The assignment will not read as a question and answer paper. It will read as an essay where the following guiding questions are used to write each section.
Research Problem/Purpose
State the problem clearly as it is presented in the report.
Have the investigators placed the study problem within the context of existing knowledge?
Will the study solve a problem relevant to nursing?
State the purpose of the research.
Review of the Literature
Identify the concepts explored in the literature review.
Were the references current? If not, what do you think the reasons are?
Was there evidence of reflexivity in the design?
Theoretical Framework
Are the theoretical concepts defined and related to the research?
Does the research draw solely on nursing theory or does it draw on theory from other disciplines?
Is a theoretical framework stated in this research piece?
If not, suggest one that might be suitable for the study.
Conceptual Underpinnings, Research Questions
Are key concepts defined conceptually?
Is the philoosoophical basis, underlying tradition, conoceptual framework, or ideological orientation made explicit and is it appropriate for the problem?
Are research questions explicitly stated? Are the questions consistent with the study’s philosophical basis, underlying tradition, conceptual framework, or ideological orientation?
Methodology
What type of design (quantitative, qualitative, and type) was used in this study?
Was inductive or deductive reasoning used in this study?
State the sample size and study population, sampling method, and study setting.
Did the investigator choose a probability or non-probability sample?
Qualitative studies
Were the methods of gathering data appropriate?
Were data gathered through two or more methods to achieve triangulation?
Did the researcher ask the right questions or make the right observations and were they recorded in an appropriate fashion?
Was a sufficient amount of data gathered?
Was the data of sufficient depth and richness?
Were appropriate procedures used to safeguard the rights of study participants?
Data Analysis
Was saturation achieved?
Were the data management (e.g., coding) and data analysis methods sufficiently described?
Summary/Conclusions, Implications, and Recommendations
Do the themes adequately capture the meaning of the data?
Did the analysis yield an insightful, provocative and meaningful picture of the phenomenon under investigation?
Were methods used to enhance the trustworthiness of the data (and analysis) and was the description of those methods adequate?
Are there clear explanation of the boundaries/limitations, thick description, audit trail?
Evaluate the findings and conclusions as to their significance for nursing.
