NURS 4100 Common Flaws in Quantitative nursing Studies
- NURS 4100 -Quality and Safety Through Evidence-Based Practice
- BSN Completion Program
- Walden University
- Critical Appraisal of Qualitative Research
- Smucker, D., Regan, S., Elder, N., & Gerrety, E. (2014). Patient safety incidents in home hospice care:
The experiences of hospice interdisciplinary team members. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 17(5), 540-544.
- Quality
- Is the journal peer-reviewed?
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- Are the authors qualified to conduct the research?
- Focus of Study
- What experience or situation are the researchers seeking to understand?
- Study Design
- What is the expected outcome of the study?
- Do the researchers want to describe an event, explain a cultural experience or generate a theory?
- What is the study design?
- Data Collection
- Who were the sample and how were they recruited?
- How were the data collected?
- Control
- How did the researchers control their biases or preconceptions during the data collection process?
- Data Analysis
- How were the data analyzed?
- Do the authors include direct quotes and generalized statements as examples of data?
- Results
- What are the main findings of the study?
- What themes emerged from the analysis?
- Recommendations
- Do the authors provide recommendations for future research?
- Limitations
- Are the limitations of the study discussed?
APPENDIX F
Appraisal Guide:
Findings of a Quantitative Study
APA Formatted Citation: (4 pts.)
Answer Here:
Synopsis (16 pts.)
- What was the purpose of the study (research questions, purposes, and hypotheses)?
Answer Here:
- How was the sample obtained?
Answer Here:
- What inclusion or exclusion criteria were used?
Answer Here:
- Who from the sample actually participated or contributed data (demographic or clinical profile and dropout rate)?
Answer Here:
- What methods were used to collect data (e.g., sequence, timing, types of data, and measures)?
Answer Here:
- Was an intervention tested? Answer Yes or No
- How was the sample size determined?
Answer Here:
- Were patients randomly assigned to treatment groups?
Answer Here:
- What are the main findings of the study? (10 pts.)
Answer Here:
| Credibility (14 pts.)
|
Yes | No | Not Clear |
| Is the study published in a source that required peer review? | |||
| *Did the data obtained and the analysis conducted answer the research question? | |||
| Were the measuring instruments reliable and valid? | |||
| *Were important extraneous variables and bias controlled? | |||
| *If an intervention was tested, answer the following five questions: | |||
| Were participants randomly assigned to groups and were the two groups similar at the start (before the intervention)? | |||
| Were the interventions well defined and consistently delivered? | |||
| Were the groups treated equally other than the difference in interventions? | |||
| If no difference was found, was the sample size large enough to detect a difference if one existed? | |||
| If a difference was found, are you confident it was due to the intervention? | |||
| Are the findings consistent with findings from other studies? | |||
| All | Some | No | |
| ARE THE FINDINGS CREDIBLE? | |||
Clinical Significance (6 pts.)
- Note any difference in means, r2s, or measures of clinical effects (ABI, NNT, RR, OR)
Answer Here: NURS 4100 Common Flaws in Quantitative nursing Studies
| Yes | No | Not Clear | |
| *Is the target population clearly described? | |||
| *Is the frequency, association, or treatment effect impressive enough for you to be confident that the finding would make a clinical difference if used as the basis for care? | |||
| All | Some | No | |
| ARE THE FINDINGS CLINICALLY
SIGNIFICANT? |
*= Important criteria
Comments
Answer Here:
Common Flaws in Quantitative Studies
The common flaws associated with quantitative studies include inappropriate representation of the target population; requires large sample size to collect data; lack of ability to control the environment; limited outcomes; and complicated data analysis methods (Rahman, 2017).
Inappropriate representation of the target population can interfere with the study’s targeted aims and objectives. In spite of using the suitable sampling plan, representation of the study participants depends on the probability distribution of the available data. This can result in inaccuracy of probability distribution and result in inaccuracy in proposition (Ponto, 2015). Secondly, quantitative studies need large sample sizes and lack of adequate resources may hinder use of adequate sample size when conducting research and hence affect generalization of the study results (Regnault et al, 2018). Moreover, controlling the environment when conducting quantitative research is difficult. As Rahman (2017) explains, when conducting quantitative research, it can be problematic to control the environment where the respondents give answers during the survey or in the questionnaires. The responses are dependent on specific time and conditions existing during that specific time-frame. NURS 4100 Common Flaws in Quantitative nursing Studies
In addition, quantitative researches are associated with limited outcomes due to the structured questionnaires and surveys with close-ended questions. Therefore, the respondents have limited options when it comes to responses and the close-ended questions leads to restricted outcomes delineated within the research proposal (Ponto, 2015). Therefore, the findings do not always represent the actual happenings, in a generalized form. Finally, quantitative studies require complex data analysis methods such as statistical analysis which can be challenging to researchers without knowledge on statistics (Queirós et al, 2017). The requirement to perform efficient statistical confirmation of findings is very challenging within a quantitative study.
References
Queirós A, Faria D & Almeida F. (2017). Strengths and Limitations of Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods. European Journal of Education Studies. 3(9).
Ponto J. (2015). Understanding and Evaluating Survey Research. J Adv Pract Oncol. 6(2), 168–171.
Rahman, S. (2017). The advantages and disadvantages of using qualitative and quantitative approaches and methods in language “testing and assessment” research: a literature review. Journal of Education and Learning. 6(1), 102-112. NURS 4100 Common Flaws in Quantitative nursing Studies
Regnault A, Tom W & Barbic S. (2018). Towards the use of mixed methods inquiry as best practice in health outcomes research. J Patient Rep Outcomes. 2(19).
APPENDIX F
Appraisal Guide:
Findings of a Quantitative Study
APA Formatted Citation: (4 pts.)
Answer Here:
Synopsis (16 pts.)
- What was the purpose of the study (research questions, purposes, and hypotheses)?
Answer Here:
- How was the sample obtained? NURS 4100 Common Flaws in Quantitative nursing Studies
Answer Here:
- What inclusion or exclusion criteria were used?
Answer Here:
- Who from the sample actually participated or contributed data (demographic or clinical profile and dropout rate)?
Answer Here:
- What methods were used to collect data (e.g., sequence, timing, types of data, and measures)?
Answer Here:
- Was an intervention tested? Answer Yes or No
- How was the sample size determined?
Answer Here:
- Were patients randomly assigned to treatment groups?
Answer Here:
- What are the main findings of the study? (10 pts.)
Answer Here:
| Credibility (14 pts.)
|
Yes | No | Not Clear |
| Is the study published in a source that required peer review? | |||
| *Did the data obtained and the analysis conducted answer the research question? | |||
| Were the measuring instruments reliable and valid? | |||
| *Were important extraneous variables and bias controlled? | |||
| *If an intervention was tested, answer the following five questions: | |||
| Were participants randomly assigned to groups and were the two groups similar at the start (before the intervention)? | |||
| Were the interventions well defined and consistently delivered? NURS 4100 Common Flaws in Quantitative nursing Studies | |||
| Were the groups treated equally other than the difference in interventions? | |||
| If no difference was found, was the sample size large enough to detect a difference if one existed? | |||
| If a difference was found, are you confident it was due to the intervention? | |||
| Are the findings consistent with findings from other studies? | |||
| All | Some | No | |
| ARE THE FINDINGS CREDIBLE? | |||
Clinical Significance (6 pts.)
- Note any difference in means, r2s, or measures of clinical effects (ABI, NNT, RR, OR)
Answer Here:
| Yes | No | Not Clear | |
| *Is the target population clearly described? | |||
| *Is the frequency, association, or treatment effect impressive enough for you to be confident that the finding would make a clinical difference if used as the basis for care? | |||
| All | Some | No | |
| ARE THE FINDINGS CLINICALLY
SIGNIFICANT? |
*= Important criteria NURS 4100 Common Flaws in Quantitative nursing Studies