qualitative) in the design?
Theoretical Foundation
Is it possible to define and apply theoretical concepts to the research?
Is the research primarily based on nursing theory, or does it also include theory from other disciplines?
Is there a theoretical framework in this study paper?
If not, propose one that would be appropriate for the research.
Variables/Hypotheses/Questions/Assumptions/Assumptions/Assumptions/Assumptions/Assumptions/A (Quantitative)
What are the study’s independent and dependent variables?
Is it possible to get the operational definitions of the variables? Are they concrete and measurable, if so?
Is there a statement of the study question or hypothesis? What exactly is it?
Research Questions, Conceptual Underpinnings (Qualitative)
Are crucial notions cognitively defined?
Is the philosophical foundation, underlying tradition, conceptual framework, or ideological orientation made plain, and is it relevant to the problem?
Are the research questions presented clearly? Is the study’s philosophical foundation, underlying tradition, conceptual framework, or ideological orientation consistent with the questions?
Methodology
In this study, what type of design (quantitative, qualitative, and type) was used?
Was this study based on inductive or deductive reasoning?
State the sample size and population of the study, as well as the sampling process and study location.
Is it a probability or non-probability sample that the investigator used?
Describe the measurement tools’ level of reliability and validity (quantitative only)
Qualitative research (except from the last bulleted item, answer the following questions in addition to the ones listed above)
Were the data collection procedures appropriate?
To accomplish triangulation, were data collected using two or more methods?
Is it possible that the researcher asked the right questions or made the right observations, and that they were documented properly?
Was there enough information gathered?
Was there enough depth and variety in the data?
Were ethical considerations taken into account? Were proper safeguards in place to protect the rights of research participants?
Analyze the data
What kind of data analysis software was used?
Was it possible to reach saturation? (qualitative)
How were the study’s findings presented?
Were the methodologies for data management (e.g., coding) and data analysis adequately described? (qualitative)
At least one (1) finding should be identified.
Conclusions, Implications, and Recommendations Summary/Conclusions, Implications, and Recommendations
Do the themes effectively capture the data’s meaning?
Is the picture of the phenomenon under examination intelligent, intriguing, and meaningful as a result of the analysis?
Were procedures utilized to improve the data’s (and analysis’) reliability, and was the description of those approaches adequate?
Do the boundaries/limitations have a clear explanation, a detailed description, and an audit trail?
What are the study’s advantages and disadvantages?
Is it possible for the researcher to extrapolate the findings to other populations? Explain.
Assess the significance of the findings and implications for nursing (both qualitative and quantitative).
4–6 double-spaced pages plus a cover page and a reference page should make up the body of your paper. The critique should be appended to the article and formatted according to Help write my thesis – APA standards.
