Aspect of the Report Critiquing Questions
Title
• Is the title a good one, succinctly suggesting key variables and the study population?
Abstract
• Did the abstract clearly and concisely summarize the main features of the report (problem, methods, results, conclusion)?
Introduction
Statement of the Problem
• Was the problem stated unambiguously, and was it easy to identify?
• Is the problem significant for nursing?
• Did the problem statement build a persuasive argument for the new study?
• Was there a good match between the research problem and the methods used - that is, was a quantitative approach appropriate?
Research Questions
• Were research questions explicitly stated? If not, was their absence justified?
• Were the questions consistent with the study's philosophical basis, underlying tradition, or ideological orientation?
Literature Review
• Did the report adequately summarize the existing body of knowledge related to the problem or phenomenon of interest?
• Did the literature review provide a strong basis for the new study?
Conceptual Underpinnings
• Were key concepts defined conceptually?
• Was the philosophical basis, underlying tradition, conceptual framework, or ideologic orientation made explicit and was it appropriate for the problem?
Method
Protection of Human Rights
• Were appropriate procedures used to safeguard the rights of study participants?
• Was the study subject to external review by an IRB/ethics review board?
• Was the study designed to minimize risks and maximize benefits to participants?
Research Design and Research Tradition
• Was the identified research tradition (if any) congruent with the methods used to collect and analyze data?
• Was an adequate amount of time spent with study participants?
• Did the design unfold during data collection, giving researchers opportunities to capitalize on early understandings?
• Was there an adequate number of contacts with study participants?
Sample and Setting
• Was the group or population of interest adequately described? Were the setting and sample described in sufficient detail?
• Was the approach used to recruit participants or gain access to the site productive and appropriate?
• Was the best possible method of sampling used to enhance information richness and address the needs of the study?
• Was the sample size adequate? Was saturation achieved?
Data Collection
• Were the methods of gathering data appropriate? Were data gathered through two or more methods to achieve triangulation?
• Did the researcher ask the right questions or make the right observations, and were they recorded in an appropriate fashion?
• Was a sufficient amount of data gathered? Were the data of sufficient depth and richness?
Procedures
• Were data collection and recording procedures adequately described and do they appropriately trained?
Enhancement of Trustworthiness
• Did the researchers use effective strategies to enhance the trustworthiness/integrity of the study, and was there a good description of those strategies?
• Were the methods used to enhance trustworthiness adequate?
• Did the researcher document research procedures and decision processes sufficiently that findings and auditable and confirmable?
• Was there evidence of researcher reflexivity?
• Was there "thick description" of the context, participants, and findings, and was it at a sufficient level to support transferability?
Results
Data Analysis
• Were the data management and data analysis methods adequately described?
• Was the data analysis strategy compatible with the research tradition and with the nature and type of data gathered?
• Did the analysis yield an appropriate "product" (e.g. a theory, taxonomy, thematic pattern)?
• Did the analytic procedures suggest the possibility of biases?
Findings
• Were the findings effectively summarized, with good use of excerpts and supporting arguments?
• Did the themes adequately capture the meaning of the data? Does it appear that the researcher satisfactorily conceptualized the themes or patterns in the data?
• Did the analysis yield an insightful, provocative, authentic, and meaningful picture of the phenomenon under investigation?
Theoretical Integration
• Were the themes or patterns logically connected to each other to form a convincing and integrated whole?
• Were figures, maps, or models used effectively to summarize conceptualizations?
• If a conceptual framework or ideologic orientation guided the study, were the themes or patterns linked to it in a cogent manner?
Discussion
Interpretation of the Findings
• Were the findings interpreted within an appropriate social or cultural context?
• Were major findings interpreted and discussed within the context of prior studies?
• Were the interpretations consistent with the study's limitations?
Implications/recommendations
• Did the researchers discuss the implication of the study for clinical practice or further research - and were those implications reasonable and complete?
General Issues Presentation
• Was the report well-written, organized, and sufficiently detailed for critical analysis?
• Was the description of the methods, findings, and interpretations sufficiently rich and vivid?
Researcher Credibility
• Do the researchers' clinical, substantive, or methodologic qualifications and experience enhance confidence in the findings and their interpretation?
Summary Assessment
• Do the study findings appear to be trustworthy - do you have confidence in the truth value of the results?
• Does the study contribute any meaningful evidence that can be used in nursing practice or that is useful to the nursing discipline?