Assignment: Purpose for appraising an article

Instructions: A major skill that is learned in this course is how to critically read and appraise nursing research articles. The purpose for appraising an article is to evaluate the research process followed by the author(s) of the assigned article. This information-intensive, time-intensive process is not learned overnight. To demonstrate your skill at appraising an article, you will complete this open-book short answer assignment.

Here’s how you should approach completing this week’s assignment to begin appraising an article:

1. First, do your assigned reading in Gray, Grove, & Sutherland (2017). This will introduce you to the skills you will need for the week.

2. Skim the entire instructor assigned research article that has been posted on Blackboard for you so that you will have an idea of what it is about. Then, for this week, re-read carefully the introduction / literature review /theoretical framework and methods sections of the article again.

3. Print the Research Article Appraisal, Part One Assignment and find the best answer to each question based on your Gray, Grove, & Sutherland (2017) assigned reading for the week and on what you have read in the instructor assigned research article.

4. Some of the questions in the appraisal assignment below will seem unfamiliar to you. Look up key terms from the question in your textbook. Some examples of these terms might be: problem statements, hypotheses, or variables. You can also look in Chapter 18 for an example of a critical appraisal (or critique) of a quantitative research article.

5. Download the Assignment so you can type in your answers. Once completed, upload your Assignment to the assignment link above by the time and date listed on the Course Schedule. Be thoughtful and review the information that has been given to you to complete this assignment.

6. APA will only apply to quotations and citations in the assignment as directed. Again, do not use quotations unless directed in the assignment.

If you have questions about this assignment, you can post them to the Coach Group discussion board for help. Please do not ask the group for the answer as this would constitute academic dishonesty.

Article Critique Questions

Student Answers

Question #1: Introduction

a) What are the qualifications of

the researchers?

b) Discuss the clarity of the title

(type of study, variables and

population are identified).

c) Discuss the quality of the

abstract. (includes purpose, Assignment: Purpose for appraising an article

design, sample, intervention

and key results)

Question #2: Research Problem and Purpose: (For help with these questions, refer to chapters 3, 5, 18)

a) What is the problem statement(s)? Please quote this directly from the article and cite it appropriately.

b) What is the purpose statement(s)? Please quote this directly from the article and cite it appropriately.

c) What is the significance and relevance of the study to nursing?

d) Is the study feasible to conduct? Include three of the following: time commitment, money commitment, researcher expertise, availability of subjects, facilities, and equipment, cooperation of others, ethical considerations.

Question #3: Review of the Literature. (For help with these questions, refer to chapters 7 & 18.)

a) List three major topics discussed in the review of literature (ROL).

b) Are any theories or models identified in the ROL.

c) Does the ROL describe current knowledge of the research problem? Briefly explain how.

d) Briefly explain how the studies reviewed in the ROL are summarized.

Question #4: Study Framework. (For help with these questions, refer to chapters 8 & 18)

a) How do the authors describe the study’s framework? Is it implicit or explicit?

b) List the important concepts found in the framework.

c) Does the framework present the relationships among the concepts? (yes / no) If yes, give one example of a relationship between two concepts. If there a map or model provided in the article, give the page number.

Question #5. Research objectives, questions, or hypotheses. (For help with these questions, refer to chapters 6 & 18)

a) Does this article have objectives, questions, or hypotheses? Be specific and say which one of these three it has.

b) List the article’s objectives, questions or hypotheses. Be specific and say which one of these three it has. Quote this directly from the article and cite it appropriately.

Question #6. Variables (For help with these questions, refer to chapters 6 & 18)

a) List the major study variables.

b) Are the major study variables independent, dependent, or research variables?

c) What are the conceptual definitions of the major variables (Hint: from the review of literature)?

d) What are the operational definitions of the major variables? (Hint: you may find this information in the ROL or in the “Methods” section of the article).

e) Did the author identify any extraneous variables? If so, briefly describe.

f) List the demographic variables that are identified in the study. (Do not describe the sample characteristics here).

Question #7. Research Design (For help with these questions, refer to chapters 1, 10, 11 & 18)

a) Is the design type descriptive, correlational, quasi-experimental, or experimental.

b) Explain how the design type that you picked in a) (above) match the study’s objectives, questions, or hypotheses?

c) Explain how the design type that you picked in a) (above) provides a means to examine the study’s purpose?

d) Does the study include a treatment or intervention? If so, briefly describe. (Hint: you may find this information in the ROL or in the “Methods” section of the article).

e) Were pilot study findings used to design the major study? Assignment: Purpose for appraising an article

Question #8 Strengths and Weaknesses *Hint* use guidelines about strengths and weaknesses on page pp. 439-442 Step 2, Chapter 18