Deck 19: Critiquing Quantitative Research

Question 1

What is indicated by the following statement found in the abstract of a study report?
"This research was an exploratory descriptive investigation of the pregnancy experiences of a multiethnic group of pregnant adolescents."

A) Aims
B) Design
C) Significance
D) Implications

Answer 1

Design

Question 2

Which of the following issues should be addressed in both the problem statement and the purpose of a quantitative research study report?

A) Generalizability
B) Sampling procedure
C) Implications for future research
D) Relationships among the variables

Answer 2

Relationships among the variables

Question 3

In their study entitled "Self-Efficiency of Staff Nurses for Health Promotion Counselling of Patients at Risk for Stroke," Mayer et al.used a quasiexperimental design.What critical design criteria were met by the researchers?

A) Cross-sectional sample selected from a variety of practice settings
B) Hypotheses
C) Random sampling
D) Distinct control and experimental groups selected

Answer 3

Hypotheses

Question 4

What term represents the ability of the researcher to determine which part of a nursing research study is the most important to be communicated to the profession?

A) Constructive evaluation
B) Personal judgement
C) Scientific merit
D) Personal merit

Question 5

What is indicated by the following statement found in the report of a quantitative nursing research study?
"By formalizing parenting education in the immediate postpartum period,midwives may have the opportunity to reduce the prevalence of postnatal depression."

A) Results
B) Analysis
C) Implications
D) Recommendations

Question 6

Which of the following statements evaluating a report of a quantitative research study reflects issues related to style?

A) The sample size was appropriate for the statistical tests used.
B) There was one independent variable and two dependent variables.
C) Data described in narrative form within the text would have been more concise if they had been placed in a table.
D) The data presented support the direction of the primary hypothesis.

Question 7

What is suggested by the following statement found in the study by Hudson,Elek,and Campbell-Grossman,entitled,"Depression,Self-Esteem,Loneliness,and Social Support Among Adolescent Mothers Participating in the New Mothers' Project"?
"The high CES-D scores may indicate selection bias."

A) Implications for practice
B) Limitations of the study
C) Generalizability of the study
D) Recommendations for future research

Question 8

Which of the following statements evaluating a report of a quantitative research study reflects issues related to scientific merit?

A) The sample size was appropriate for the statistical tests used.
B) There was one independent variable and two dependent variables.
C) Data described in narrative form within the text would have been more concise if they had been placed in a table.
D) The discussion was too long.

Question 9

Under which heading of a research report are the threats to a study's internal and external validity usually presented?

A) Design
B) Results
C) Discussion
D) Data analysis

Question 10

A nursing student is critiquing a research study on the effects of test anxiety reduction and a review course on CRNE success rates among graduate nurses.The student notes several threats to internal validity.Which variable's accuracy is affected by these threats?

A) CRNE success rates
B) Graduate nurses
C) Review course
D) Type of nursing program

Question 11

Why should other nurses evaluate the scientific merit of quantitative nursing research studies?

A) To diversify the focus of nursing
B) To broaden the base for nursing practice
C) To demonstrate that nursing is a true science as well as a discipline
D) To ensure that nursing research does not "borrow" from other disciplines

Question 12

Where in a report of a quantitative research study would you expect the gaps or conflicts about the studied phenomenon to be identified?

A) Analysis of data
B) Research design
C) Problem statement
D) Review of the literature

Question 13

Where in a report of a quantitative research study would you expect the gaps or conflicts about the studied phenomenon to be identified?

A) Analysis of data
B) Research design
C) Problem statement
D) Review of the literature

Question 14

In evaluating quantitative research,in which order can a researcher expect to review the report's segments?
A.Methodology
B.Introduction
C.Literature Review
D.Discussion
E.Results

A) a, b, c, d, e
B) b, a, c, d, e
C) e, d, c, b, a
D) b, c, a, e, d

Question 15

How should a research consumer evaluate the following statement in a research report?
"A positive correlation was found between the variables of self-reported sleep adequacy and performance on the driving simulator (r = 0.21),although the correlation did not reach statistical significance."

A) No relationship exists between the two variables.
B) The hypothesis was supported by the data presented.
C) The hypothesis was not supported by the data presented.
D) The relationships among the variables are too weak to have practical application.

Question 16

Which of the following processes should be involved in the critiquing of a quantitative research report?

A) Applying the findings in clinical practice
B) Summarizing the major steps of the research process
C) Constructively evaluating a study for its strengths and weaknesses
D) Determining whether the phenomenon studied can be recognized by the participants as their own