University of Lethbridge Faculty of Health Sciences

Nursing Education in Southwestern Alberta (NESA) Nursing 3360 – Research Methodology

Course Syllabus – Fall 2011 Section B

Faculty

Judith Kulig, RN ; DNSc

Claudia Steinke, RN ; BSc, MSc, PhD

Shannon Spenceley, RN ; BN, MN, PhD

Location Markin Hall 3071

Markin Hall 3121 Markin Hall 3065

Office Hours Upon request Upon request Mondays from 0900-1600 (please book appointment) and upon request

Phone 403.382.7119 403.394.3945 403.329.2432

Fax 403.329.2668 403.329.2668 403.329.2668

Email kulig@uleth.ca claudia.steinke@uleth.ca s.spenceley@uleth.ca

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course is designed to enhance the student’s abilities to comprehend critique and use research in professional practice. Prerequisite(s): Third-year standing in the NESA B.N. program or Admission to the Post-Diploma B.N. program or Third-year standing in the Public Health program. Corequisite(s): Health Sciences 3450/Psychology 3450 (for NESA students only) *COURSE DETAILS

Section A: Dr. Steinke Mondays TH204

Section B: Dr. Spenceley Wednesdays TH204

Section C: Dr. Kulig Thursdays AH175

*OBJECTIVES: THIS IS WHAT YOU WILL LEARN The main objective of the course is to enable students to find and critically appraise research studies. Students will develop foundational knowledge and skills that will enable them to achieve the overall goal of developing an evidence-informed approach to practice. Learning outcomes: as a result of engaging in this work, you will:

1. Articulate various research concepts and processes; 2. Develop and use a systematic approach for reading and critiquing qualitative, quantitative, and mixed

methods research studies; 3. Discuss moral/ethical principles as they relate to nursing research; 4. Describe the integral relationship among research, practice, and theory; and, 5. Describe how research and theory inform nursing practice. 6. Discuss the complexities of evidence-informed nursing, practice standards and competencies. 7. Discuss the complexities of influencing practice change based on evidence.

REQUIRED RESOURCES Brown, S.J. (2012). Evidence-based nursing (2nd ed.). Mississauga, ON: Jones & Bartlett.

Davies, B., & Logan, J. (2008). Reading research: A user-friendly guide for nurses and other health care

professionals. Toronto, ON: Elsevier.

Other articles and reports will be available as pdfs or with URL links for you; these will be posted on Moodle.

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TEXTBOOKS ON RESERVE You will find several nursing research textbooks on reserve in the Library. These are provided as additional resources to be used throughout the semester to enhance your learning about the specific concepts, topics as well as providing examples of critique frameworks.

TEACHING AND LEARNING STRATEGIES A variety of learning strategies will be used throughout the course (i.e., guest speakers, group work, discussion, etc). Learning will include large group discussion with separation into base groups for focused individual learning. Please note: student participation (i.e., reading chapters and articles, accessing Moodle, reflecting on the readings, and participating or leading the discussion of concepts in class) is highly valued, essential to your learning, and will be acknowledged with a substantial portion of your grade. In the interest of protecting our environment, some activity sheets will only be available on-line. You will therefore need to access Moodle during class time; please ensure access to a laptop is guaranteed within your base group. Moodle SUPPORT: THIS IS FOR YOU! A Moodle site will support this course. In addition to the Syllabus, other class resources will be posted that will assist you in learning the course content. Please review Moodle before class to access resources including power point presentations, exercises, articles for discussion etc. A review of the material ahead of time will assist your progress in the class and enhance your reflective thinking about the subject matter at hand. COURSE ASSIGNMENTS

Evaluation Strategy

Collaborative work in Base Groups

Participation

Practice Research

Assignment

Final Exam

% of Final Grade

25%

10%

45%

20%

20% for work handed in each week

5% for group leadership/ participation

5% contributing regularly in class (individual)

5% for leading class reflections (as a group)

25%: critical review of literature (individual grade)

20%: poster presentation/ liaison with practice world (group grade)

Examination (computer lab)

EVALUATION STRATEGIES

1. Base Group work: This grade has two components-- a “product” and a “process” component.

a. The product component: worksheets are completed each week, in class. They are collectively completed, and the purpose is to assist you to review concepts and learning from assigned readings. Although they are collectively completed, the grades are tracked individually. This work is done in your base group in class, and handed in each week for grading. This work will account for 20% of your final grade. There are 10 worksheets, so your work each week contributes 2% towards the total 20%. If you do not attend class, you will forfeit the 2% for that week.

b. The “process” component. Research is rarely a solitary activity, and using research evidence to improve nursing practice never is! The purpose of this activity is to build on the teamwork skills and confidence you each already possess, and turn it into a

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supportive way to learn about research. Each week, one person in your group should take the lead in ensuring everyone participates and contributes to the shared work. This leadership should alternate, and everyone must have a chance to group lead. You will be observed over the term as individuals and as part of the group, and you will be asked to evaluate group participation at the conclusion of each class. These observations will combine for a total of 5% of your final grade.

2. Reflective Discussions: The purpose of this activity is to develop your skills and confidence in sharing

your thinking about research, about evidence, and about knowledge. For each class, the name of a base group will be randomly drawn, and that day, that group will be expected to lead a 10 minute class discussion on a reflective question that is directly relevant to the week’s topic (the question will be listed along with assigned readings). Specific guidelines for this reflection are attached, and you will be evaluated against these guidelines. This is a group grade, and the total maximum achievable here is 5% of the participation grade.

3. Practice Research Assignment: This is a two part assignment, with individual and group

components. The overall goal of this assignment it to help you develop an evidence-informed approach to practice. Committing to evidence-informed practice in a dynamic field like nursing is one of the things that set you apart as a trusted health care professional. Specifically, this assignment will

a. Individual component (25%). The purpose of this component is to build your knowledge and

skills finding and critically appraising research in order to answer questions relevant to practice. So…what are the burning practice questions in the clinical setting where you are working right now? Your first job is to find out! Consult with RNs practicing in your clinical setting. Once you have discovered one or two relevant practice questions, discuss these with your clinical instructor as well as with your student colleagues in your clinical group. Remember that these others students make up what will be your “group” for the collective part of this assignment (even though they might be in another section of 3360). Therefore, in your discussions, you need to be able to agree to focus on the same practice question. You then must discuss the question options with your 3360 instructor to ensure that you are selecting a question that is researchable, as well as something that has a presence in the published, peer-reviewed research. So, now your group has an appropriate practice question upon which to focus. Now you will each, individually take the first step in answering the question—finding, reading, understanding and critiquing research that is directly relevant to the question. That is to say, you need to be able to tell good research when you see it! For the literature review and critique, you should each find and appraise 1 different research article that is directly related to the question, so talk with each other to ensure you are not doubling up. Wherever possible, find articles that take different approaches (some qualitative, some quantitative or mixed methods). Each of you will do an individual paper, critiquing your one selected study. Specific criteria for this literature critique will be posted on Moodle, and discussed in the second week of class.

i. The review/critique must be 10 pages maximum (excluding references); do not exceed this page limit. APA format is expected, e.g., double spaced, a font not exceeding 12, appropriate margins, citation, cover page, etc. This individual assignment is due at the beginning of your 3360 class on Week 7.

b. Group component (20%). The purposes of this component are to 1) build your knowledge and skills in critically synthesizing (or combining into a meaningful whole) relevant research for practice, and 2) communicate the results of your work to colleagues in practice, and 3) colleagues in the educational world. This component is about getting the products of your work into a form that will help others learn from your scholarship.

1. You will work together to construct a critical summary of the combined results of your

individual literature reviews, in the form of a poster. As a group, you will likely have

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discovered some ‘best practice’ evidence, some gaps in the evidence, some limitations in the evidence that exists, some general recommendations for consideration in practice, and recommendations for future knowledge development. This needs to be pulled together into a poster presentation, and presented to those working in your clinical practice setting. A one page summary of your poster should be provided to those in attendance as well (a template for this summary will be posted on Moodle).

2. Presentation to practice: you will need to negotiate a date for this presentation with your clinical instructor, and the unit/department manager. You should also negotiate a back-up date, just in case weather or other variables intervene to prevent your group from presenting the products of your shared work. You will be evaluated by staff attending your presentation in the practice environment, according to an evaluation instrument that will be posted on Moodle by your 3360 instructor. You will also be expected to hand in a copy of your presentation summary along with the completed evaluation forms, to your 3360 instructor, by the end of class on Week 10.

3. A FoHS Research Day is also being planned (November 30), where you will also be

expected to display your poster, and answer questions about your work by those attending the Research Day. Please also bring 50 copies of the single page summary, so that those in attendance can “take away” some of the valuable information you have provided. Specific guidelines for the poster assignment will be posted on Moodle and discussed with the class by week 2. Please note: attendance at this Research Day is expected, and your poster must be displayed.

4. Web-based final quiz: A “wrap-up” quiz will be completed online, on December 13, 2011 from 0900-

1200 in an assigned computer lab. The test will be comprised of true/false and multiple choice “application” questions. The value of this last test is 20% of your final grade.

POLICIES: THE FINE PRINT For specific details on University Polices please refer to the University of Lethbridge 2011/2012 Calendar. Please read the policies carefully. Remember that copying and/or inappropriate collaboration on papers, tests, and exams is classified as plagiarism.

Voluntary Withdrawal Date: November 10, 2011. Note: Please do not hesitate to discuss this decision with me in advance of this date.

Academic Regulations, and Requirements Theory Course Attendance Policy Attendance at all nursing theory/tutorial classes is required for successful completion of the course. When persistent unexcused absences impact the student’s ability to attain the learning objectives of a course, or inappropriately impact the collaborative learning experience of the student or their colleagues within a tutorial group, an instructor may debar a student from attending the course and assign a failing grade (F) for the course. If a student is at risk for debarment, faculty must thoroughly document the nature of the absences, and notify the student in writing of the potential for debarment at least one week in advance of invoking debarment to provide them with an opportunity to take corrective action.

Policy Statement

1. Unexcused absences are considered unprofessional conduct. 2. When an absence occurs (e.g., due to illness), it is the student’s responsibility to notify their

instructor/professor and student group members of their absence.

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3. Students in group-based learning activities are responsible and accountable to their group members for their participation and attendance. Peer evaluations support individual accountability for contributions to group assignments and to participatory learning. Students are expected to demonstrate accountability and integrity in completing peer evaluations.

4. A Learning Enhancement plan may be initiated by an instructor/professor for any student with repeated absences. A learning enhancement plan is designed to support student success in meeting course requirements and outcomes.

5. Students are expected to complete all course components.

Student Athletics Participation and Nursing Student Attendance at Professional Conferences

The NESA program acknowledges that some nursing students are members of their academic institution’s official athletic teams, and may have obligations to these teams in order to maintain scholarships. All members of a University of Lethbridge or Lethbridge College athletic team who anticipate absences from theory courses related to athletic commitments, should discuss these potential absences with their instructor/professor at the initiation of the course to determine if these absences can be appropriately accommodated without impacting the student’s ability to attain the course outcomes. Please note that students on athletic teams must meet with an academic advisor at their institution to assist with course planning each semester and should attempt to register for courses so that their athletic commitments have the minimum impact on their academic commitments.

Official student delegates for professional nursing associations including the Canadian Nursing Students Association (CNSA) may be granted permission to attend official conferences/meetings during course time as long as participation in these activities will not adversely interfere with their achievement of course objectives. Student delegates should discuss the potential absence with faculty at their earliest convenience to determine if permission to attend these events can be granted. Permission to attend conferences will not be granted for any student that is not demonstrating an appropriate level of clinical practice or who has a Clinical Enhancement Plan in effect.

Writing Format: APA Please! The style source for writing papers and documenting references and citations is the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA), 6th edition. Late Assignments: Hand Them In On Time! Late Paper/Assignment Policy All papers and assignments must be submitted by the beginning of class on the due date UNLESS AN ALTERNATE DUE DATE HAS BEEN ARRANGED WITH THE FACULTY MEMBER in advance of the scheduled due date. A late (date and/or time) paper or assignment will be assessed at five percent (5%) decrement for each day it is late, including holidays and weekends. All papers will be initially graded according to the assignment's original marking guideline, and then the mark will be reduced by 5 percentage points per day. If an assignment is to be submitted late and on a holiday or weekend then an electronic copy must be submitted to the instructor as soon as possible. An identical paper copy must be submitted (unless alternate arrangements are made) on the first working day following the holiday or weekend. If the paper copy is submitted to the instructor on the next working day then the calculation of penalty will apply to the submission of the electronic version. An extension will be considered at the discretion of the instructor. Normally, the student is responsible for

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negotiating an extension with the instructor forty-eight (48) hours prior to the due date in order for his/her request to be considered. Plagiarism and Cheating: Very, very bad idea! University policy specifically prohibits any academic dishonesty which is not limited to but includes plagiarism and cheating. Plagiarism occurs when students do not acknowledge the source of ideas and expressions they use in their written work, whether quoted directly or paraphrased. It is also considered plagiarism if a student submits a paper written in whole or in part by someone other than him/herself. The Faculty of Health Sciences considers plagiarism and cheating to be very serious offenses, and students should be aware that expulsion from the University is an action that may be taken. Please note the University of Lethbridge subscribes to turnitin.com, a plagiarism detection service. You will be advised by your course instructor on what that means for you as a student in this course. Students may be required to submit both a hard copy and electronic version of their work upon request. Copyright: Every day across Canada, university professors, staff and students make thousands of photocopies. Books, journal articles, speeches, sections from plays - they're all being copied. The copies help students learn, assist professors in their teaching and research, and facilitate the smooth running of the university. But is that copy you're making legal? The answer lies in the rules in the Copyright Act, use permissions that the copyright owner may have made publicly available and in license agreements held by your university with copyright owners and vendors of databases and collections containing copyright works. As a student and at a minimum, you need to be aware of the following:

If an article has been assigned as reading for the class, be aware that it may not be permissible for your instructor to provide the class with copies of an assigned article, or to post the assigned article on Moodle. In most cases you will be provided with a "persistent link" to the article, which will direct you to the original electronic copy housed within the U of L library's information system. Articles housed in the U of L library that are only available in hard copy will be made available on reserve in the library.

Principles of fair dealing allow a student or professor to make a single copy of copyright material "for research, private study, criticism, review, or news reporting", but in general do not permit making multiple copies for an entire class. So, think about that before you copy an article for a number of your classmates. Such copying may be an infringement of copyright unless you have:

o obtained permission from the copyright owner, o confirmed that the Library holds a license permitting distribution of copies to students enrolled in

a course, or o the copyright owner has made the material freely accessible with no requirement to seek

permission for copying. For assistance in navigating copyright compliance, feel free to contact the University Copyright Advisor at copyright@uleth.ca Accommodation for Students with Disabilities Reasonable accommodations are available for students who have a documented disability. If you have been diagnosed with a disability, there is no need to face the challenge of University without support. Please contact the Counselling Services/ Disabilities Resource Centre at 403-329-2766 http://www.uleth.ca/ross/counselling/index.html to set up an appointment. After registering with the Disabilities Resource Centre, your instructor will be notified by a formal letter of any accommodations you require. In addition, students are responsible for requesting accommodations from the instructor at least *two weeks* in advance of the evaluation date. The instructor and student are jointly responsible for arranging the resources needed for the evaluation process.

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NURS 3360: GRADING OF COURSE ASSIGNMENTS The grading system for this course is consistent with that established in the Faculty of Health Sciences, effective May, 2002.

Letter GPA Percent Letter GPA Percent

A+ 4.0 95 - 100% C+ 2.3 71 - 74.9%

A 4.0 91 - 94.9% C 2.0 67 - 70.9%

A- 3.7 87 - 90.9% C- 1.7 63 - 66.9%

B+ 3.3 83 - 86.9% D+ 1.3 59 - 62.9%

B 3.0 79 - 82.9% D 1.0 55 - 58.9%

B- 2.7 75 - 78.9% F 0 0 - 54.9%

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NURS 3360: Tentative Course Schedule

Week/Date Topic Overview Assigned Work

Class 1: Sept 7

What is research?

Why is research?

Who are YOU in relation to research?

1. What are your notions of truth? Getting to know the “you” in relation to research.

2. “Nuts and bolts” of the course.

3. Ways of knowing and

knowledge development in nursing.

1. 2.

3.

-Brown (class text) Chapters 1-2 -Assigned article(s) This week’s RQ: Reflect on nursing as an “art” and as a “science”. Do the art and the science emerge from different ways of knowing?

Class 2: Sept 14

Who is research?

Where is research?

Guest Speaker: Ms. Jennifer Penner.

1. The role of research in nursing practice.

2. How are research articles organized?

3. What is meant by “levels of evidence”?

4. Introduction to research critique framework.

Brown, chapters 3, 10 Davies & Logan chapters 3, 4 Assigned article(s) RQ’s: What connections between research and practice did you make as you reflect on the practice world of our guest speaker today? What types of research did you see making a difference in her practice?

Class 3: Sept. 21

Beginning the research critique.

Literature Review

Purpose statements

Problem identification and the research question

1. What is the purpose of

literature reviews? 2. What is the purpose of the

research? 3. What is the problem being

addressed? 4. How does the research

question address the problem?

Brown, chapters 11, 13, 16

RQ: What do you think is meant by the following quote: “How one asks a question will heavily influence the answers one finds”?

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Class 4: Sept. 28

Theoretic frameworks

1. 1. What is a research design? A research method? A data collection strategy?

2. 2. Top 3 Hit-list: qualitative and quantitative designs

3.

Brown, chapters 4-7

Assigned article(s) This week’s RQ: What immediately “turns you off” when you read a research article? Which ones do you enjoy reading? Explore why this is the case, and the potential implications for EBP.

Class 5: Oct. 5

Hypothesis testing

Hypothesis generation

1. Independent and dependent variables.

2. Inductive and deductive reasoning.

3. Categories,concepts/constructs

Brown, chapter 14

Assigned article(s) This week’s RQ: What makes a piece of research “nursing research”?

Class 6: Oct. 12

Sample

Setting

Intro to data collection

Assigned article(s) This week’s RQ: Suppose you have cancer, and you are a participant in a double-blinded trial of a new treatment for this cancer. Imagine: what might that be like? [Note: Paper due next week]!

Class 7: Oct. 19

Data collection

1. Top 3 Hit-list: qualitative and quantitative data collection strategies.

Assigned article(s) Paper due at beginning of class. This week’s RQ: What is the value of mixed-methods research? Give examples of how and when such an approach adds value.

Class 8: Oct. 26

Data analysis

Data interpretation

1. What is statistical significance? 2. What is clinical significance? 3. What is clinician significance?

Assigned article(s) This week’s RQ: What is “theoretical sensitivity”, and what are some of its sources?

Class 9: Nov. 2

Rigorous research; how to know when you can “believe” what you read!

1. Tenets of rigor: sounds painful! 2. Threats to rigor in qualitative,

quantitative work.

Assigned article(s) This week’s RQ: Your neighbor asks your opinion on something he has read about a chronic condition, stating “it must be true, I read it on the Internet”. This is going to happen to you if it hasn’t already. How do you think you might respond?

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Week of Nov 9th no class

Week 10: Nov. 16

Ethics in research 1. When good research goes bad!

Assigned article(s) RQ: Should individuals with capacity problems (e.g. moderate to severe dementia) be participants in research studies? Why or why not? [Note: Poster presentation should be done; summary/presentation and evaluations must be handed in by next week!]

Week 11: Nov. 23

Synthesis research

2. Reviews: cats of a different color--systematic, integrative, narrative,realistic…

Brown Chapter 9, 15 Assigned article(s) RQ: The research literature tells us that nurses very often seek new knowledge for practice by talking with colleagues. What are the strengths and limitations of that approach?

Week 12: Nov. 30

FoHS Research Day (no class Wednesday morning)

Attendance required to present poster at FoHS Research Day!

Week 13: Dec 7

Application/Reflection 1. How will I recognize the kind of knowledge culture I am working in?

2. How can I participate in creating a culture of inquiry?

Brown, Chapter 17 Assigned article(s) RQ: What is meant by “practice-based evidence” and how can it be a rigorous source of knowledge?

FINAL EXAM DECEMBER 13, 2011 0900-1200 IN ASSIGNED COMPUTER LAB.

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Marking Guide: Literature Critique (formal paper)

Item Expectation Present?

Organization and development of paper (5) (0.4 marks/item)

The purpose of the assignment is clear.

Practice question that focuses the review is clearly articulated, with rationale for its relevance.

Practice context (where the question came from) is described.

Research critique framework clearly identified,

and consistently applied throughout.

Material flows from one section to another

Thoughtful, concise conclusion related to overall quality of article/study

Overall organization (sequence, structure, headers) is excellent.

There is a logical flow of ideas.

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______

Critical Analysis (10) (1 mark/item)

Clear explanation of why this is a piece of nursing research.

All required components are included.

Studies are clearly related to the practice question.

Evidence of solid understanding of the study

Critique is consistently objective, relevant, comprehensive

Balanced presentation of strengths and weaknesses

Clear examples and/or rationale provided to support statements

Criticisms are justified; rationale for assessment of quality is well articulated

Recommendations for practice arising out of the gained knowledge in relation to the practice question are practical, thoughtful and feasible

Limitations and challenges to the use of this knowledge in practice are clearly identified.

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______

Expression of Ideas (5) (1 mark each)

Grammar, spelling are attended to

Thoughts are succinctly and clearly expressed; the overall written expression demonstrates excellence

Development of ideas, arguments and conclusions represents creativity and depth

Almost no errors in APA format, citations and references

There is evidence of thoughtful and appropriate incorporation of significant scholarly references or quotations that deepen the analysis.

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

Total: /25

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University of Lethbridge Faculty of Health Sciences

Nursing Education in Southwestern Alberta (NESA)

POSTER PRESENTATION GUIDELINES

A. Essentials

o Poster must be no larger than 36 inches high and 48 inches wide. The width includes two 12

inch panels that allow the poster to be self-standing.

o This size includes the poster title (i.e. it cannot be titled on a separate piece of material)

o Student ID numbers(not names) and course number/section must be included.

o Correct grammar, spelling and APA format are expected.

o References (APA) may be attached to the back of the poster.

o No additional materials (books, artifacts or props) can be placed in front of the poster.

o Overall, poster is focused and relevant to intended audience.

B. Overall Appearance

o Display holds the viewer’s attention and is attractive overall.

o Text and graphical elements are relevant and contribute to the presentation of the topic.

o Most individuals reads from right to left, so take this in to account as you design it.

o The font of your poster should be easily visible at 1.5 meters distance.

o Overall content is logically arranged and organized.

C. Content

o Title is clear and reflects the essence of the work.

o Goal/aim of poster presentation is clearly stated.

o Clinical question is clearly stated, with rationale.

o Processes for arriving at the question are succinctly described.

o Information is applicable/relevant to the clinical area.

o Current evidence is succinctly presented.

o Analysis/critique of current evidence is clear, with limitations clearly identified.

o Clinical practice implications are described.

o Recommendations are presented as appropriate.

o Relevant questions for practice arising from the project are identified.

o Handouts enhance the poster content. (ONE PAGE, DOUBLE SIDED in sufficient quantities for

those in attendance).

D. Presentation/Professionalism

o Group member(s) available to respond to viewer’s questions

o Presenter knowledgeable about the subject matter and able to answer questions.

o Overall manner demonstrated is professional.

Forsyth, D.M., Wright, T.L., Scherb, C.A., & Gaspar, P.M. (2010). Disseminating evidence-based practice

projects: Poster design and evaluation. Clinical Scholars Review, 3(1), 14-21.

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Category A: Essentials Present (1)

Weak/Absent (0)

Comments

Size parameters in place

Student ID

Grammar/spelling/APA

Appropriate focus/relvance to audience

SUBSCORE _____ /4

Category B: Appearance Exemplary (2)

Average (1)

Weak/Absent (0)

Comments

Holds your attention and is an attractive presentation.

Text/graphics are relevant and add something to appearance.

Elements flow logically and are visible from 1.5 meters.

SUBSCORE _____/6

Category C: Content Exemplary (2)

Average (1)

Weak/Absent (0)

Title is clear/reflects the essence of the work.

Goal/aim of poster presentation is clearly stated.

Clinical question is clearly stated, with rationale.

Processes for arriving at the question are succinctly described.

Information is applicable/relevant to the clinical area.

Current evidence is succinctly presented.

Analysis/critique of current evidence is clear, with limitations clearly identified.

Clinical practice implications are described.

Recommendations/questions for practice arising from the project are identified.

Handouts enhance the poster content.

SUBSCORE ________/20

TOTAL POINTS: ________30

FOR INSTRUCTOR USE ONLY: ______/30 = Final Assignment Score of ________/20

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QUALITATIVE Research Appraisal Framework I. OVERVIEW (SYNOPSIS)

1. What phenomenon (experience, situation, social process, culture, event) did the researchers want to

understand?

2. What research method is being used? (Grounded theory? Case study? Phenomenology? etc)

3. Did the researchers seek to describe the phenomenon, or is the goal to generate theory?

4. What theoretical framework guides this study?

5. Did the researchers make a convincing case about the knowledge gap this research is intended to

address?

6. Does the study as written draw you in (i.e. is it written in a clear and compelling way, with the effective use

of exemplars to add meaning?)

II. CREDIBILITY A) Overall

1. Does the research design fit with what the researchers wanted to learn? What would have strengthened

the design to achieve the researchers’ goal?

2. Is this a peer-reviewed research study report?

3. Did the researchers explain how they tried to manage their own beliefs, values and preconceptions during

the research process?

4. Did the researchers explicitly outline potential threats to rigor, and how they were addressed?

5. Was there any declaration regarding potential conflict of interest? Was the funder identified?

6. Did the researchers discuss the limitations of their study?

7. How could the study have been strengthened?

B) Data collection

1. What were all the data sources used in the study (what types of triangulation were employed, if any)?

2. Who were the participants in the study and how were they selected?

3. Do the researchers describe how they protected the humanity , dignity and rights of their participants

(ethical considerations)?

4. How was data collected?

5. Were the collection methods effective in generating rich, in-depth data?

6. Was the sampling of observations persistent and varied enough to serve the purposes of the study?

7. Could the data collection methods have inadvertently resulted in oversight, under-representation or over-

representation from certain types of sources?

C) Analysis/Findings/Results

1. Did the researchers give a thorough description of the data analysis process and approach?

2. Did you find the study gave you a deep, thick and vivid portrayal of the phenomenon under study?

3. Did the findings satisfactorily justify the meanings, themes or theoretical statements made as a result of

the study?

4. In your judgment, are the findings credible?

5. How do the findings fit with the findings of other studies of this phenomenon?

III. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS/CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

1. How might the findings be relevant to nursing practice generally, and your practice specifically?

2. How might you generate discussion of the findings in your practice setting?

3. Comment on the potential clinical significance of the findings; is it a study that should potentially be

informing a care protocol?

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QUANTITATIVE Research Appraisal Framework I. OVERVIEW (synopsis): 1. What was the purpose of the study? (research questions, purposes, specific hypotheses)?

2. What design did the researchers use? (descriptive? Experimental? Quasi-experimental? Correlational?)

3. Did the researchers make a convincing case about the knowledge gap this research is intended to

address?

4. What theoretical framework guides the study?

5. Is the study clearly written and understandable, with effective use of tables/graphics to add clarity?

II. CREDIBILITY: A. Overall

1. Is this a peer-reviewed research study report?

2. Does the research design fit with what the researchers wanted to learn? What would have strengthened

the design to achieve the researchers’ goal?

3. What potential conclusion errors can you identify?

4. Were important extraneous variables and bias controlled for?

5. Did the researchers explicitly outline potential threats to rigor, and how they were addressed?

6. Was there any declaration regarding potential conflict of interest? Was the funder identified?

7. Did the researchers discuss the limitations of their study?

B. Data collection

1. What were all the data sources used in the study (what types of triangulation were employed, if any)?

2. Who participated in the study or contributed data and how was the sample selected?

3. Was there anything about the way the participants were chose or their characteristics that could have

influenced the findings?

4. Do the researchers describe how they protected the humanity , dignity and rights of their participants

(ethical considerations)?

5. How was data collected? (instrument, sequence, timing, types of data, etc)

6. Were the measuring instruments valid and reliable?

C. Analysis/Findings/Results

1. Did the data obtained and analysis conducted answer the research question(s)?

2. Was there anything about how the study was done that could have influenced the findings?

3. Did the researchers discuss potential alternative explanations for their conclusions?

4. In your judgment, are the findings credible?

5. How do the findings fit or not fit with the findings of other studies?

6. How could the study have been strengthened?

D. IF AN INTERVENTION WAS TESTED: (if not, go directly to section III)

1. Were participants randomly assigned to groups? Were the two groups similar at the start?

2. Were interventions well defined and consistently delivered?

3. Were the groups treated equally other than the intervention (independent variable)?

4. If no difference was found: was the sample size large enough to find a difference if there was one to

find?

5. If a difference was found, are you confident that it was due to differences in the intervention?

(SEE NEXT PAGE)

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III. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS/CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

1. Note any difference in means, or measures of clinical effect (ABI, NNT, RR, OR)

2. Comment on the potential clinical significance of the findings; is it a study that should be informing a care

protocol?

3. How might the findings be relevant to nursing practice generally, and your practice specifically?

4. How might you generate discussion of the findings in your practice setting?

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Reflection Guide

These questions should guide your thinking as you ponder the weekly “reflective question”. Remember, each week, one group will be selected randomly, and asked to lead the class in a 10 minute reflective discussion of the question. So, you should allow about 5 minutes for presenting your thoughts, and 5 minutes to facilitate questioning from the class. As you consider the question:

1. What are your initial “gut” responses? Does the question invoke strong feeling in you? What values and

beliefs do you hold that inform your initial response? (I mark)

2. What implications does the question have for understanding and participating in the individually lived

human health experience? (1 mark)

3. What perspective(s) have I encountered in the scientific literature that informs my thinking about this

question? (2 marks)

4. What are the potential ethical implications of the question? What form might those implications take in

practice? (1 mark)

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References

Forsyth, D.M., Wright, T.L., Scherb, C.A., & Gaspar, P.M. (2010). Disseminating evidence-based practice

projects: Poster design and evaluation. Clinical Scholars Review, 3(1), 14-21.

Johns, C. (1995). Framing learning through reflection within Carper's fundamental ways of knowing in nursing.

Journal of Advanced Nursing, 22(2), 226-234.

Porter, S. (2010). Fundamental patterns of knowing in nursing: the challenge of evidence-based practice.

Advances in Nursing Science, 33(1), 3-14. doi: 10.1097/ANS.0b013e3181c9d5eb

Schutz, S. (2007). Reflection and reflective practice. Community Practitioner, 80(9), 26-29.