Deck 12: Critical Appraisal of Quantitative and Qualitative Research for Nursing Practice

Question 1

When appraising the introduction section of a research study,what will the reviewer look for?

A) Completeness and quality of the study abstract
B) Evaluation of a comprehensive review of the literature
C) Significance of the research problem to practice
D) Study purpose and design

Answer 1

Completeness and quality of the study abstract

Question 2

A reviewer critically appraising a study about self-care behaviors of adolescents who have cystic fibrosis evaluates comparisons of this sample to those from studies of young adults with cystic fibrosis.This appraiser is evaluating the:

A) credibility and meaning of the study.
B) framework and key concepts of the study.
C) limitations of the study.
D) reliability and validity of the study.

Answer 2

credibility and meaning of the study.

Question 3

What is important to assess when critically appraising a literature review?

A) If previous studies support the research problem
B) If textbooks are included in the reference list
C) What sources are used to provide study funding
D) Whether relevant studies are discussed

Answer 3

Whether relevant studies are discussed

Question 4

What are the steps used to evaluate quantitative research studies?

A) Assess the study design, evaluate the sampling methods, and review the study conclusions.
B) Determine the study purpose, review the study data, and evaluate the implications for further research.
C) Evaluate the study methods, validate the measurement tools, and determine the quality of results.
D) Identify the steps in the research process, determine the strengths and weaknesses, and evaluate the credibility and meaning of the findings.

Question 5

How are study results utilized to develop evidence for practice?

A) Only evidence and data from strong studies are used.
B) Only quantitative studies are used to build evidence
C) Strong points from multiple studies are used to build evidence.
D) Studies must be replicated successfully to be used for evidence.

Question 6

A reviewer reads through a study from beginning to end,noting whether the title and abstract are clear,if relevant terms are defined,and if the introduction,methods,results,and discussion are plainly identified.This represents which part of a critical appraisal?

A) Analysis of the study methods
B) Comprehension of the study outcomes
C) Evaluation of the literature review
D) Identification of the steps of the research process

Question 7

When assessing the conclusions,findings,and implications of a study,the appraiser will:

A) determine whether alternate hypotheses are possible.
B) ensure that results are not based on past research.
C) identify that findings are specific to the sample population.
D) refute the study if limitations are identified.

Question 8

A reviewer is critically appraising a study's variables.What will the researcher evaluate?

A) Conceptual and operational definitions of variables
B) Relationships of demographic variables to key concepts in the study framework
C) Whether variables and key concepts are linked
D) Use of all types of variables, including independent, dependent, and research variables

Question 9

How do practicing nurses participate in critical appraisal of research?

A) By adhering to evidence-based practice guidelines and best practices
B) By presenting findings from their own outcomes research
C) By questioning the quality, credibility, and meaning of studies
D) By reading research journals to keep current in knowledge and practice

Question 10

What will the reviewer assess when critically appraising a study framework?

A) How the variables and concepts are evaluated and measured
B) What the research hypothesis is and how it was developed
C) Whether the literature review is complete
D) Whether the study variables link to key concepts

Question 11

When critically appraising a research study,the reviewer will expect to find:

A) identification of new research problems.
B) implementation of a perfect research design.
C) precise understanding of the real world.
D) tools to control outcomes in nursing practice.

Question 12

What will the reviewer do during the evaluation portion of a critical appraisal of a research study?

A) Assess whether the measurement tools are consistent with the phenomena of interest
B) Determine whether the study findings are meaningful and should be implemented in practice
C) Discuss the statistical analysis of the study's findings including demographic and experimental data
D) Review the components of the study to gain an overall understanding of the study report

Question 13

The goal of a critical appraisal should be to:

A) determine where faults exist in the study design.
B) evaluate whether a proposed study is feasible.
C) identify the meaning and credibility of the study.
D) review the credentials and expertise of the researcher.

Question 14

While critically appraising a study,a reviewer notes that the study includes an intervention.What will the reviewer assess?

A) If the intervention is consistently implemented using a clearly described protocol
B) How the intervention is administered to each subject in the study sample
C) If the intervention is consistently administered to both experimental and control subjects
D) Whether the intervention has been used in prior studies

Question 15

When reading a research article in a refereed journal,the nurse researcher is assured that the article:

A) describes a study undergoing review.
B) has been previously published.
C) is printed in abstract form only.
D) is of high quality and standards.

Question 16

In which type of study design would a reviewer expect to find a discussion of extraneous variables?

A) Ethnographic
B) Qualitative
C) Quasi-experimental
D) Phenomenological

Question 17

What is the goal of an intellectual critical appraisal of a research study?

A) To determine whether a study should be replicated
B) To identify strengths and weaknesses in a study
C) To determine whether a study should be implemented into practice
D) To weed out and discard studies that are flawed

Question 18

A reviewer conducting a critical appraisal of a research study compares and contrasts study methods with those that are ideal,representing which step of the research process?

A) Analysis
B) Comparison
C) Comprehension
D) Evaluation

Question 19

A reviewer is asked to critically appraise a report to help determine whether funding will be allocated for a research study.This reviewer will be appraising a research:

A) abstract.
B) article.
C) literature review.
D) proposal.

Question 20

An intellectual critical appraisal differs from other kinds of critiques because it:

A) focuses solely on the strengths of the study.
B) evaluates the quality and meaning of empirical evidence.
C) judges the researcher's ability and credentials.
D) regards both the work itself as well as the study author.

Question 21

All nurses need to have expertise in which skill regarding research?

A) Critical appraisal
B) Interviewing techniques
C) Literature review
D) Statistical analysis

Question 22

What is not necessary for a reviewer to include in a critical appraisal when evaluating study sampling methods?

A) Characteristics of the sample
B) Eligibility criteria
C) Sample attrition
D) Study setting

Question 23

When establishing that a researcher has produced a result consistent with the views of the participants interviewed for a study,the critical appraiser has determined which strength of a qualitative study?

A) Confirmability
B) Credibility
C) Dependability
D) Trustworthiness

Question 24

In a critical appraisal,a reviewer conducts an audit of the transcripts of interviews and determines that the author's conclusions are correct.This is an example of:

A) confirmability.
B) credibility.
C) dependability.
D) trustworthiness.

Question 25

What is the focus of a critical appraisal of qualitative research studies?

A) Completeness of the literature review
B) Conceptual and operational definition of variables
C) Integrity of study design and methods
D) Validity of study measures

Question 26

During a critical appraisal of a research study,the reviewer determines that a study about blood glucose monitoring of patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus has implications for patients with type 2 diabetes.The reviewer will determine this during which phase of the research critique?

A) Analysis
B) Comparison
C) Comprehension
D) Evaluation

Question 27

A reviewer critically appraises a study.Which aspect of the review indicates a weakness in the study?

A) The conceptual definitions of variables are consistent with operational definitions.
B) The literature review identifies what is known and not known about the problem.
C) The researcher identifies and discusses threats to design validity.
D) The statement of purpose provides a broad, general focus for the study.

Question 28

Once a qualitative study has been evaluated for credibility,transferability,dependability,and confirmability,the study is considered to be:

A) generalizable.
B) reliable.
C) trustworthy.
D) valid.

Question 29

Which is true about the evaluation of study variables in a critical appraisal of a research study?

A) It is not necessary to identify whether the measures are nominal, ordinal, ratio, or interval.
B) The reviewer will be concerned only with the reliability of measures in the current study.
C) The reviewer will identify the names and authors of the measurement strategies.
D) The reviewer will make sure research variables are defined conceptually but not operationally.

Question 30

A reviewer performs a critical appraisal of a study and notes that the researcher conducted a previous pilot study.The reviewer will:

A) discount any findings not congruent with the pilot study.
B) ensure that the larger study and pilot study used identical data collection methods.
C) ignore the findings of the pilot study because they are not relevant to this study.
D) note whether the pilot study findings were used to design the current study.

Question 31

During an initial review of a study,the reviewer will expect the methods section of the research report to include:

A) a description of the study design and sampling methods.
B) the limitations and generalizations of the study.
C) tables and figures representing study results.
D) the framework and definitions of study variables.

Question 32

A reviewer conducts a critical appraisal of a study and notes that the study abstract does not include key results.The reviewer will discuss this in which part of the appraisal?

A) Introduction
B) Literature review
C) Problem
D) Purpose

Question 33

A determination that findings in a qualitative study are applicable to other populations is an evaluation of a study's:

A) generalizability.
B) reliability.
C) transferability.
D) validity.

Question 34

What are the three steps of critical appraisal of qualitative research?

A) Assess the study design, evaluate sampling methods, and review study conclusions.
B) Determine the study purpose, review study data, and evaluate implications for further research.
C) Identify the components of the research process, determine strengths and weaknesses, and evaluate the trustworthiness of the study.
D) Identify the steps in the research process, determine strengths and weaknesses, and evaluate the credibility and meaning of the findings.

Question 35

What standard may be applied to determine the strengths and weaknesses in a qualitative research study?

A) Consistency of study methods with guidelines of expert researchers
B) Determination of the generalizability of the study findings
C) Reliability of scales of measurement used in data collection
D) Validity of statistical analyses used in data analysis

Question 36

When critically appraising the dependability of qualitative research,the reviewer evaluates:

A) documentation of decisions made during analysis of the findings.
B) if interrater reliability has been determined.
C) whether measurement tools have internal validity.
D) whether statistical analysis has been performed.