Research Article Appraisal, Part One 

Start Assignment
Research Article Appraisal, Part One Assignment
Over the next two weeks, you will spend time reading at a deeper level about how nursing
research is done. At the same time, you will read the instructor-assigned nursing research
article that has been selected for this course, and examine it closely for the same things you
have been reading about in the textbook.  Your assignment will help you break down each
section of the article so that you can learn to look at nursing research articles a bit more
closely and, hopefully, apply them to your clinical practice. Additional resources for
appraisal include the mini-lecture and chapter 18 in Gray and Grove (2021) and Library
Resources.
 
The article: Instructor Assigned Article for Appraisal: I have also attached this*
Hashemzahi, M., Khayat, S., & Khazaeian, S. (2022). Effect of COVID-19 self-care training
via telemedicine on perceived stress and corona disease anxiety in pregnant women: A
quasi-experimental study. Journal of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, 10(1): 1-9. DOI:
10.22038/jmrh.2021.60589.1728
 
Submission Instructions:
A major skill that is learned in this course is how to critically read and appraise nursing
research articles according to the guideline found in your textbook. The purpose of
appraising an article is to critically evaluate the research process followed by the author(s)
of the assigned article. This is an information-intensive, time-intensive process that is not
learned overnight. To demonstrate your skill at appraising an article, you will complete this
open-book assignment.
Here's how you should approach  this week's assignment to begin appraising an
article:
 
2. Skim the entire instructor-assigned research article that has been posted on
CANVAS in Module 1 Reading and on the assignment so that you will have an
idea of what it is about. For this week, re-read carefully the
introduction/literature review /theoretical framework and methods sections of
the article again.
3. Print the Research Article Appraisal, Part One Assignment and find the best
answer to each question based on your Gray and Grove (2021) assigned
readings and on what you have read in the instructor assigned research
article.
 
5. You write answers for this assignment using the paper guideline found below.
Leave the questions in your assignment and answer them accordingly. Do not write
as a paper. Use complete sentences and correct grammar. NO QUOTES ARE
ALLOWED IN THIS ASSIGNMENT as this is to be your appraisal of the content.
Refer to APA to assist you. Answer every question. Cite the article at least once.
Once completed, upload your assignment to the assignment submission link by the
time and date listed on the Course Schedule.
6. Feedback will be provided after all assignments for this week have been entered
for credit. 
 
Research Article Appraisal, Part One
 
Authors, Title, and Abstract

1. Discuss author(s) qualifications to conduct the study, including educational

preparation (PhD, MSN, etc.) and clinical experience of author[s].

1. Discuss the clarity of the article title (type of study, variables, and population stated).

 
 

1. Discuss the quality of the abstract (purpose, design, sample, intervention, and key
results presented).
  
Literature Review/Background

1. Briefly state the clinical problem that prompted the study.

1. Discuss the data provided for the significance of the clinical problem, and why you
believe it is an important problem for nursing science.  If you believe it is not an
important problem, then explain why not.

1. Identify the major topics discussed in the background section and evaluate whether
there were any missing ideas or topics.

1. Briefly explain whether the background section included sources current at the time
of the study (ie. within 5 years of publication).

1. Discuss whether previous studies were critically evaluated by the study authors to
provide a clear summary of the current knowledge about the problem of interest.

1. Evaluate whether the background section provided enough support for the current
research study.  In other words, whether gaps in research knowledge were clearly
described.

 
Research Purpose & Research Questions/Hypotheses

1. State the study purpose and evaluate whether the purpose clearly addresses the
gap in nursing knowledge identified in the background section.

1. If there are research questions and/or hypotheses, list them, and discuss whether
they logically follow from the research problem and purpose. If questions/hypotheses
were only implied, rather than explicitly stated, describe that.

 
Theory Framework
 1. Describe the theory/framework that supported the study. List the important concepts
in the theory framework as described by the authors.

1. Evaluate the clarity of the presentation of the framework. If it was vague or had
missing elements, describe those.

1. Discuss how well the theory/framework concepts were clearly linked to the study
variables (the things that were actually measured in the study).

 
 

1. List the major study variables [NOT demographic variables].  Categorize them as
research, independent, or dependent variables.

 
 

1. List the demographic variables measured in the study, and any extraneous variables
identified by the authors.  Evaluate whether there are missing demographic
variables, in your opinion.

 
 
Research Design

1. Identify the specific study design.  Explain how the design was appropriate to answer
the study's research questions or hypotheses.

 
 

1. Briefly describe the study procedures, including recruitment, screening for eligibility,
consent, timing & method of measurement of all variables, and intervention if
applicable.

 
 

1. Discuss the clarity of description of study procedures.  In other words, could another
researcher replicate the study using the procedure described in the article?

 
 
 1. If more than one group was included in the study, explain how participants were
assigned to groups.

 
 

1. Describe any threats to design validity mentioned by the authors, usually in the
limitations section.

 
 

1. Describe the generalizability of the study, or to what populations the findings could
be applied.

 
 
Population, Sample, & Setting

1. What was the population for the study?

 
 

1. Identify the specific sampling method used for the study (i.e. bringing subjects into
the study).  Discuss how well this sampling method produces a sample
representative of the population.

 
 

1. Identify and evaluate the inclusion and exclusion criteria used in the study. Describe
any missing criteria that you believe should be there.

 
 

1. Discuss how the planned sample size was determined (including power analysis &
consideration of potential attrition if included).

 
 

1. Discuss actual sample size attained for the study, including acceptance rate or
refusal rate, and attrition rate if provided, or if you calculated them.

 
 
 1. Describe the study setting [hospital, clinic, home, or other] and its appropriateness
for the study.