Nursing Research: Critical Appraisal, Evidence
Hierarchy, and Qualitative Methods Questions
And Well Verified Answers Actual Exam!!!
2026
What is the key difference between critiquing and critical appraisal? - ANSWER -
Critiquing analyzes strengths and limitations, while critical appraisal uses systematic tools to
evaluate quality and strength of findings.
What systematic tools are used in critical appraisal? - ANSWER -Validity, reliability, bias,
strength of evidence, and applicability to practice.
Why is critical appraisal important? - ANSWER -A study should not be considered high
quality just because it is published, highly cited, or appears high on the evidence hierarchy.
What does reliability measure? - ANSWER -The degree to which an instrument
consistently measures something.
What is Cronbach's Alpha used for? - ANSWER -It measures internal consistency of a
survey or instrument.
What does a Cronbach's Alpha greater than 0.90 indicate? - ANSWER -Excellent
reliability.
What is validity in research? - ANSWER -Whether an instrument measures what it is
supposed to measure.
What is bias in research? - ANSWER -Systematic errors that distort study findings.
Where does anecdotal evidence rank in the evidence hierarchy? - ANSWER -Near the
bottom of the hierarchy.
, What is the purpose of the Cochrane Database? - ANSWER -To provide high-quality
systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and evidence summaries.
What is meta-analysis used for? - ANSWER -Statistically combining data from multiple
studies to determine overall effect size.
What is meta-synthesis used for? - ANSWER -Combining themes and meanings from
multiple qualitative studies.
What characterizes a cross-sectional study? - ANSWER -It provides a snapshot in time
with data collected once and is observational.
What is a cohort study? - ANSWER -It follows groups over time and tracks outcomes.
What defines a case-control study? - ANSWER -It starts with disease outcome and looks
backward for exposures.
What is a randomized controlled trial (RCT)? - ANSWER -An experimental design with
random assignment, considered the highest level for establishing causation.
What is cultural competence? - ANSWER -The ability to work respectfully with diverse
populations and provide culturally appropriate care.
What is the AGREE II tool used for? - ANSWER -To assess the quality, rigor, and
transparency of clinical practice guidelines.
What does reliability measure in research? - ANSWER -The consistency of a measure.
What does validity measure in research? - ANSWER -The accuracy of a measure.
What is convenience sampling? - ANSWER -Participants are selected because they are
easy to access.
What is an independent variable? - ANSWER -The variable that the researcher changes.
Hierarchy, and Qualitative Methods Questions
And Well Verified Answers Actual Exam!!!
2026
What is the key difference between critiquing and critical appraisal? - ANSWER -
Critiquing analyzes strengths and limitations, while critical appraisal uses systematic tools to
evaluate quality and strength of findings.
What systematic tools are used in critical appraisal? - ANSWER -Validity, reliability, bias,
strength of evidence, and applicability to practice.
Why is critical appraisal important? - ANSWER -A study should not be considered high
quality just because it is published, highly cited, or appears high on the evidence hierarchy.
What does reliability measure? - ANSWER -The degree to which an instrument
consistently measures something.
What is Cronbach's Alpha used for? - ANSWER -It measures internal consistency of a
survey or instrument.
What does a Cronbach's Alpha greater than 0.90 indicate? - ANSWER -Excellent
reliability.
What is validity in research? - ANSWER -Whether an instrument measures what it is
supposed to measure.
What is bias in research? - ANSWER -Systematic errors that distort study findings.
Where does anecdotal evidence rank in the evidence hierarchy? - ANSWER -Near the
bottom of the hierarchy.
, What is the purpose of the Cochrane Database? - ANSWER -To provide high-quality
systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and evidence summaries.
What is meta-analysis used for? - ANSWER -Statistically combining data from multiple
studies to determine overall effect size.
What is meta-synthesis used for? - ANSWER -Combining themes and meanings from
multiple qualitative studies.
What characterizes a cross-sectional study? - ANSWER -It provides a snapshot in time
with data collected once and is observational.
What is a cohort study? - ANSWER -It follows groups over time and tracks outcomes.
What defines a case-control study? - ANSWER -It starts with disease outcome and looks
backward for exposures.
What is a randomized controlled trial (RCT)? - ANSWER -An experimental design with
random assignment, considered the highest level for establishing causation.
What is cultural competence? - ANSWER -The ability to work respectfully with diverse
populations and provide culturally appropriate care.
What is the AGREE II tool used for? - ANSWER -To assess the quality, rigor, and
transparency of clinical practice guidelines.
What does reliability measure in research? - ANSWER -The consistency of a measure.
What does validity measure in research? - ANSWER -The accuracy of a measure.
What is convenience sampling? - ANSWER -Participants are selected because they are
easy to access.
What is an independent variable? - ANSWER -The variable that the researcher changes.
