West Chester University of Pennsylvania
College of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing
NSG 313 Nursing Research
Quantitative Critique Directions and Criteria
Overview: The ability to critically appraise research reports is imperative for all nurses. To effectively adopt this practice, a nurse must learn how to use a critical appraisal instrument that is designed to assist individuals with research report appraisal. In your Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt (2019) chapter 5 and specifically see page 126 Box 5.1 for the General Appraisal Overview (GAO) Elements and Questions for Critical Appraisal of Quantitative Studies. You will use this outline to form a critical appraisal of a quantitative research article.
Article Selection: Your professor will provide the article for this critique.
Writing Recommendations:
You will gain an understanding of quantitative studies through the required readings and online lectures.
Grade: This paper is 10% of your total NSG 313 grade.
Length: There should be sufficient information to respond to each section of the critical appraisal guidelines in an essay form. No maximum length is required. Points will be deducted for yes/no or incomplete answers. You are expected to explain the answers in a complete but succinct manner using appropriate grammar and spelling (i.e. complete sentences). You are expected to cite references and develop a reference list.
Format: Title page, critical appraisal, and reference pages. Section headers should be included in your paper and correspond to the critical appraisal guidelines in Table 18.1. You do not need to include an abstract. APA format for citations and references is required. Please address the prompts in essay format, meaning you are writing an essay and addressing each question in the critical appraisal guidelines. Do not just answer the questions like a worksheet.
Submission Requirements: This project has been set up to be placed in the dropbox on the required date.
Quantitative Grading Rubric:
Below are the sections found in Box 5.1 on page 126 (Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt (2019). Each section has several questions that need careful consideration. However, not all questions may be applicable to your selected article. State this in your essay, do not omit questions just because they are not pertinent to your article. Points are assigned to each section and earned by answering the questions in a clear and comprehensive manner. Points are awarded to each section in the critical appraisal guidelines and total 85 points. An additional 15 points are assigned for proper grammar, spelling and APA format. be sure to spell check!
Box 5.1 General Appraisal Overview (GAO) Elements and Questions for Critical Appraisal of
Quantitative Studies
PICOT Question
Overview of the study
Why was the study done (purpose)?
What was the study design?
Was appropriate ethics review reported?
General Description of the Study
Research Question of Hypothesis
Sampling
What was the sampling technique?
What was the sample size?
What were the sample characteristics?
Major Variables Studied
What are the major variables, independent, and dependent
Are the measurements of major variables valid and reliable?
How were the data analyzed? Were the statistics used appropriate?
Were there any untoward events during the conduct of the study?
How do the results fit with previous research in the area?
What does this research mean for clinical practice?
