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STATEMENT OF PROBLEM / PURPOSE OF
RESEARCH
- Are the title and
the abstract informative (helps you decide whether to read article)?
- Are the author’s
credentials congruent with the area studied?
- Identify the problem
area (This is broad and usually takes up several sentences) & the
study purpose (this is narrow & usually is stated in one sentence)
of the study? Does the purpose flow from the problem statement?
REVIEW
OF THE LITERATURE
- Are the references
appropriate and timely? Is the article published in a peer-reviewed
journal?
HYPOTHESES
AND RESEARCH QUESTION
- Diagram the research
question(s). If applicable, identify independent and dependent variables
METHODOLOGY
DESIGN
- What
is the evidence of informed consent?
- What kind of sample
was used? Is the sample appropriate (representative of the population
to be generalized to etc.)? Comment on the sample size?
- What research design
is used? Is it clear and appropriate for the study?
- Is (are) the instrument(s)
selected appropriate for this study? If the study uses an "intervention",
is it appropriate for the study?
- Are the reliability
and validity data on the instruments good?
- If applicable, is
there inter-rater reliability? Consistency in implementing an intervention?
- Were extraneous
variables controlled? Are there other things that might have accounted
for the "outcome" of the study?
ANALYSIS
OF DATA
- What
are the major findings of the study?
- Are the statistical
tests appropriate for this study?
- Does
the author adequately interpret (give meaning to) the findings?
- Does the author
clearly report and interpret (give the meaning to) the literature for
the reader? Are all the major variables covered?
RESULTS,
LIMITATIONS, IMPLICATIONS
- Describe the study’s
overall usability, completeness & consistency.
- List any aspects
of this study ready for application in nursing practice (defend your
answer).
This
critique tool was adapted by the University of Iowa Department of Nursing
from Castles, Mary (1987), Primer in Nursing Research, Philadelphia,
Saunder
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