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Key Principles for Critically Appraising Quantitative / Studies GENERAL INFORMATION – PLEASE
Key Principles for Critically Appraising Quantitative / Studies
GENERAL INFORMATION – PLEASE READ FIRST
• Read and critically appraise the entire study. A research critical appraisal involves examining the quality of all aspects of the research report.
• Examine the organization and presentation of the research report. A well-prepared report is concise, complete, logically organized, and clearly presented. It does not include excessive jargon that is difficult to read. The references need to be current, complete, and presented in a consistent format.
• Examine the significance of the problem studied for nursing practice. Nursing studies need to be focused on significant problems if a sound knowledge base is to be developed for evidence-based nursing practice.
• Indicate the type of study conducted and identify the steps or elements of the study. This might be done as an initial critical appraisal of a study, indicating your knowledge of the different types of quantitative and qualitative studies and the elements included in these studies.
• Identify the strengths and weaknesses of a study. All studies have strengths and weaknesses. Review the limitations identified by the researchers in a study and how they were managed to ensure the credibility of the findings.
• Be objective and realistic in identifying the study’s strengths and weaknesses. Be balanced in your critical appraisal of a study. Try not to be overly critical in identifying a study’s weaknesses or overly flattering in identifying the strengths. Take the limitations identified by the researchers into consideration but do not repeat these in your critique.
• Provide specific examples of the strengths and weaknesses of a study. Examples provide evidence for your critical appraisal of a study’s strengths and weaknesses.
• Provide a rationale for your critical appraisal comments. Include justifications for your critical appraisal and document your ideas with sources from the current literature.
• Evaluate the quality of the study. Describe the credibility of the findings, consistency of the findings with those from previous studies, and appropriateness of the study conclusions.
• Discuss the usefulness of the findings for practice. The findings from the study need to be linked to the findings of previous studies and examined for use in clinical practice.
Critical Appraisal Guidelines for Quantitative Research
USE THE QUESTIONS AS A GUIDE FOR WRITING YOUR RESEARCH ARTICLE CRITIQUE / APPRAISAL
Step 1: Identifying the Steps of the Study
1. Introduction – 5 points
a. Was the article title clear? Does the title indicate the type of study conducted (descriptive, correlational, quasi-experimental, or experimental), variables, and population (Gray & Grove, 2021; Kazdin, 2017; Shadish et al., 2002)?
b. Did the abstract include the purpose, type of design, sample, and intervention (if applicable) and present key results and conclusions (APA, 2020)?
2. State the problem – 5 points
a. Did the researchers provide the significance of the problem, such as number of people affected, its importance to nursing practice, and cost incurred?
b. Did the researchers provide the background of the problem?
c. Was there a clear problem statement (see Chapter 5)?
3. State the purpose. – 5 points
4. Examine the literature review – 5 points
a. Does the literature review cite previous studies and theory for the framework?
b. Are the references current? Number and percentage of sources in the last 10 years and in the last 5 years? (see Chapter 6; Jones et al., 2020)
5. Examine the study framework or theoretical perspective. – 5 points
a. Is the framework explicitly expressed, or must you extract the framework from statements in the introduction or literature review of the study?
b. Were the concepts and at least one relationship identified, providing a theoretical basis for the study (Chinn et al., 2022; Smith & Liehr, 2018)?
6. List the research objectives, questions, and/or hypotheses guiding the study. – 5 points
7. Identify which of the following types of variable were included in the study: independent, dependent, and/or research variables. A study with an independent variable also includes dependent variables. Research variables are commonly included in descriptive and some correlational studies (see Chapter 5). 5 points
What were the conceptual and operational definitions of two study variables or concepts that were identified in the objectives, questions, or hypotheses? If these are not stated, you need to identify and define two variables in the study purpose.
8. Identify attributes or demographic variables. 5 points
a. What person-related demographic variables were measured, such as income, age, and marital status?
b. Were other demographic variables measured, such as diagnosis, time since diagnosis, and prescriptions identified?
9. Identify the research design. 5 points
a. What is the specific design of the study (see Chapter 8; Gray & Grove, 2021; Kazdin, 2017; Shadish et al., 2002)?
b. Does the study include a treatment or intervention? If so, identify the intervention.
c. If the study has more than one group, how were participants assigned to groups?
10. Describe the sample and setting. 5 points
a. What were the inclusion and exclusion criteria for the sample (see Chapter 9)?
b. What was the sample size? Discuss the refusal rate and percentage, and include the rationale for refusal if presented in the article. Identify if power analysis was used to determine sample size (Aberson, 2019).
c. What was the attrition of the sample (number and percentage) for the study?
d. What were the characteristics of the sample?
e. What was the study setting?
11. Identify the ethical considerations. 5 points
a. Was the study reviewed by an institutional or ethical board?
b. What was the process for informed consent?
12. Identify at least two measurement strategies used in the study. Include the essential information listed below for a scale or physiological measure in a table format. 5 points
a. What were the two key variables that were measured?
b. What was the name of each measurement method, such as the Spiritual Well-Being Scale or adherence questionnaire?
c. What type of measurement strategy was used (e.g., Likert scale, visual analog scale, physiological measure, or existing database) (Bandalos, 2018; DeVellis, 2017; Waltz et al., 2017)?
13. Identify the procedures for data collection. 5 points
14. Describe the statistical analyses used. 5 points
a. What statistical procedures were conducted to describe the sample?
15. What were the findings of the study? Identify two findings discussed by the researchers. 5 points
16. What study limitations did the researcher identify? – 5 points
17. Did the researcher generalize the findings? 5 points
18. What were the implications of the findings for nursing practice? 5 points
19. What suggestions for further study were identified? 5 points
20. What conclusions did the researchers identify? 5 points
This is as far as you go for completion of your research article critique/appraisal.
Please read the information and questions below to help expand or narrow your critique
Step 2: Determining Study Strengths and Weaknesses
1. Research problem and purpose
a. Is the problem significant for nursing (Gallagher-Ford et al., 2020; O’Mathúna & Fineout-Overholt, 2019)?
b. Does the purpose narrow and clarify the focus of the study?
c. Was the study feasible to conduct in terms of money commitment; the researchers’ expertise; and availability of participants, facilities, and equipment (see Chapter 5)?
2. Review of literature
a. Is the literature review organized to demonstrate the progressive development of evidence from previous research?
b. Does the summary of the literature review identify what is known and not known about the research problem and provide direction for the formation of the purpose (Grainger, 2021; Jones et al., 2020)?
3. Study framework
a. Is the framework presented with clarity? If a model or conceptual map of the framework is present, is it adequate to explain the phenomenon of concern?
Research objectives, questions, or hypotheses
a. Are the objectives, questions, or hypotheses expressed clearly and logically linked to the purpose (Gray & Grove, 2021)?
b. Are the objectives, questions, or hypotheses logically linked to the study results (Grove & Cipher, 2020; Kim et al., 2022)?
5. Variables
a. Are the variables reflective of the concepts identified in the framework?
b. Are the variables clearly defined (conceptually and operationally) and based on previous theories and research (Chinn et al., 2022; Smith & Liehr, 2018)?
c. Is the conceptual definition of a variable consistent with the operational definition?
6. Design
a. Is the design used in the study the most appropriate design to address the research purpose and to obtain essential data (Gray & Grove, 2021; Kazdin, 2017; Shadish et al., 2002)?
b. Does the design provide a means to examine all the objectives, questions, or hypotheses?
c. Is the treatment or intervention clearly described? Is the intervention appropriate for examining the study purpose and hypotheses? Does the study framework explain the links between the intervention (independent variable) and the proposed outcomes (dependent variables)?…………..
f. If more than one group is used, do the groups appear equivalent?
g. How were the groups formed? Were the participants randomly assigned to the intervention or control group, or were the groups naturally occurring?
h. Were the participants in the groups matched?
7. Sample, population, and setting
a. Is the sampling method adequate to produce a representative sample?
b. Are any participants excluded from the study because of age, socioeconomic status, or ethnicity without a sound rationale?
c. Did the sample include an understudied population, such as the young, elderly, or a minority group?
d. Were the sampling criteria (inclusion and exclusion) appropriate for the type of study conducted (Gray & Grove, 2021; O’Mathúna & Fineout-Overholt, 2019)?………..
g. Is the setting used in the study appropriate?
h. Was sample attrition a problem? If so, how might this weakness influence the final sample and the study results and findings (Aberson, 2019; Gray & Grove, 2021)?
8. Ethical considerations
a. Were the rights of the study participants protected?
b. Is the study ethical?…………………..
(2) Observation
(a) Is what is to be observed clearly identified and defined?
(b) Are the techniques for recording observations described (Waltz et al., 2017)?
(3) Structured interviews (if used)
(a) Do the interview questions address concerns expressed in the research problem?
(b) Are the interview questions relevant for the research purpose and objectives, questions, or hypotheses (Dillman et al., 2014; Waltz et al., 2017)?
(4) Physiological measures (if used)
(a) Are the physiological measures or instruments clearly described (Ryan-Wenger, 2017)? If appropriate, are the brand names, such as Space Labs or Hewlett-Packard, of the instruments identified?
(b) Are the physiological measures appropriate for the research purpose and objectives, questions, or hypotheses?
(c) Are the accuracy, precision, and error of the physiological instruments discussed (Ryan-Wenger, 2017)?
10. Data collection
a. Is the data collection process clearly described (Gray & Grove, 2021)?
b. Are the data collection methods ethical?
f. Do the data collected address the research objectives, questions, or hypotheses?
g. Did any adverse events occur during data collection; if so, were these appropriately managed?
11. Data analysis
a. Are data analysis procedures appropriate for the type of data collected (Grove & Cipher, 2020; Kim et al., 2022; Leedy & Ormrod, 2019)?
b. Did the researcher address any problems with missing data and how they were managed?
c. Do the data analysis techniques address the study purpose or the research objectives, questions, or hypotheses? Are data analysis procedures clearly described?
d. Are the results presented in an understandable way by narrative, tables, or figures, or a combination of methods (APA, 2020)?
12. Interpretation of findings
a. Are findings discussed in relation to each objective, question, or hypothesis?
b. Are various explanations for significant and nonsignificant findings examined?
c. Are the findings clinically important (O’Mathúna & Fineout-Overholt, 2019)?
d. Are the findings linked to the study framework (Smith & Liehr, 2018)?
e. Are the findings consistent with the findings of previous studies in this area?
i. Were quality suggestions made for future research?
j. Do the conclusions fit the findings from this study and previous studies?
Step 3: Evaluating the Credibility and Meaning of Quantitative Study Findings
Using the following questions as a guide, summarize your evaluation of the study and document your responses.
1. Do the findings from this study build on the findings of previous studies? Review the Discussion section of the study and read some of the other relevant studies cited by the researchers to address this question.
2. When the findings are examined in light of previous studies, what is now known and not known about the phenomenon under study?
3. Could the limitations of the study have been corrected?
4. Do you believe the study findings are valid? How much confidence can be placed in the study findings (Gray & Grove, 2021)?
5. To what populations can the findings be generalized (Kazdin, 2017; Shadish et al., 2002)?
6. Are the findings ready for use in practice (Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt, 2019)?
Critical Appraisal Guidelines for Qualitative Research
Step 1: Guidelines for Identifying the Components of the Qualitative Research Process in Studies
1. Introduction
a. Was the article title clear?
b. Does the title indicate the phenomenon of interest and design of the study conducted—phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography, or exploratory-descriptive qualitative research (APA, 2020; Creswell & Poth, 2018; Gray & Grove, 2021)?
c. Did the abstract include the purpose, sample, key results, and conclusions (APA, 2020)?
2. State the problem.
a. Did the researchers describe the significance of the problem and/or its importance to nursing practice?
b. Did the researchers provide the background of the problem?
c. Was there a clear problem statement (see Chapter 5)?
3. State the purpose.
a. Were research objectives used to guide the study?
b. Was there an overall research question?
4. Examine the literature review.
a. Does the review include a description of a theory and previous studies?
b. Are the references current? (Number and percentage of sources in the last 10 years and in the last 5 years?) (see Chapter 6; Jones et al., 2020)
5. Examine the philosophical foundation or theoretical perspective of the study.
a. Is the philosophy that supports the research design described?
b. Was a theoretical perspective described?
6. Sampling
a. Were inclusion and exclusion criteria identified (see Chapter 9)?
b. How many participants were in the sample?
c. Did the researchers identify the specific type of sampling that was used, such as purposive, network, convenience, or theoretical sampling (see Chapter 9)? If more than one type of sampling was used, did the researchers identify how many participants were recruited through each type of sampling?
7. Identify the ethical considerations.
a. Was the study reviewed by an institutional or ethical board?
b. What was the process for informed consent?
8. Data collection
a. What methods were used to collect data: Interviews, focus groups, observation, or examination of documents?
b. Did the researchers describe how data were managed and analyzed?
9. Results
a. How were the participants described—age, marital status, or other relevant demographic variables?
b. Were the results of the analysis presented as themes, concepts, or a diagram?
10. Discussion
a. What were the findings of the study? Identify two findings discussed by the researchers.
b. What study limitations did the researcher identify?
c. Did the researcher indicate whether the findings might be applicable to other samples?
d. What were the implications of the findings for nursing practice, if any?
e. What suggestions for further study were identified?
11. Conclusions
a. What conclusions did the researchers identify?
Critical appraisal guidelines
Step 2: Determining the Strengths and Weaknesses of Qualitative Studies
1. Research problem and purpose
a. Is the problem significant for nursing (Gallagher-Ford et al., 2020; Meadows-Oliver, 2019)?
b. Does the purpose fit the research problem (Leedy & Ormond, 2019)?
2. Review of literature
a. Is the literature review organized to demonstrate the progressive development of evidence from previous research (Creswell & Creswell, 2018; Leedy & Ormond., 2019)?
b. Does the summary of the literature review identify what is known and not known about the research problem and provide direction for the formation of the purpose (Grainger, 2021)?
3. Study framework: Philosophical and theoretical foundations
a. Was the philosophical foundation or theory appropriate for the research design (Creswell & Poth, 2018)?
b. If a theory guided the study, was it appropriate for the phenomenon of interest and study purpose and used to guide the research questions and data analysis (Creswell, & Poth, 2018; Meadows-Oliver, 2019)?
4. Research objectives, questions, or hypotheses
a. Were the objectives and questions expressed clearly and consistent with the study design (Gray & Grove, 2021)?
b. Were the objectives and questions logically linked to the study results (Leedy & Ormrod, 2019; O’Sullivan & Jefferson, 2020)?
5. Design
a. Was the design consistent with the philosophical foundation of the study (Creswell & Creswell, 2018; Creswell & Poth, 2018)?
b. Was the design consistent with the purpose and research question (Leedy & Ormrod, 2019)?
6. Sampling and the researcher–participant relationship
a. Were the participants’ characteristics and life experiences appropriate to the qualitative approach (see Chapter 3)?
b. Was the number of participants adequate to fulfill the purpose of the study (Creswell & Poth, 2018)?
c. Were the length and depth of the researcher–participant relationships in the study appropriate to the study approach and study purpose (Seidman, 2019)?
7. Ethical considerations
a. Were the rights of the study participants protected (see Chapter 4)?
b. Was the data collection conducted in a safe and private setting (Creswell & Creswell, 2018)?
8. Data collection
For the data collection methods used in the study, answer the following questions:
a. Interviews
(1) Do the interview questions address concerns expressed in the research problem?
(2) Are the interview questions relevant for the research purpose and objectives or questions?
(3) Were the interviews adequate in length and number to address the research purpose or answer the research question (see Chapter 3; Seidman, 2019)?
b. Focus groups
(1) Were the size, composition, and length of the focus group adequate to promote group interaction and to produce robust data (Creswell & Poth, 2018; Kamberelis et al., 2018)?
(2) Were questions used during the focus group relevant to the study’s research purpose and objectives or questions (Gray & Grove, 2021; Seidman, 2019)?
c. Observation
(1) Did the researcher provide details about how much time was spent in observation, including at what times of the day, on which days of the week, and the cumulative amount of time spent (Leedy & Ormrod, 2019)?
(2) Did the researcher describe how notes were made about the observations, such as were notes made during the observation or after the observation (Creswell & Poth, 2018)?
(3) Were the observations of adequate length and implemented across days and times to provide rich data related to the study purpose (Leedy & Ormrod, 2019)?
d. Examining documents and media as data
(1) Were the documents or media materials created specifically for the study, such as participants’ textual responses to a series of open-ended questions on a questionnaire?
(2) For materials not created for the study, were their authenticity and authorship confirmed, such as policy documents and information on websites (Decker et al., 2021)?
9. Data management, analysis, and interpretation
a. Were data analysis and interpretation consistent with the philosophical orientation, research problem, methodology, research question, and purpose of the study (Creswell & Poth, 2018; Miles et al., 2020)?
b. Did the researchers describe how they recorded decisions made during analysis and interpretation, usually in the form of an audit trail (Miles et al., 2020)?
c. Did the researchers link the codes and themes used with participants’ quotes?
d. Did the researchers provide adequate description of the data analysis and interpretation processes (Miles et al., 2020)?
10. Results
a. Were the results presented in a way that was consistent with the qualitative design and philosophy (Creswell & Poth, 2018)?
(1) Phenomenology—rich description of live experience
(2) Grounded theory—theoretical description of social processes
(3) Ethnography—description of a culture, whether race/ethnic or an organization
(4) Exploratory-descriptive qualitative research—problem-solving answer to the research question
b. Were the results supported by participant quotes, specific observations, or analysis of the documents (Miles et al., 2020; O’Sullivan & Jefferson, 2020)?
11. Discussion
a. Are findings discussed in relation to the objectives or questions?
b. Are the findings linked to the study framework or philosophical foundation (Smith & Liehr, 2018)?
c. Are the findings consistent with the findings of previous studies in this area (Creswell & Creswell, 2018)?
d. Does the study have limitations not identified by the researcher?
e. Were the identified implications for practice appropriate based on the study findings and the findings from previous research (Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt, 2019)?
f. Were quality suggestions made for future research?
g. Do the conclusions fit the findings from this study and previous studies?
Critical appraisal guidelines
Step 3: Evaluating the Trustworthiness and Meaning of Qualitative Study Findings
1. Do the study findings accurately portray the perspectives of the participants (Stahl & King, 2020)?
2. Were standards of qualitative research applied during the study, such as the detail built into the design, carefulness of data collection, and thoroughness of analysis (Creswell & Creswell, 2018; Morse, 2018)?
3. Do the findings from this study build on the findings of previous studies?
4. When the findings are integrated with the findings of previous studies, what is now known and not known about the phenomenon under study?
5. Could the limitations of the study have been corrected?
6. Do you believe the study findings are trustworthy and credible? How much confidence can be placed in the study findings (Gray & Grove, 2021; Meadows-Oliver, 2019)?
7. What is your overall evaluation of the study’s quality and contribution to nursing knowledge and practice?