NURS 3215 Chapter 4: Reading And Critiquing
Research Articles Exam Study Guide
Where are nurses most likely to encounter research evidence? - ANSWER -
Presentations at professional conferences
-Journal articles
Explain how journal articles are reviewed. - ANSWER They are peer reviewed,
meaning other researchers make recommendations about whether to accept or
reject the manuscript, or to suggest revisions.
Explain what is meant by "blind" peer reviews. - ANSWER Reviewers are not told
the researchers names and authors are not told the reviewers names.
How is research evidence typically presented at professional conferences (2
ways)? - ANSWER -Oral presentations: presenter is usually allowed 10-20
minutes to describe key features of a study
-Poster sessions: Many researchers simultaneously present visual displays
summarizing their studies, and conference attendees walk around the room
looking at them.
What is the conventional format that is typically followed in most research
articles? - ANSWER -Title and abstract
-IMRAD format: Introduction, Method, Results And Discussion
-References
What should the title of a research report convey? - ANSWER -In quantitative
studies: communicates key variables and the population (PICO)
-In qualitative studies: includes the central phenomenon and group under
investigation
What is an abstract? - ANSWER -A brief description of the major features of a
study
-Placed at the beginning of the article
What kind of questions are answered in an abstract? - ANSWER -What were the
research questions?
-What methods were used to address those questions?
-What were the findings?
-What are the implications for nursing practice?
, Differentiate between old style and new style abstracts. - ANSWER -Old: single
paragraph about 100-150 words
-New: more detailed, longer, with specific headings (background, objectives,
method, results, conclusions)
What is the purpose of the introduction? - ANSWER To acquaint the readers with
the research problem and its context. It sets the stage for presenting what the
researcher did and what was learned.
What does the introduction describe? - ANSWER -The central phenomena,
concepts, or variables under study
-The study purpose and the research questions or hypotheses
-A review of the related literature
-The theoretical or conceptual framework
-The significance of and need for the study
What is the main purpose of the method section? - ANSWER To describe the
methods used to answer the research questions
What is usually included in the method section of a quantitative study? -
ANSWER -The research design
-Sampling plan
-Methods of measuring variables and collecting data
-Study procedures, including procedures to protect participants
-Data analysis methods
What is usually included in the method section of a qualitative study? - ANSWER
-Many of the same as quantitative, but with different emphasis
-Research traditions
-More info about setting and context
-Less info about sampling and data collection
-Describes researches attempt to enhance integrity of study
What is the main purpose of the results section? What are the two components
of this section? - ANSWER It presents the findings that were obtained by
analyzing the study data
-Text includes a narrative summary of key findings, including description of
participants
-Detailed tables
What information is included in the results section of a quantitative study? -
ANSWER -Names of statistical tests used
-Value of the calculated statistic
-Level of statistical significance
Research Articles Exam Study Guide
Where are nurses most likely to encounter research evidence? - ANSWER -
Presentations at professional conferences
-Journal articles
Explain how journal articles are reviewed. - ANSWER They are peer reviewed,
meaning other researchers make recommendations about whether to accept or
reject the manuscript, or to suggest revisions.
Explain what is meant by "blind" peer reviews. - ANSWER Reviewers are not told
the researchers names and authors are not told the reviewers names.
How is research evidence typically presented at professional conferences (2
ways)? - ANSWER -Oral presentations: presenter is usually allowed 10-20
minutes to describe key features of a study
-Poster sessions: Many researchers simultaneously present visual displays
summarizing their studies, and conference attendees walk around the room
looking at them.
What is the conventional format that is typically followed in most research
articles? - ANSWER -Title and abstract
-IMRAD format: Introduction, Method, Results And Discussion
-References
What should the title of a research report convey? - ANSWER -In quantitative
studies: communicates key variables and the population (PICO)
-In qualitative studies: includes the central phenomenon and group under
investigation
What is an abstract? - ANSWER -A brief description of the major features of a
study
-Placed at the beginning of the article
What kind of questions are answered in an abstract? - ANSWER -What were the
research questions?
-What methods were used to address those questions?
-What were the findings?
-What are the implications for nursing practice?
, Differentiate between old style and new style abstracts. - ANSWER -Old: single
paragraph about 100-150 words
-New: more detailed, longer, with specific headings (background, objectives,
method, results, conclusions)
What is the purpose of the introduction? - ANSWER To acquaint the readers with
the research problem and its context. It sets the stage for presenting what the
researcher did and what was learned.
What does the introduction describe? - ANSWER -The central phenomena,
concepts, or variables under study
-The study purpose and the research questions or hypotheses
-A review of the related literature
-The theoretical or conceptual framework
-The significance of and need for the study
What is the main purpose of the method section? - ANSWER To describe the
methods used to answer the research questions
What is usually included in the method section of a quantitative study? -
ANSWER -The research design
-Sampling plan
-Methods of measuring variables and collecting data
-Study procedures, including procedures to protect participants
-Data analysis methods
What is usually included in the method section of a qualitative study? - ANSWER
-Many of the same as quantitative, but with different emphasis
-Research traditions
-More info about setting and context
-Less info about sampling and data collection
-Describes researches attempt to enhance integrity of study
What is the main purpose of the results section? What are the two components
of this section? - ANSWER It presents the findings that were obtained by
analyzing the study data
-Text includes a narrative summary of key findings, including description of
participants
-Detailed tables
What information is included in the results section of a quantitative study? -
ANSWER -Names of statistical tests used
-Value of the calculated statistic
-Level of statistical significance
