Locate a current research article that pertains to your clinical practice area. Try to select an article that has subheadings such as Theoretical Framework or Hypotheses, Literature Review, Sample, Findings, and Discussion. Develop an objective critique of the study using the guidelines and format provided. Discuss the applicability of this research to your practice setting and the potential for using the findings.

Title and abstract

Is it of interest and applicable to practice?

Introduction

What was the stated research problem for the study?

Problem

Did the stated problem clearly reflect the main issue addressed in the investigation?

Purpose

What was the purpose of the research study?

Significance Aims

Were any aims stated for the investigation?

How is the problem significant to the knowledge base of nursing and the care of clients?

Literature review

What was said about previously known information on the topic?

How were the sources reviewed important to the present study?

What variables were reviewed?

Were mostly primary sources used in the review?

Did the authors present a critical analysis and comparison of prior studies?

Were strengths and weaknesses of prior studies identified?

Theoretical framework

Was the theoretical framework described clearly with appropriate reference citations?

Was the framework a nursing model or a theory from a related discipline?

Would a nursing model have been more appropriate as a guide for this study?

Does the framework make sense as a guide for the study?

Specific questions or hypotheses

Were the research questions or hypotheses clearly stated?

Did they reflect the research problem or purpose?

Were they consistent with the theoretical framework?

What variables will be investigated?

Methods Research design

What where, with whom, and exactly how was the research done?

Was an experimental or nonexperimental design used?

What independent, dependent, and confounding variables were identified?

How were the variables defined?

Did the research identify special controls used in the study?

Ethics Sampling

How were subjects' rights protected?

What sampling method was used for the subjects?

Was the sampling method appropriate for the study framework and design?

What were the characteristics of the subjects?

To what population did the researcher wish to generalize the study results?

Was the sample group representative of this population?

Data collection

What data collection methods were used?

What research instruments were used?

What was the reliability and validity of the instruments?

Results/analysis

How were the data analyzed?

Was this appropriate for the design and research methods used?

Were appropriate statistics used to describe the characteristics of the sample and answer the research questions?

Were answers provided for all the research questions?

Were results given for each of the hypotheses?

Were appropriate statistics used to test the hypotheses?

What information was presented in figures and tables?

Discussion Conclusions

What conclusions were presented?

Did the conclusions make sense?

Were the conclusions consistent with the theoretical framework?

Did the study lend further support to the theory used?

Were the conclusions based on actual data obtained from the study?

What limitations were described by the researcher? What additional limitations can be identified?

Can the conclusions from the sample be generalized to the population?

Recommendations

What were the practice recommendations?

What were the teaching (client or professional) recommendations?

What were the recommendations for nursing administration?

What recommendations were made for subsequent research?