Guidelines for
Critique of Research Reports
Critique: balanced, including strengths and weaknesses, and
constructive, providing suggestions for how the study might be
improved.
1. Source
Is the report from a peer reviewed publication?
Is the research current and from a current source?
2. Research Problem
Is the problem identified clearly?
Is it significant--does the researcher provide a good argument for
significance?
Is it relevant to nursing/health care?
3. Literature Review
Is it convincing that the author reviewed a sufficient amount of
literature?
Is it balanced, presenting literature that supports and that differs
from
the researcher's position?
Is the review written critically (giving strengths and weaknesses of
previous work)?
Is the review comprised only of primary sources?
Are references current, or a combination of current and classic?
4. Theoretical Framework
Is a theoretical framework specified?
Does the framework "fit" the problem? Include all relevant
variables?
Are concepts (variables) defined clearly from a theoretical
standpoint?
If no framework is provided, should there be one? Is it difficult to
understand
the relationships among variables in the study without a framework
to tie the
pieces together?
Are results interpreted in reference to the theoretical framework?
--Note: qualitative research, descriptive studies, and physiologic
studies
typically will not have a theoretical framework.
5. Variables
Are the variables in the study appropriate to the problem?
Are the variables relevant to nursing practice?
Are the means to measure the variables appropriate?
6. Hypotheses
Are hypotheses stated? If not, does the researcher provide
sufficient information
to determine what the hypotheses were?
If stated, are the hypotheses clear? Specific? Testable?
--Note: qualitative research and many types of descriptive studies
do not involve hypotheses. In a qualitative study the researcher may
suggest hypotheses as a result of the research.
7. Design (overall)
Is the design specified correctly? What design was used?
Is the design appropriate to answer the research question?
Did the researcher attempt to control for threats to internal and
external validity?
8. Sample
Is the sample size adequate?
Is the sample likely to be similar to members of the appropriate
population overall?
Are the criteria for including and/or excluding people or items from
the sample
clear and appropriate?
9. Data Collection
Are the instruments or other means for data collection described
sufficiently?
Are reliability and validity of instruments addressed? Are these
adequate?
Are data collection methods described clearly?
Are the data collection methods appropriate? Could the researcher
have
affected the results of the study in some way related to the
collection of data?
10. Ethical Considerations
Does the researcher indicate that approval was obtained from
appropriate review boards?
Were the rights of human subjects protected (confidentiality,
freedom from coercion)?
Is there any possibility that the subjects might have felt pressured
to
participate or their responses influenced in some other way?
11. Data Analysis
Is the process used to analyze data clear?
Were the processes for data analysis appropriate to answer the
research question?
Do the results provide an answer to the research question?
If tables are provided, are these clear and understandable?
Note: For qualitative studies, some additional items for critique
include:
Does the researcher provide sufficient examples of the data (for
example, passages or
quotations from interviews) to support the identified results?
Does the researcher describe processes that were used to avoid
biasing or influencing the
data obtained and the analysis procedures used? (Ex. Peer review,
logs, memos, "member
check")
12. Discussion and Interpretation of Findings
Does the discussion "fit" with the data? Is it logical based on the
data and
results presented?
Does the researcher discuss the findings in regard to previous
research?
Does the researcher discuss the findings in regard to the
theoretical framework?
Does the researcher identify limitations of the study? How do these
affect the
quality of the study?
Does the researcher discuss implications for practice? Are these
appropriate?
13. Application to Imaging Practice
How similar are the conditions of the study (setting, sample,
interventions, etc.) to
other practice settings? To your practice setting?
How feasible would it be to make a change in practice based on this
research?
Are benefits likely to offset costs and risks of a change in
practice for the patient,
family, radiography, and organization?
Based on an article by
Beth L. Rodgers, Ph.D., RN, FAAN
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, School of Nursing
Permission sought but no reply 27/06/04
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