A research critique demonstrates your ability to critically read an investigative study. For this assignment, choose a resea

 

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 APA guidelines.