Deck 3: Gathering and Appraising the Literature

Question 1

Which objective of a review of the literature is unique to a review for research purposes?

A) Discover conceptual traditions used to examine problems
B) Generate useful research questions and hypotheses for nursing
C) Determine what is unknown about a subject, concept, or problem as well as what requires clarification
D) Uncover a new practice intervention or gain support for current interventions, protocols, and policies

Answer 1

Generate useful research questions and hypotheses for nursing

Question 2

Which statement most accurately describes a student gathering information on a topic in preparing a paper for a class assignment?

A) Critiquing a study
B) Researching a topic
C) Conducting a study
D) Searching the literature

Answer 2

Researching a topic

Question 3

Which statement represents an operational definition?

A) Spirituality is a way of being or experiencing that comes about through an awareness of a transcendent dimension and one's identifiable values with regard to self, other, nature, and whatever one considers to be ultimate (Elkins, 1988).
B) Death anxiety is an uncomfortable feeling on contemplation of one's own death (Templer, 1986), measured by Templer's Death Anxiety Scale.
C) Maternal identity entails maternal cognitions and affect with regard to the maternal-infant relational system (Walker and Montgomery, 1994).
D) Pain is a pattern of responses to protect the organism from harm (Sternbach, 1979).

Answer 3

Death anxiety is an uncomfortable feeling on contemplation of one's own death (Templer, 1986), measured by Templer's Death Anxiety Scale.

Question 4

What is the most important question a nurse researcher should ask when evaluating a journal article's review of the literature?

A) How was the review conducted?
B) Was every relevant article critiqued?
C) Does the review of the literature uncover knowledge?
D) Was there an appropriate number of secondary sources?

Question 5

Which statement regarding the literature review for research purposes is most accurate?

A) The review of the literature has no relevance in interpreting the findings.
B) The researcher needs only to review the literature that supports the findings.
C) The researcher should review literature that supports and refutes the findings.
D) The review of the literature is of relevance to the conceptualization of the study.

Question 6

Which selection demonstrates a Boolean connection in conducting a literature search?

A) Explode topic
B) Limit search to abstracts
C) Search from 1995 to 2001
D) Search diabetes diagnosis and treatment

Question 7

Which statement is a correct definition of theory?

A) The assumptions and beliefs of the worldview of the researcher
B) A set of interrelated concepts that provides a systematic view of a phenomenon
C) The specific and measurable premise or assumption on which rational decisions for research direction are made
D) A researcher's best guess of the expected direction of the relationship between the independent and dependent variables

Question 8

Which Web site is an important source for clinical evidence but limited as a provider of primary documents for literature reviews?

A) CINAHL
B) MEDLINE
C) Cochrane Library
D) PsycINFO

Question 9

What resource represents the most comprehensive print source for nursing literature?

A) MEDLINE
B) Card catalogue
C) World Wide Web
D) Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL)

Question 10

Which of the following sets of terms contains the most closely related concepts?

A) Conceptual literature, empirical literature, data-based literature
B) Empirical literature, scientific literature, theoretical literature
C) Theoretical literature, conceptual literature, research literature
D) Data-based literature, research literature, empirical literature

Question 11

A nurse researcher is critiquing a research article.How does the researcher interpret the article when the abstract contains the statement,"A study was conducted …"?

A) Evidence-based literature
B) Conceptual literature
C) Clinical literature
D) Informational literature

Question 12

What is considered to be essential to a thorough and relevant review of the literature?

A) Use of both published and unpublished sources
B) Critical evaluation of mainly primary sources
C) Liberal use of secondary sources
D) Use of sources only written by the original person who conducted the study

Question 13

Which statement is accurate regarding the importance of the review of literature to the research process?

A) It guides all steps of the research process.
B) It is necessary only in defining the problem statement.
C) It provides a vehicle to disseminate the findings of the study.
D) Its value is limited to finding gaps or inconsistencies in the knowledge base.

Question 14

Which strategy or action is most important to the nurse researcher who is writing a relevant review of the literature?

A) Including as many secondary sources as possible
B) Analyzing an article for its strengths and weaknesses
C) Using direct quotations to present the majority of the information
D) Allowing the research consumer to come to his or her own synthesis of the literature

Question 15

How are theoretical and conceptual frameworks different?

A) Conceptual frameworks are more appropriate for qualitative studies, and theoretical frameworks are more appropriate for quantitative studies.
B) Theoretical frameworks are individually developed by researchers, and theoretical frameworks already exist.
C) Conceptual frameworks are individually developed by researchers, and theoretical frameworks already exist.
D) Theoretical frameworks are theory generating, and conceptual frameworks are theory testing.

Question 16

Which manuscript title would lead a nurse researcher to interpret the article as conceptual in nature?

A) The effects of using guided imagery relaxation on seven measures of stress
B) A study of stress experienced by mothers of young, chronically ill children
C) An exploration of the effects of change on nursing practice in acute ambulatory settings
D) Leading the initiative: the role of the advanced practice nurse practitioner in developing quality assurance programs in an ambulatory surgical setting

Question 17

How are theory and practice interrelated for the hospital-based nurse researcher?

A) Practice is the operational definition of theory.
B) Practice provides the opportunity to test theory.
C) Theory provides the evidence on which practice is based.
D) Theory generates questions that are used to refine practice.

Question 18

Why would a nurse researcher decide to include a refereed journal as part of the literature review?

A) The articles are critiqued by a panel of international and external reviewers.
B) The articles selected for publication relate to a specific field of knowledge.
C) There is competition among authors to have their articles published.
D) The journal publishes only articles that are primary sources of research findings.

Question 19

Why would a nurse researcher decide to use secondary sources in a review of the literature?

A) They provide material written by the person who conducted the study.
B) They provide a different way of looking at specific issues or problems.
C) They determine the relationship of two or more variables affecting an outcome.
D) They supplement the body of nursing knowledge in a specific area of practice.

Question 20

When preparing a literature search for an academic paper or project,what is considered an appropriate timeline to search?

A) The most recent 6 months
B) The last year
C) The last 3 to 5 years
D) There is no need to limit the timeline.

Question 21

Which description or heading would indicate a data-based article to a nurse researcher?

A) Purpose
B) Conclusions
C) Method
D) Organizing framework

Question 22

A prediction design study by B.Given,C.Given,F.Azzouz,and M.Stommel,entitled "Physical functioning of elderly cancer patients prior to diagnosis and following initial treatment," was published in a 2001 issue of Nursing Research.To which type of reference does this published reference belong?

A) Tertiary
B) Primary
C) Historical
D) Secondary

Question 23

Why would a nurse researcher choose to use multiple online fee-based databases such as CINAHL and MEDLINE for nurse consumers of research?

A) No cost is associated with these services.
B) Databases are updated monthly or weekly.
C) An independent professional critique of each work accompanies the full text.
D) The service provides translations to English of articles written in other languages.

Question 24

How is a model related to a concept or concepts?

A) A model tests conceptual theories.
B) A concept defines the purpose of a model.
C) A model demonstrates the relationships among or between concepts.
D) Concepts generate the theoretical basis for knowledge depicted in a model.

Question 25

When critiquing a research article,what is the most important issue the nurse researcher should consider regarding the concepts of the study?

A) The theoretical interrelatedness of the concepts
B) Whether the study is qualitative or quantitative
C) The specific meanings the researcher has ascribed to the study concepts
D) An in-depth understanding of the grand theory that underpins the study concepts

Question 26

Which statement represents an operational definition?

A) Spirituality is a way of being or experiencing that comes about through an awareness of a transcendent dimension and one's identifiable values with regard to self, other, nature, and whatever one considers to be ultimate (Elkins, 1988).
B) Death anxiety is an uncomfortable feeling on contemplation of one's own death (Templer, 1986), measured by Templer's Death Anxiety Scale.
C) Maternal identity entails maternal cognitions and affect with regard to the maternal-infant relational system (Walker and Montgomery, 1994).
D) Pain is a pattern of responses to protect the organism from harm (Sternbach, 1979).

Question 27

As the nurse researcher conducts an electronic literature search,the search reveals more than 7,000 citations for the topic searched.What is the researcher's accurate interpretation of this result?

A) The search was comprehensive.
B) The key words were not sufficiently narrowed.
C) The topic does not require additional investigation.
D) The topic has broad application across health care disciplines.

Question 28

Which of the following statements are true related to critiquing theoretical frameworks in nursing research? (Select all that apply.)

A) Theoretical frameworks guide hypothesis formulation in qualitative and quantitative research studies.
B) Theoretical frameworks can be implicitly or explicitly stated in a research report.
C) Nursing theories must be used for theoretical frameworks in nursing research.
D) A theoretical framework might not be identified in all types of nursing research.
E) Theoretical concepts should clearly reflect the area of study.

Question 29

How will a clinically based nurse researcher find that theory and practice are interrelated?

A) Practice is the operational definition of theory.
B) Practice provides the opportunity to test theory.
C) Theory provides the evidence on which practice is based.
D) Theory generates questions that are used to refine practice.

Question 30

Which of the following statements can be effective in critiquing theoretical frameworks in nursing research? (Select all that apply.)

A) Theoretical frameworks guide hypothesis formulation in qualitative and quantitative research studies.
B) Theoretical frameworks can be implicitly or explicitly stated in a research report.
C) Nursing theories must be used for theoretical frameworks in nursing research.
D) A theoretical framework might not be identified in all types of nursing research.
E) Theoretical concepts should clearly reflect the area of study.

Question 31

The nurse researcher is reporting the results of a study and finds that the study failed to obtain significant findings.How should such a study be categorized?

A) Evidence-based literature
B) Conceptual literature
C) Clinical literature
D) Informational literature

Question 32

How is a review of the literature most effectively organized?

A) Retrieved materials
B) Theoretical summaries
C) Importance of the author
D) Variables being studied

Question 33

What activities are relevant for a critical review of the literature? (Select all that apply.)

A) Citing literature sources using direct quotations
B) Focusing on data-based literature
C) Identifying conflicts or gaps in the literature
D) Supporting the findings using personal judgment

Question 34

The nurse researcher is conducting a seminar for consumers on use of the Internet for research.What factor limits the usefulness of the World Wide Web as a source of information for research consumers?

A) Downloading can be a slow process.
B) Nontext capabilities reduce the professionalism of presentations.
C) There is little quality control over the information on some Web sites.
D) Much of the available information is too technical to be understood by the casual reader.

Question 35

The nurse researcher is conducting a review of the literature for a qualitative study.How should a review of the literature differ for reports of qualitative studies when compared with reports of quantitative studies?

A) Reviews of the literature have no role in qualitative research.
B) Articles for literature reviews in qualitative studies are largely drawn from secondary sources.
C) Often, the literature review for a qualitative study is not conducted until after the study is completed.
D) The processes involved in literature review are the same for both qualitative and quantitative studies.

Question 36

When reading an article reporting the results of nursing research,you find the framework is drawn from a discipline other than nursing.What should you consider when critiquing this aspect of an article?

A) Has the author clearly indicated the meaning of the framework to the study and linked the framework to nursing?
B) Does the author have special expertise or education in the discipline from which the framework is derived?
C) Does the research have implications across disciplines?
D) Is the author a recognized leader in nursing?

Question 37

Which sequence represents movement from a greater level of abstraction to a more concrete relationship between concepts used by nurse researchers?

A) Conceptual model, theory, hypothesis
B) Theory, hypothesis, conceptual model
C) Hypothesis, conceptual model, theory
D) Hypothesis, theory, conceptual model

Question 38

The nurse researcher is critiquing a research study.How should the study be evaluated? (Select all that apply.)

A) According to each step of the research process
B) According to the number of articles cited in the introduction and literature review
C) According to the overall value of cited literature
D) According to the knowledge revealed by the completed study

Question 39

What activities are irrelevant for a critical review of the literature? (Select all that apply.)

A) Citing literature sources using direct quotations
B) Focusing on data-based literature
C) Identifying conflicts or gaps in the literature
D) Supporting the findings using personal judgment

Question 40

What is an appropriate method of eliminating irrelevant sources when the nurse researcher conducts an electronic search for articles for a literature review on a selected topic?

A) Collect and critically read all articles related to the topic published in the last 10 years.
B) Select for printout only those articles whose abstracts indicate usefulness.
C) Avoid articles from clinical journals.
D) Avoid articles that do not include the term study in the title.