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

Question 1

In the critical appraisal process, a research consumer reads through the abstract and research report. References are examined closely, and the research report is analyzed for completeness of the major sections. Which step of the research critique process is described here?

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

Answer 1

Comprehension

Question 2

A critical appraisal should be a/an:

A) analysis of a study's internal validity problems.
B) balanced appraisal of a study's strengths and weaknesses.
C) criticism of the researcher's faulty decisions.
D) inventory of problems in the study.

Answer 2

balanced appraisal of a study's strengths and weaknesses.

Question 3

When critiquing qualitative research, it is important to:

A) analyze the researcher's adherence to qualitative standards of investigation.
B) avoid comparison of the study with other published studies to prevent bias.
C) emphasize study strengths over weaknesses.
D) use the same approach for both qualitative and quantitative study critiques.

Answer 3

analyze the researcher's adherence to qualitative standards of investigation.

Question 4

Which of the following statements would be an acceptable response to the question, "What is the study problem?"

A) "It was very unclear what the researcher was trying to accomplish. I found it lengthy and difficult to read. The vocabulary was way over my head and I got lost trying to figure things out."
B) "The researcher did not do a very good job of presenting the study problem."
C) "The researcher states the study problem completely and concisely. It is clear to the reader what was trying to be accomplished with the research."
D) "No problem was presented."

Question 5

An unlikely outcome of scientific inquiry would include:

A) identification of new research problems.
B) implementation of a perfect research design.
C) improved understanding of the real world.
D) increased ability to predict and control outcomes in nursing practice.

Question 6

Identification of the elements or steps of a quantitative study is part of which of the following steps in the critical appraisal process?

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

Question 7

What major skill is required to competently evaluate research?

A) A high level of clinical expertise
B) A thorough knowledge of the topic
C) The ability to think critically
D) The ability to write concisely

Question 8

Which two phases of a research critique are most likely to be done simultaneously?

A) Analysis and evaluation
B) Comparison and analysis
C) Comprehension and comparison
D) Each step is unique and is conducted separately.

Question 9

As a research consumer reads through a research report, the logical flow and connection among the problem, purpose, and objectives are assessed. Which step of the critical appraisal process is described here?

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

Question 10

A nurse reviewing a research article on anxiety in new mothers notes that the researcher used the tool "worry assessment scale" to measure level of anxiety during the first 3 months of motherhood. The nurse questions the validity of this tool for measuring anxiety. Which phase of the critique process is she using?

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

Question 11

A critique of the logical links connecting one element with another in a quantitative study is part of which of the following steps in the critical appraisal process?

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

Question 12

How is an intellectual critical appraisal different from other kinds of critiques? An intellectual critical appraisal:

A) focuses on the strengths of the study rather than the negative components.
B) is used to determine the quality of empirical evidence generated by studies.
C) judges the researcher's ability to conduct the study.
D) looks at both the work itself and the creator of the work.

Question 13

What is the basic purpose of the comprehension phase of critiquing a research study?

A) Answer as many of the critique questions as possible
B) Gain a basic understanding of the research
C) Identify the independent and dependent variables
D) Look up any words or concepts that are not clear

Question 14

Where might a beginning researcher look to discover critiques of research to learn how to evaluate studies?

A) American Journal of Nursing
B) Nursing Times
C) RN
D) Western Journal of Nursing Research

Question 15

Why is the critical appraisal of nursing research essential?

A) Determining the pros and cons of a study will help nurses learn research.
B) It indicates training in research within the profession.
C) Journal editors need to hear from readers what kind of research they like.
D) There is a strong movement toward evidence-based practice.

Question 16

What is the very first step in critically appraising an article?

A) Consider the researcher's goals
B) Determine the study problem
C) Find each section of the report
D) Thoroughly read the entire article

Question 17

Examining a quantitative study to determine the extent to which the researcher followed the "rules" for an ideal study is part of which of the following steps in the critique process?

A) Analysis
B) Comparison
C) Comprehension
D) Conceptual clustering

Question 18

A researcher is critiquing the published study of another researcher. Which of the following questions is not an appropriate question to ask when examining the study?

A) Can the study be replicated by other researchers?
B) Did the researchers use sound methodology?
C) Was the research problem significant?
D) What preparation did the researcher have to conduct the study?

Question 19

In which phase of the critical appraisal is the study compared and contrasted with the ideal, requiring that the reviewer understand each step of the research process?

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

Question 20

The evaluation phase of the critical appraisal process reflects which key study characteristic relevant to implementation of the findings in practice?

A) Internal validity
B) Methodology
C) Quality
D) Sample size

Question 21

A researcher explores the following question: Are there differences in energy expenditure between toileting in bed or out of bed in healthy adults and hospitalized patients? Which of the following is the independent variable?

A) Adult health status
B) Energy expenditure
C) Toileting in bed
D) Toileting out of bed

Question 22

The following hypothesis, daily "doses of humor" will cause arthritis sufferers to use less pain medication and exercise longer, was listed in a study being critiqued. What kind of hypothesis is this?

A) Associative, complex
B) Causal, nondirectional
C) Complex, directional
D) Simple, directional

Question 23

The following hypothesis was investigated in a study you are reviewing: Children who have a parent who is dieting are more likely to put themselves on diets at a young age. As you critique this study, what kind of hypothesis will you report?

A) Associative, complex
B) Causal, nondirectional
C) Complex, directional
D) Simple, directional

Question 24

The following hypothesis, daily "doses of humor" will cause arthritis sufferers to use less pain medication and exercise longer, was listed in a study being critiqued. Which of the following is the operational definition of "dose of humor"?

A) Each day subjects in the treatment group will watch a full length comedy film before a prescribed exercise period. Each film shown will have been screened by five assistants and must evoke laughter at least 30% of the time of the film.
B) The "doses of humor" will be defined as subjects taking turns telling jokes to each other for 20 minutes each day.
C) The operational definition of "doses of humor" for purposes of this study will be the reading of three jokes taken from the newspaper each day.
D) The operational definition of "doses of humor" is that each day something funny will happen to the participant.

Question 25

The following hypothesis was investigated in a study for review: Children who have a parent who is dieting are more likely to put themselves on diets at a young age. Which of the following is the dependent variable?

A) Children
B) Dieting behavior of parent(s)
C) Dieting behavior of child
D) Young age

Question 26

What is the dependent variable in the following hypothesis: teenagers who have a high self-concept will be less likely to diet than those with a low self-concept?

A) Age of subject
B) Dieting status
C) Self-concept
D) Teenager

Question 27

Which of the following best describes the following hypothesis: Teenagers who have a high self-concept will be less likely to diet than those with a low self-concept?

A) Associative, complex
B) Causal, nondirectional
C) Complex, directional
D) Simple, directional

Question 28

If a reviewer is asking "Is the problem significant and relevant to nursing?", what part of the study is being critiqued?

A) Literature review
B) Research objectives, questions, or hypotheses
C) Research problem and purpose
D) Study framework

Question 29

The following hypothesis was investigated in a study for review: children who have a parent who is dieting are more likely to put themselves on diets at a young age. Which of the following is the independent variable?

A) Children
B) Dieting behavior of child
C) Dieting behavior of parent(s)
D) Young age

Question 30

The following hypothesis was investigated in a study: daily "doses of humor" will cause arthritis sufferers to use less pain medication and exercise longer. Which of the following is the independent variable?

A) Amount of pain medication
B) Arthritis sufferers
C) Doses of humor
D) Length of exercise

Question 31

If a reviewer is asking "Are they sufficiently sensitive to detect differences between subjects?", what part of the study is being critiqued?

A) Measurements
B) Research objectives, questions, or hypotheses
C) Study framework
D) Variables

Question 32

If a reviewer is asking "To what populations can the findings be generalized?", which phase of the research critique is represented?

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

Question 33

The following hypothesis was investigated in a study: Daily "doses of humor" will cause arthritis sufferers to use less pain medication and exercise longer. Which of the following listed is the dependent variable?

A) Arthritis sufferers
B) Frequency of humor
C) Humor
D) Length of exercise

Question 34

If a reviewer is asking "What implications do the findings have for practice?", which phase of the research critique is represented?

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

Question 35

A researcher explores the following question: Are there differences in energy expenditure between toileting in bed or out of bed in healthy adults and hospitalized patients? Which of the following is the dependent variable?

A) Adult health status
B) Energy expenditure
C) Hospitalized patients
D) Toileting method

Question 36

If a reviewer is asking "Is it related to nursing's body of knowledge?", what part of the study is being critiqued?

A) Literature review
B) Research objectives, questions, or hypotheses
C) Research problem and purpose
D) Study framework

Question 37

If a reviewer is asking "Is a means provided to examine all of the objectives, questions, or hypotheses and the study purpose?", what part of the study is being critiqued?

A) Design
B) Research objectives, questions, or hypotheses
C) Research problem and purpose
D) Study framework

Question 38

The following hypothesis was investigated in a study you are reviewing: Teenagers who have a high self-concept will be less likely to diet than those with a low self-concept. As you critique this study, which terms do not require an operational definition?

A) Age of subject
B) Dieting status
C) Self-concept
D) Teenager

Question 39

If a reviewer is asking "Does the summary of the current empirical and theoretical knowledge provide a basis for the study?", what part of the study is being critiqued?

A) Literature review
B) Research objectives, questions, or hypotheses
C) Research problem and purpose
D) Study framework

Question 40

What is the independent variable in the following hypothesis: teenagers who have a high self-concept will be less likely to diet than those with a low self-concept?

A) Age of subject
B) Dieting status
C) Self-concept
D) Teenager

Question 41

In looking at the sampling plan of a study, the reviewer knows that the sample size needed for a study increases when the:

A) alpha level is increased from 0.01 to 0.05.
B) number of variables in the study increases.
C) one-tailed versus two-tailed statistical test is used.
D) sensitivity of the instruments used is high.

Question 42

Extraneous variables in a research study are best:

A) identified by the researcher.
B) identified by the reviewer.
C) included in the analysis.
D) left out of the critique.

Question 43

Which of the following statements would come from the evaluation section of a research critique? The:

A) researcher has reported findings significant to the nursing community.
B) sample was evaluated and found to be nonrepresentative of the population the researcher was trying to study.
C) study used a random sampling method that was appropriate to the design.
D) subjects' rights were not protected because there is no mention of the IRB review process.

Question 44

If self-concept is one of the variables in a quantitative study, which of the following operational definitions would be favorably critiqued?

A) Each individual will be given an overview of the concept of the self and asked to write a definition telling about his or her own self-concept.
B) For purposes of this study, the self-concept will be defined as the subject's score on the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept scale.
C) Self-concept is an individual's view of himself and/or herself. It is the positive and negative feelings of self-definition and self-worth and factors that are important to the self.
D) Self-concept will be measured as positive or negative.

Question 45

Which of the following can be reassuring to a novice researcher who has been asked to critique a research study?

A) A critique is an opinion. If the novice understands the research process and thinks critically, he or she has as much right to an opinion as an expert.
B) If the researcher conducting the study has completed many previous studies, the individual critiquing the study can assume a quality study.
C) Much of the critique is based on supposition anyway, so the novice has as much expertise as anyone when it comes to writing one.
D) Because no one can prove anything in research, but only support previous work, a novice researcher is as skillful as the expert.

Question 46

Which of the following is true about critiquing the literature review?

A) All studies connected with the topic should be presented.
B) The literature review for a qualitative study is going to be much lengthier than for a quantitative one.
C) The literature should be summarized and presented in chronological order.
D) The researcher should gather all relevant literature and present it as it applies to the current study, noting agreements, disagreements, and gaps in the knowledge base.

Question 47

Which of the following standards are not typically applied to qualitative research studies?

A) Descriptive vividness
B) Methodological congruence
C) Philosophical or theoretical connectedness
D) Statistical appropriateness for data analysis

Question 48

A researcher conducted a very well-conceived and -implemented qualitative research study, but failed to link the findings to an area of nursing practice. What would the individual critiquing the study fault the researcher on?

A) Auditability
B) Descriptive vividness
C) Heuristic relevance
D) Clinical, policy & theoretical significance

Question 49

Which of the following are not considered threats to analytical and interpretative preciseness in a qualitative study? Failure to:

A) include enough participants to support the findings
B) involve two or more researchers in data analysis or to describe how disagreements about data analysis were handled
C) present the findings in a way that yields a meaningful picture of the phenomenon under study
D) return the findings to participants or experts in the area or to readers who determine results are consistent with common meanings and understandings

Question 50

To critique a study, one must:

A) be an experienced researcher and thoroughly understand the research process.
B) be doctorally prepared and received a certificate to critique.
C) have received some education regarding research and the research process.
D) hold a master's degree and have conducted at least one study.

Question 51

Which of the following would indicate that purposive sampling was used correctly in a study that is being critiqued?

A) Sample members are determined by finding a designated number of subjects from each of several identified groups (men, women, high school graduates, etc.).
B) Subjects who have knowledge about the study topic are asked to participate in the study; those who agree become the sample.
C) The names of all possible subjects are put into a hat, and an adequate number are drawn out.
D) Volunteers are solicited from the entire population, and those who agree become subjects in the study.

Question 52

Which of the following would represent a failure to adhere to ethical standards in a qualitative study?

A) Conducting the study after first obtaining permission from the IRB
B) Continuing to question a subject about a traumatic incident after the subject begins to openly sob and asks to be excused
C) Mentioning that subjects had the right to refuse to participate in the study
D) Not including all the specific details of a study in the informed consent document

Question 53

When critiquing sample size in a study, which of the following study type would require the largest sample size?

A) Correlational
B) Experimental
C) Grounded theory
D) Phenomenological

Question 54

A researcher has obtained a sample of individuals who are HIV positive. Which of the following sampling methods would the reviewer expect to find elaborated in the research report?

A) Accidental
B) Cluster
C) Network
D) Simple random

Question 55

Which statement by a reviewer would indicate an understanding of the critique of threats to adequate documentation of the participants in a qualitative study?

A) Registered nurses were interviewed in four states. They were selected appropriately and seemed to represent the population.
B) The researcher gave a thorough description of the study sample including the rationale for subject selection and the context and location of the study.
C) The subjects were randomly selected and are representative of the study population.
D) The subjects were selected using stratified random sampling methods.

Question 56

A researcher reports on a qualitative study and does not give enough information about how decisions were reached. What would the reviewer say about this omission?

A) The researcher did not provide enough protection for the subjects in this study. It is unclear what happened after the in-depth questioning on this very sensitive topic. From the information presented, debriefing did not take place and would seem to be necessary in this study.
B) Findings in the study indicate that another researcher with similar background would undoubtedly arrive at the same conclusions, particularly if the subjects came from a similar population.
C) The researcher failed to provide enough information for anyone else to arrive at the same conclusion. This threat to auditability is further emphasized because the researcher did not provide the reader with a sufficient number of quotes to support the findings.
D) There is a significant problem with the significance of the study.

Question 57

Which of the following is an important skill when critiquing qualitative research?

A) An ability to determine appropriate statistical tests for this type of research
B) Being able to identify the potential weaknesses of qualitative research
C) Distinguishing quantitative from qualitative research
D) Finding the hypothesis since they are often hidden in a qualitative study

Question 58

Which of the following would be a reasonable critique of a study title? The title:

A) provided the study's focus without becoming lengthy.
B) seemed to appropriately represent the study content.
C) was lackluster and did not invite the reader's attention.
D) was much too long but accurately conveyed the content.

Question 59

Which of the following statements is true regarding a critique of qualitative research?

A) Because of the unique nature of the different types of qualitative research, it is necessary to critique each one according to a specific and distinctive plan.
B) It is essentially personal opinion as to the strengths and weaknesses of a qualitative study, so it is much easier to critique this type of research.
C) Putting the emphasis on the weaknesses of the study is common practice with critiquing qualitative research.
D) When critiquing a qualitative study, you need to examine differences between the qualitative approaches.