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

Question 1

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.

Answer 1

identify the meaning and credibility of the study.

Question 2

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.

Answer 2

Identify the steps in the research process,determine the strengths and weaknesses,and evaluate the credibility and meaning of the findings.

Question 3

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

Answer 3

By questioning the quality,credibility,and meaning of studies

Question 4

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 5

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 6

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 7

What key principle for critically appraising research studies involves the report being complete,concise,clearly presented,and logically organized?

A) Be objective and realistic in identifying the study's strengths and weaknesses.
B) Examine the organization and presentation of the research report.
C) Provide a rationale for your critical appraisal comments.
D) Evaluate the quality of the study.

Question 8

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 9

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 10

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 11

A nurse researcher explains the importance of critically appraising research to a group of graduate-level nursing students.Which statement by a nursing student indicates the need for further teaching?

A) "Research is critically appraised to broaden understanding for conducting a study."
B) "Critical appraisal is an examination of the quantity of a study to determine the credibility and meaning of the findings for nursing."
C) "Research is critically appraised to improve practice and provide a background for conducting a study."
D) "Critical appraisal or critique is associated with critical thinking and evaluation."

Question 12

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 13

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.

Question 14

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 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

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

Question 17

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 18

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 19

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

Question 20

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 21

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 22

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 23

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 24

Which of the following are true statements about the purpose of conducting critical appraisals of studies in nursing? Select all that apply.

A) Critical appraisals are seldom conducted for a class project.
B) Critical appraisals are often conducted before verbal presentations of studies.
C) Critical appraisals are often conducted after a published research report.
D) Critical appraisals are seldom conducted for article selection for publication.
E) Critical appraisals are often conducted for selection of abstracts when studies are presented at conferences.

Question 25

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 26

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 27

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 28

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 omission in which part of the appraisal?

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

Question 29

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.

Question 30

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

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

Question 31

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 32

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 33

Which of the following are accurate statements about critical appraisal of research following presentation and publication? Select all that apply.

A) Nurses who attend research conferences note that critical appraisals and questions often precede presentations of studies.
B) Critical appraisals assist researchers in identifying the strengths and weaknesses of their studies and generating ideas for further research.
C) Participants listening to critiques of studies always gain insight into the conduct of research.
D) Experiencing the critique process can increase the conference participants' ability to evaluate studies.
E) Published research critiques often decrease the reader's understanding of the study and the quality of the study findings.

Question 34

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 35

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 36

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 37

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 38

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 39

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 40

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 41

Which group of nurses need expertise in the critical appraisal of research? Select all that apply.

A) Practicing nurses
B) Student nurses
C) Retired nurses
D) Nurse educators
E) Inactive nurses

Question 42

While critically appraising a quantitative research study,what will the reviewer assess when critiquing the title of the study? Select all that apply.

A) Clarity of the title's focus
B) All study variables and population
C) Type of study conducted such as phenomenology and the variables
D) Type of study conducted such as descriptive and the variables
E) Key study variables and population

Question 43

Which of the following are true statements about critical appraisal of research proposals? Select all that apply.

A) Conducted to improve student research projects
B) To permit data collection in an institution
C) To select the best studies for funding by local organizations only
D) Reviewed for funding from selected government agencies,corporations,and foundations
E) Government agencies develop their own format for reviewing and funding research projects.