NR-585NP: RESEARCH METHODS & EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE FOR ANP | CHAMBERLAIN
UNIVERSITY | REAL EXAM QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS| LATEST 2026/2027
VERSION
Q1. What is evidence-based practice (EBP) in nursing?
ANSWER EBP is the integration of the best available research evidence
with clinical expertise and patient values to make clinical decisions.
Q2. What are the three pillars of evidence-based practice?
ANSWER 1) Best research evidence, 2) Clinical expertise, 3) Patient
values and preferences.
Q3. What is the difference between research and quality
improvement? ANSWER Research generates new knowledge, while
quality improvement applies existing knowledge to improve processes and
outcomes in specific settings.
Q4. What is the PICOT framework? ANSWER PICOT stands for
Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome, and Timeframe. It is
used to formulate focused clinical questions for evidence-based practice.
Q5. What is a PICO question without the “T”? ANSWER PICO
includes Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome but omits
the Time component.
Q6. What is the purpose of a literature review? ANSWER To
summarize, synthesize, and critically evaluate existing research on a
specific topic to identify gaps and inform future research.
Q7. What is the hierarchy of evidence in EBP? ANSWER
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses > RCTs
> cohort studies > case-control studies > case series/reports > expert
opinion.
Q8. What is a systematic review? ANSWER A comprehensive,
transparent, and reproducible summary of all relevant studies on a
specific clinical question using explicit methods.
,Q9. What is a meta-analysis? ANSWER A statistical technique that
combines results from multiple studies to produce a single estimate of
effect size.
Q10. What is the difference between a systematic review and a
narrative review? ANSWER Systematic reviews use explicit,
reproducible methods with predefined criteria, while narrative reviews
are often subjective summaries without systematic methodology.
Q11. What is peer review? ANSWER A process where experts in the
field evaluate a manuscript for quality, validity, and relevance before
publication.
Q12. What is a primary source in research? ANSWER An original
research article that reports firsthand findings from a study conducted by
the authors.
Q13. What is a secondary source? ANSWER A source that
interprets, summarizes, or analyzes primary sources, such as review
articles or textbooks.
Q14. What is a tertiary source? ANSWER A source that compiles
information from primary and secondary sources, such as encyclopedias
or clinical practice guidelines.
Q15. What is the Cochrane Library? ANSWER A collection of
databases containing high-quality, indepen- dent evidence to inform
healthcare decision-making, including systematic reviews and clinical
trials.
,Q16. What is PubMed/MEDLINE? ANSWER A free database
maintained by the National Library of Medicine containing over 30
million biomedical citations.
Q17. What is CINAHL? ANSWER Cumulative Index to Nursing and
Allied Health Literature; a database specifically for nursing and allied
health literature.
Q18. What is a Boolean operator? ANSWER Words (AND, OR,
NOT) used to combine search terms to broaden or narrow database
searches.
Q19. How does “AND” function in a database search? ANSWER
It narrows the search by requiring all terms to be present in the results.
Q20. How does “OR” function in a database search? ANSWER
It broadens the search by including results with either term.
Q21. How does “NOT” function in a database search?
ANSWER It excludes results containing the specified term.
Q22. What is a MeSH term? ANSWER Medical Subject Headings;
controlled vocabulary used for indexing articles in MEDLINE/PubMed.
Q23. What is a citation manager? ANSWER Software (e.g., Zotero,
EndNote, Mendeley) used to organize, store, and format references.
Q24. What is a grey literature? ANSWER Research material that
is not formally published, such as conference proceedings, dissertations,
and government reports.
Q25. What is a clinical practice guideline? ANSWER
Systematically developed statements to assist practitioner and patient
decisions about appropriate healthcare for specific clinical circumstances.
SECTION 2: RESEARCH DESIGNS (Questions 26-75)
Q26. What is quantitative research? ANSWER Research that uses
numerical data and statistical analysis to test hypotheses and establish
relationships between variables.
, Q27. What is qualitative research? ANSWER Research that explores
phenomena through non-numerical data such as interviews, observations,
and textual analysis to understand meanings and experiences.
Q28. What is mixed methods research? ANSWER Research that
combines both quantitative and qualita- tive approaches in a single study
to provide a more comprehensive understanding.
Q29. What is a randomized controlled trial (RCT)? ANSWER An
experimental design where participants are randomly assigned to
intervention or control groups to evaluate efficacy.
Q30. Why is randomization important in RCTs? ANSWER It
minimizes selection bias and ensures groups are comparable, distributing
known and unknown confounders evenly.
Q31. What is blinding in research? ANSWER Concealing group
assignment from participants, researchers, or outcome assessors to
reduce bias.
Q32. What is a double-blind study? ANSWER A study where
neither the participants nor the researchers know who is receiving the
intervention or placebo.
Q33. What is a placebo? ANSWER An inactive substance or
treatment that appears identical to the active intervention, used as a
control in clinical trials.
UNIVERSITY | REAL EXAM QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS| LATEST 2026/2027
VERSION
Q1. What is evidence-based practice (EBP) in nursing?
ANSWER EBP is the integration of the best available research evidence
with clinical expertise and patient values to make clinical decisions.
Q2. What are the three pillars of evidence-based practice?
ANSWER 1) Best research evidence, 2) Clinical expertise, 3) Patient
values and preferences.
Q3. What is the difference between research and quality
improvement? ANSWER Research generates new knowledge, while
quality improvement applies existing knowledge to improve processes and
outcomes in specific settings.
Q4. What is the PICOT framework? ANSWER PICOT stands for
Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome, and Timeframe. It is
used to formulate focused clinical questions for evidence-based practice.
Q5. What is a PICO question without the “T”? ANSWER PICO
includes Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome but omits
the Time component.
Q6. What is the purpose of a literature review? ANSWER To
summarize, synthesize, and critically evaluate existing research on a
specific topic to identify gaps and inform future research.
Q7. What is the hierarchy of evidence in EBP? ANSWER
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses > RCTs
> cohort studies > case-control studies > case series/reports > expert
opinion.
Q8. What is a systematic review? ANSWER A comprehensive,
transparent, and reproducible summary of all relevant studies on a
specific clinical question using explicit methods.
,Q9. What is a meta-analysis? ANSWER A statistical technique that
combines results from multiple studies to produce a single estimate of
effect size.
Q10. What is the difference between a systematic review and a
narrative review? ANSWER Systematic reviews use explicit,
reproducible methods with predefined criteria, while narrative reviews
are often subjective summaries without systematic methodology.
Q11. What is peer review? ANSWER A process where experts in the
field evaluate a manuscript for quality, validity, and relevance before
publication.
Q12. What is a primary source in research? ANSWER An original
research article that reports firsthand findings from a study conducted by
the authors.
Q13. What is a secondary source? ANSWER A source that
interprets, summarizes, or analyzes primary sources, such as review
articles or textbooks.
Q14. What is a tertiary source? ANSWER A source that compiles
information from primary and secondary sources, such as encyclopedias
or clinical practice guidelines.
Q15. What is the Cochrane Library? ANSWER A collection of
databases containing high-quality, indepen- dent evidence to inform
healthcare decision-making, including systematic reviews and clinical
trials.
,Q16. What is PubMed/MEDLINE? ANSWER A free database
maintained by the National Library of Medicine containing over 30
million biomedical citations.
Q17. What is CINAHL? ANSWER Cumulative Index to Nursing and
Allied Health Literature; a database specifically for nursing and allied
health literature.
Q18. What is a Boolean operator? ANSWER Words (AND, OR,
NOT) used to combine search terms to broaden or narrow database
searches.
Q19. How does “AND” function in a database search? ANSWER
It narrows the search by requiring all terms to be present in the results.
Q20. How does “OR” function in a database search? ANSWER
It broadens the search by including results with either term.
Q21. How does “NOT” function in a database search?
ANSWER It excludes results containing the specified term.
Q22. What is a MeSH term? ANSWER Medical Subject Headings;
controlled vocabulary used for indexing articles in MEDLINE/PubMed.
Q23. What is a citation manager? ANSWER Software (e.g., Zotero,
EndNote, Mendeley) used to organize, store, and format references.
Q24. What is a grey literature? ANSWER Research material that
is not formally published, such as conference proceedings, dissertations,
and government reports.
Q25. What is a clinical practice guideline? ANSWER
Systematically developed statements to assist practitioner and patient
decisions about appropriate healthcare for specific clinical circumstances.
SECTION 2: RESEARCH DESIGNS (Questions 26-75)
Q26. What is quantitative research? ANSWER Research that uses
numerical data and statistical analysis to test hypotheses and establish
relationships between variables.
, Q27. What is qualitative research? ANSWER Research that explores
phenomena through non-numerical data such as interviews, observations,
and textual analysis to understand meanings and experiences.
Q28. What is mixed methods research? ANSWER Research that
combines both quantitative and qualita- tive approaches in a single study
to provide a more comprehensive understanding.
Q29. What is a randomized controlled trial (RCT)? ANSWER An
experimental design where participants are randomly assigned to
intervention or control groups to evaluate efficacy.
Q30. Why is randomization important in RCTs? ANSWER It
minimizes selection bias and ensures groups are comparable, distributing
known and unknown confounders evenly.
Q31. What is blinding in research? ANSWER Concealing group
assignment from participants, researchers, or outcome assessors to
reduce bias.
Q32. What is a double-blind study? ANSWER A study where
neither the participants nor the researchers know who is receiving the
intervention or placebo.
Q33. What is a placebo? ANSWER An inactive substance or
treatment that appears identical to the active intervention, used as a
control in clinical trials.
