Summative Assignment: Critique of Research Article

A research critique demonstrates your ability to critically read an investigative study. For this assignment, choose a research article related to nursing or medicine to critique.

· Articles used for one assignment can’t be used for the other assignments (students should find new research articles for each assignment).

· The selected articles should be original research articles. Review articles, meta-analysis, meta-synthesis, and systemic review should not be used.

· Mixed-methods studies should not be used.

Your critique should include the following:

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?

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.

Variables/Hypotheses/Questions/Assumptions

· What are the independent and dependent variables in this study?

· Are the operational definitions of the variables given? If so, are they concrete and measurable?

· Is the research question or the hypothesis stated? What is it?

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?

· State the type of reliability and the validity of the measurement tools.

· Were ethical considerations addressed?

Data Analysis

· What data analysis tool was used?

· How were the results presented in the study?

· Identify at least one (1) finding.

Summary/Conclusions, Implications, and Recommendations

· What are the strengths and limitations of the study?

· In terms of the findings, can the researcher generalize to other populations? Explain.

· Evaluate the findings and conclusions as to their significance for nursing.

The body of your paper should be 4–6 double-spaced pages plus a cover page and a reference page. The critique must be attached to the article and follow APA guidelines.