Reference no: EM132381654

Evidence Based Practice and Nursing Research

COMPARISON OF QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE WAYS OF READING A PUBLISHED ARTICLE

Quantitative

Sample
What is the target population?
What are the criteria for inclusion?
How is the sample selected?
What is the sample size?
Are these four elements of sample appropriate to this design?
Was an appropriate power analysis provided?

Methods
What are the variables under study?
What methods were used to collect data for the study?
Were issues of reliability and validity of meas-urement adequately addressed?
Are the procedures adequately explained? Are the methods the most appropriate ones that could have been selected?

Data Analysis
Did the data analysis provide an answer to the research question?
Is there sufficient power to support statements made about the relationship(s) between or among independent and dependent variables?
Are the analysis techniques appropriate and properly conducted?

Internal Validity
Could there be an alternative explanation for the relationships observed (or not observed) among the variables?
If so, what might these be?

External Validity
Would the findings be applicable to other set-tings, times, people, and places?

Qualitative

Participation

What are the criteria for inclusion or exclusion?
Is the number of participants stated?
Is the number appropriate to the research approach?
Is the number of interviews with each participant stated?
Are these elements appropriately explained?

Methods
Is the methodology (i.e., the philosophical basis of the approach) adequately explained?
Is it appropriate to the question?
What methods were used to collect the data?
Are the methods appropriate to the methodology? Are they the most appropriate methods that could have been selected?
Are the data collection steps explained?

Data Analysis
Was the data analysis in accord with the methodology?
If not, were the differences adequately explained? Were the assumptions of the methodology explicitly taken into account when analyzing the data?
Does the discussion reflect the appropriate method-ological assumptions and understanding?
Are the findings consistent with the intent of the methodology?

Rigor
Is the study credible-that is, faithful to human experience of the phenomenon?
Fittingness, Auditability, and Confirmability Do the findings fit into situations outside the study context?
Can you follow the decision trail of the researcher-that is, is the study auditable? Was any attempt made to confirm the findings with participants? If not, was it clear why this was not appropriate?