Objectives
1. Identify an area of clinical interest
2. Find one peer-reviewed journal article (no older than 5 years) related to your clinical topic of interest. Do not use a meta-analysis or systematic review.
3. Critique the journal article, fully answering the following questions
4. This critique should be 3-4 pages (not including the cover page and reference page)
5. Utilize the APA levels of headings on page 62 of the APA Manual
6. APA formatting required (Include appropriate APA level/headings)
Ethical Aspects of a Study
Was the study approved and monitored by an Institutional Review Board, Research Ethics Board or similar committee?
Were appropriate informed consent procedures used with all participants?
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Research Problems, Research Questions and Hypotheses
What is the research problem?
Is the problem statement easy to locate?
Does the study have significance to nursing? Why or why not?
Research Design
Was the design experimental, quasi-experimental, or non-experimental?
Was the study longitudinal or cross-sectional? What are the threats to the studies internal validity?
Sampling
What type of sampling design was used?
Are possible sample biases or weaknesses identified?
Data Collection
What methods of data collection were utilized (Self-reports, Scales, Observation, Rating Scales)? If self-report methods were used, did the researchers make good decisions about specific methods (in-person interviews, mailed questionnaires, etc.)?
If observational methods were used, did the report adequately describe what the observations entailed?
