2. Research critique
• Is a planned, systematic and careful
evaluation/ appraisal of a research work
3. purposes
• To provide inputs regarding the strength and
weakness of a study to the researchers.
• To assess the methodological and analytical skills.
• To advance nursing knowledge.
• To judge the scientific merits of the study.
• To evaluate the understanding of research by the
students.
• To publish comment on research topics in
journals.
• Helps to incorporate the findings to practice
4. Guidelines for writing a critical
appraisal
• Read and understand the entire research report carefully.
• Critique the entire research report- substantive, methodological ,
interpretative, ethical, and presentational dimensions
• Be objective, realistic and specific.try to justify your criticisms
• Give examples of study’s weaknesses and strengths. Avoid general
vague statements.
• Be practical considering all the limitations of the research.
• keep a balanced approach by presenting strong and weak points.
• Handle the negative comments carefully.
• Start the comments with positive points .
• Alternative suggestions must be provided for further improvement
in research project.
5. Dimensions/elements
• Substantive and theoretical dimension: theory
application, research concepts.
• Methodologic dimension:
• Ethical dimension.
• Interpretive dimension.
• Presentation and stylistic dimension.
6. Guidelines for critiquing the research
report
• Introduction
• Problem statement
• Literature review
• Theoretical framework and hypothesis
• Methodology
• Data analysis
• Results
• Conclusion.
• References.
7. Substantative dimension
• Significance, soundness, creativity and
appropriateness of the theoretical framework.
• Advancing knowledge?, replicating?
• Research problem into theoretical context.
8. Problem statement and hypothesis
• Does the report clearly present the problem. Was it
placed in a logical and easy to find location?
• Significance and what is the significance?
• Current knowledge?
• Delimitation of the scope of the problem?
• Does the problem clearly identify the variables,
population,
• Hypothesis stated is logical and flow from theoretical
framework. Relationship, properly worded, research
hypothesis
9. Literature reviews
• Most, current, thorough
• Overdependence on secondary sources,
opinion articles
• Direct relation to problem or peripherally
related?
• Summary or compares the contributions of
key studies?
• Appropriate language, objective, well
organised, conclusion?
10. Theoretical and conceptual framework
• Description,. Appropriate, nursing or
borrowed from other discipline?
• Concepts defined?
11. Methodological dimension
• Design – meaningful, unambiguous, and valid
results.
• Subjects , sample size, sampling approach
• Data collection
• what analysis
• How was the plan executed
12. Research design
• Type of design, experimental intervention,
comparison, how many times data collected
or observed, procedures to control external
factors.
• Does the design affect the internal validity, or
enhance the external validity of the study?
• Major limitations of the design used.
13. Sampling plans
• Population, eligibility criteria, sample selection
procedure, bias, representative sample, size
and characteristics of the sample.
• Power analysis.
• Generalisation to whom?
14. Interpretative dimension
Interpretation
• Are the interpretations consistent with the results.
• Similar research studies
• Alternate explanation for the findings discussed
Implications
• Nursing practice
• Based on the limitations
Recommendations
• Methods to improve the study.
• Are the recommendations consistent with the findings.
15. Ethical dimension
• Physical harm, psychological distress
• Steps to reduce the discomfort or prevent
harm.
• Did the benefits outweigh the potential risks
• Data collected by persons with proper
qualification?
• Explanation, Vulnerable groups, coercion,
awareness of being used in the study,
informed consent, privacy, IRB approved
16. Presentation and stylistic dimension
• Detail enough to critique
• Well written?, jargon avoided, grammar and
spelling
• Well organised, continuity of thought and
expression?
• Irrelavant details?
• Objective style
• Title- variables and population
• Abstract – problem, methods and findings
• Reference
