Ch 3 e GRADE A QUESTIONs AND ANSWERs
1. The review of literature is important to the research process for which of these
reasons?
a. It guides all steps of the research process.
b. It provides a vehicle to disseminate the findings of the study.
c. It guides only the conceptualization of the problem statement.
d. It identifies only gaps or inconsistencies in the knowledge base. - (correct answer)A
(The review of the literature is important throughout all stages of a research study.)
2. The "6S" pyramid hierarchy of preappraised evidence developed by DiCenso, Bayley,
& Haynes (2009) provides a means to help nurse consumers of research find
preappraised evidence for clinical questions. Using this model, which level of evidence
would be highest?
a. Summaries such as clinical practice guidelines
b. Synopsis of Synthesis such as summaries found in the journal Evidence-Based
Nursing
c. Syntheses or systematic reviews such as a Cochrane review
d. Studies such as synopses of a single study - (correct answer)A (The highest level of
those presented in the question is Summaries, which include clinical practice guidelines
and electronic evidence-based textbooks. These summaries about specific conditions
are updated regularly. An even higher level of the 6S pyramid is Computerized Decision
Support Systems (CDSS), which integrate evidence-based clinical information into an
electronic medical record. At present, these systems are not a reality in most institutions
and, therefore, they were not included as an option in this question.)
3. For which of these reasons would a nurse researcher include refereed journals in the
literature review?
a. The articles are critiqued by a panel of external reviewers.
b. The articles selected for publication are related to a specific field of knowledge.
c. The journals encourage competition among authors to have their articles published.
d. The journals publish only articles that are primary sources of research findings. -
(correct answer)A (The articles are critiqued by a panel of external expert readers.)
, 4. A research article has undergone a blind review for a peer-reviewed journal. The
nurse reading the research article should understand which of the following about this
review process?
a. The reviewers of the article did not know the identity of the other reviewers.
b. The reviewers of the article did not know the identity of the author.
c. The criteria used to review the article were not known to the author.
d. The criteria used to review the article were determined by the reviewers. - (correct
answer)B (In a blind review, the manuscript to be reviewed does not include the name
of the author.)
5. For which of these reasons would a nurse researcher decide to use secondary
sources in a review of the literature?
a. They provide material written by the person who conducted the study.
b. They provide a different way of looking at specific issues or problems.
c. They define the relationship of two or more variables affecting an outcome.
d. They supplement the body of nursing knowledge in a specific area of practice. -
(correct answer)D (Secondary sources published in refereed journals usually include
implications for practice and the work's contributions to the development of nursing
science.)
6. Which is an example of a primary source in a literature review?
a. A video recorded interview of a nurse researcher
b. A critique of a nursing research study
c. An edited textbook on nursing research
d. A review of theoretical frameworks used in nursing research - (correct answer)A
(Primary sources include articles, books, diaries, films, and oral histories of the person
who conducted the study or developed the theory.)
7. Which is an example of a secondary source in a literature review?
1. The review of literature is important to the research process for which of these
reasons?
a. It guides all steps of the research process.
b. It provides a vehicle to disseminate the findings of the study.
c. It guides only the conceptualization of the problem statement.
d. It identifies only gaps or inconsistencies in the knowledge base. - (correct answer)A
(The review of the literature is important throughout all stages of a research study.)
2. The "6S" pyramid hierarchy of preappraised evidence developed by DiCenso, Bayley,
& Haynes (2009) provides a means to help nurse consumers of research find
preappraised evidence for clinical questions. Using this model, which level of evidence
would be highest?
a. Summaries such as clinical practice guidelines
b. Synopsis of Synthesis such as summaries found in the journal Evidence-Based
Nursing
c. Syntheses or systematic reviews such as a Cochrane review
d. Studies such as synopses of a single study - (correct answer)A (The highest level of
those presented in the question is Summaries, which include clinical practice guidelines
and electronic evidence-based textbooks. These summaries about specific conditions
are updated regularly. An even higher level of the 6S pyramid is Computerized Decision
Support Systems (CDSS), which integrate evidence-based clinical information into an
electronic medical record. At present, these systems are not a reality in most institutions
and, therefore, they were not included as an option in this question.)
3. For which of these reasons would a nurse researcher include refereed journals in the
literature review?
a. The articles are critiqued by a panel of external reviewers.
b. The articles selected for publication are related to a specific field of knowledge.
c. The journals encourage competition among authors to have their articles published.
d. The journals publish only articles that are primary sources of research findings. -
(correct answer)A (The articles are critiqued by a panel of external expert readers.)
, 4. A research article has undergone a blind review for a peer-reviewed journal. The
nurse reading the research article should understand which of the following about this
review process?
a. The reviewers of the article did not know the identity of the other reviewers.
b. The reviewers of the article did not know the identity of the author.
c. The criteria used to review the article were not known to the author.
d. The criteria used to review the article were determined by the reviewers. - (correct
answer)B (In a blind review, the manuscript to be reviewed does not include the name
of the author.)
5. For which of these reasons would a nurse researcher decide to use secondary
sources in a review of the literature?
a. They provide material written by the person who conducted the study.
b. They provide a different way of looking at specific issues or problems.
c. They define the relationship of two or more variables affecting an outcome.
d. They supplement the body of nursing knowledge in a specific area of practice. -
(correct answer)D (Secondary sources published in refereed journals usually include
implications for practice and the work's contributions to the development of nursing
science.)
6. Which is an example of a primary source in a literature review?
a. A video recorded interview of a nurse researcher
b. A critique of a nursing research study
c. An edited textbook on nursing research
d. A review of theoretical frameworks used in nursing research - (correct answer)A
(Primary sources include articles, books, diaries, films, and oral histories of the person
who conducted the study or developed the theory.)
7. Which is an example of a secondary source in a literature review?
