Question 1

A researcher explores the following question: Are there differences in energy expenditure between toileting in bed or out of bed in healthy adults and hospitalized patients? Which of the following is the dependent variable?

Accepted Answer

A)   Adult health status
B)   Energy expenditure
C)   Hospitalized patients
D)   Toileting method B

Question 2

Which of the following would be a reasonable critique of a study title? The title:

Accepted Answer

A)   provided the study's focus without becoming lengthy.
B)   seemed to appropriately represent the study content.
C)   was lackluster and did not invite the reader's attention.
D)   was much too long but accurately conveyed the content. A

Question 3

A researcher is critiquing the published study of another researcher. Which of the following questions is not an appropriate question to ask when examining the study?

Accepted Answer

A)   Can the study be replicated by other researchers?
B)   Did the researchers use sound methodology?
C)   Was the research problem significant?
D)   What preparation did the researcher have to conduct the study? D

Question 4

Which statement by a reviewer would indicate an understanding of the critique of threats to adequate documentation of the participants in a qualitative study?

Accepted Answer

A)   Registered nurses were interviewed in four states. They were selected appropriately and seemed to represent the population.
B)   The researcher gave a thorough description of the study sample including the rationale for subject selection and the context and location of the study.
C)   The subjects were randomly selected and are representative of the study population.
D)   The subjects were selected using stratified random sampling methods.

Question 5

Which of the following statements would be an acceptable response to the question, "What is the study problem?"

Accepted Answer

A)   "It was very unclear what the researcher was trying to accomplish. I found it lengthy and difficult to read. The vocabulary was way over my head and I got lost trying to figure things out."
B)   "The researcher did not do a very good job of presenting the study problem."
C)   "The researcher states the study problem completely and concisely. It is clear to the reader what was trying to be accomplished with the research."
D)   "No problem was presented."

Question 6

If a reviewer is asking "Is the problem significant and relevant to nursing?", what part of the study is being critiqued?

Accepted Answer

A)   Literature review
B)   Research objectives, questions, or hypotheses
C)   Research problem and purpose
D)   Study framework

Question 7

Which of the following are not considered threats to analytical and interpretative preciseness in a qualitative study? Failure to:

Accepted Answer

A)   include enough participants to support the findings
B)   involve two or more researchers in data analysis or to describe how disagreements about data analysis were handled
C)   present the findings in a way that yields a meaningful picture of the phenomenon under study
D)   return the findings to participants or experts in the area or to readers who determine results are consistent with common meanings and understandings

Question 8

If self-concept is one of the variables in a quantitative study, which of the following operational definitions would be favorably critiqued?

Accepted Answer

A)   Each individual will be given an overview of the concept of the self and asked to write a definition telling about his or her own self-concept.
B)   For purposes of this study, the self-concept will be defined as the subject's score on the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept scale.
C)   Self-concept is an individual's view of himself and/or herself. It is the positive and negative feelings of self-definition and self-worth and factors that are important to the self.
D)   Self-concept will be measured as positive or negative.

Question 9

If a reviewer is asking "Is it related to nursing's body of knowledge?", what part of the study is being critiqued?

Accepted Answer

A)   Literature review
B)   Research objectives, questions, or hypotheses
C)   Research problem and purpose
D)   Study framework

Question 10

When critiquing sample size in a study, which of the following study type would require the largest sample size?

Accepted Answer

A)   Correlational
B)   Experimental
C)   Grounded theory
D)   Phenomenological

Question 11

If a reviewer is asking "Is a means provided to examine all of the objectives, questions, or hypotheses and the study purpose?", what part of the study is being critiqued?

Accepted Answer

A)   Design
B)   Research objectives, questions, or hypotheses
C)   Research problem and purpose
D)   Study framework

Question 12

Why is the critical appraisal of nursing research essential?

Accepted Answer

A)   Determining the pros and cons of a study will help nurses learn research.
B)   It indicates training in research within the profession.
C)   Journal editors need to hear from readers what kind of research they like.
D)   There is a strong movement toward evidence-based practice.

Question 13

The following hypothesis was investigated in a study: daily "doses of humor" will cause arthritis sufferers to use less pain medication and exercise longer. Which of the following is the independent variable?

Accepted Answer

A)   Amount of pain medication
B)   Arthritis sufferers
C)   Doses of humor
D)   Length of exercise

Question 14

The following hypothesis, daily "doses of humor" will cause arthritis sufferers to use less pain medication and exercise longer, was listed in a study being critiqued. Which of the following is the operational definition of "dose of humor"?

Accepted Answer

A)   Each day subjects in the treatment group will watch a full length comedy film before a prescribed exercise period. Each film shown will have been screened by five assistants and must evoke laughter at least 30% of the time of the film.
B)   The "doses of humor" will be defined as subjects taking turns telling jokes to each other for 20 minutes each day.
C)   The operational definition of "doses of humor" for purposes of this study will be the reading of three jokes taken from the newspaper each day.
D)   The operational definition of "doses of humor" is that each day something funny will happen to the participant.

Question 15

Which of the following best describes the following hypothesis: Teenagers who have a high self-concept will be less likely to diet than those with a low self-concept?

Accepted Answer

A)   Associative, complex
B)   Causal, nondirectional
C)   Complex, directional
D)   Simple, directional

Question 16

A researcher conducted a very well-conceived and -implemented qualitative research study, but failed to link the findings to an area of nursing practice. What would the individual critiquing the study fault the researcher on?

Accepted Answer

A)   Auditability
B)   Descriptive vividness
C)   Heuristic relevance
D)   Clinical, policy & theoretical significance

Question 17

A researcher reports on a qualitative study and does not give enough information about how decisions were reached. What would the reviewer say about this omission?

Accepted Answer

A)   The researcher did not provide enough protection for the subjects in this study. It is unclear what happened after the in-depth questioning on this very sensitive topic. From the information presented, debriefing did not take place and would seem to be necessary in this study.
B)   Findings in the study indicate that another researcher with similar background would undoubtedly arrive at the same conclusions, particularly if the subjects came from a similar population.
C)   The researcher failed to provide enough information for anyone else to arrive at the same conclusion. This threat to auditability is further emphasized because the researcher did not provide the reader with a sufficient number of quotes to support the findings.
D)   There is a significant problem with the significance of the study.

Question 18

Which of the following standards are not typically applied to qualitative research studies?

Accepted Answer

A)   Descriptive vividness
B)   Methodological congruence
C)   Philosophical or theoretical connectedness
D)   Statistical appropriateness for data analysis

Question 19

As a research consumer reads through a research report, the logical flow and connection among the problem, purpose, and objectives are assessed. Which step of the critical appraisal process is described here?

Accepted Answer

A)   Analysis
B)   Comparison
C)   Comprehension
D)   Evaluation

Question 20

Examining a quantitative study to determine the extent to which the researcher followed the "rules" for an ideal study is part of which of the following steps in the critique process?

Accepted Answer

A)   Analysis
B)   Comparison
C)   Comprehension
D)   Conceptual clustering

Exam 12: Critical Appraisal of Quantitative and Qualitative Research for Nursing Practice