Summative Assignment: Critique of Research Article
A research critique demonstrates your ability to critically read an investigative study. For this assignment, choose a research article related to nursing or medicine to critique.
- Articles used for one assignment can’t be used for the other assignments (students should find new research articles for each assignment).
- The selected articles should be original research articles. Review articles, meta-analysis, meta-synthesis, and systemic review should not be used.
- Mixed-methods studies should not be used.
Your critique should include the following:
Research Problem/Purpose
- State the problem clearly as it is presented in the report.
- Have the investigators placed the study problem within the context of existing knowledge?
- Will the study solve a problem relevant to nursing?
- State the purpose of the research.
Review of the Literature
- Identify the concepts explored in the literature review.
- Were the references current? If not, what do you think the reasons are?
Theoretical Framework
- Are the theoretical concepts defined and related to the research?
- Does the research draw solely on nursing theory or does it draw on theory from other disciplines?
- Is a theoretical framework stated in this research piece?
- If not, suggest one that might be suitable for the study.
Variables/Hypotheses/Questions/Assumptions
- What are the independent and dependent variables in this study?
- Are the operational definitions of the variables given? If so, are they concrete and measurable?
- Is the research question or the hypothesis stated? What is it?
Methodology
- What type of design (quantitative, qualitative, and type) was used in this study?
- Was inductive or deductive reasoning used in this study?
- State the sample size and study population, sampling method, and study setting.
- Did the investigator choose a probability or non-probability sample?
- State the type of reliability and the validity of the measurement tools.
- Were ethical considerations addressed?
Data Analysis
- What data analysis tool was used?
- How were the results presented in the study?
- Identify at least one (1) finding.
Summary/Conclusions, Implications, and Recommendations
- What are the strengths and limitations of the study?
- In terms of the findings, can the researcher generalize to other populations? Explain.
- Evaluate the findings and conclusions as to their significance for nursing.
The body of your paper should be 4–6 double-spaced pages plus a cover page and a reference page. The critique must be attached to the article and follow APA guidelines.