Critical Appraisal of Research
Realtors rely on detailed property appraisals—conducted using appraisal tools—to assign market values to houses and other properties. These values are then presented to buyers and sellers to set prices and initiate offers.
Research appraisal is not that different. The critical appraisal process utilizes formal appraisal tools to assess the results of research to determine value to the context at hand. Evidence-based practitioners often present these findings to make the case for specific courses of action.
In this Assignment, you will use an appraisal tool to conduct a critical appraisal of published research. You will then present the results of your efforts.
To Prepare:
· Review the Resources and consider the importance of critically appraising research evidence.
· Reflect on the four peer-reviewed articles you selected in Module 2 and analyzed in Module 3.
· Review and download the Critical Appraisal Tool Worksheet Template provided in the Resources.
The Assignment (Evidence-Based Project)
Part 4A: Critical Appraisal of Research
Conduct a critical appraisal of the four peer-reviewed articles you selected and analyzed by completing the Evaluation Table within the Critical Appraisal Tool Worksheet Template.
Part 4B: Critical Appraisal of Research
Based on your appraisal, in a 1-2-page critical appraisal, suggest a best practice that emerges from the research you reviewed. Briefly explain the best practice, justifying your proposal with APA citations of the research.
Resources
Textbook
Melnyk, B. M., & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2018). Evidence-based practice in nursing & healthcare: A guide to best practice (4th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer.
· Chapter 5, “Critically Appraising Quantitative Evidence for Clinical Decision Making” (pp. 124–188)
· Chapter 6, “Critically Appraising Qualitative Evidence for Clinical Decision Making” (pp. 189–218)
Articles to be reviewed
Fineout-Overholt, E., Melnyk, B. M., Stillwell, S. B., & Williamson, K. M. (2010a). Evidence-based practice step by step: Critical appraisal of the evidence: Part I. American Journal of Nursing, 110(7), 47–52. doi:10.1097/01.NAJ.0000383935.22721.9c
Fineout-Overholt, E., Melnyk, B. M., Stillwell, S. B., & Williamson, K. M. (2010b). Evidence-based practice, step by step: Critical appraisal of the evidence: Part II: Digging deeper—examining the “keeper” studies. American Journal of Nursing, 110(9), 41–48. doi:10.1097/01.NAJ.0000388264.49427.f9
Fineout-Overholt, E., Melnyk, B. M., Stillwell, S. B., & Williamson, K. M. (2010c). Evidence-based practice, step by step: Critical appraisal of the evidence: Part III: The process of synthesis: Seeing similarities and differences across the body of evidence. American Journal of Nursing, 110(11), 43–51. doi: 10.1097/01.NAJ.0000390523.99066.b5
Williamson, K. M. (2009). Evidence-based practice: Critical appraisal of qualitative evidence. Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, 15(3), 202–207. doi:10.1177/1078390309338733
Evaluation Table
Use this document to complete the
evaluation table
requirement of the Module 4 Assessment, Evidence-Based Project, Part 4A: Critical Appraisal of Research
Full APA formatted citation of selected article.
Article #1
Article #2
Article #3
Article #4
Evidence Level *
(I, II, or III)
Conceptual Framework
Describe the theoretical basis for the study (If there is not one mentioned in the article, say that here).**
Design/Method
Describe the design and how the study was carried out (In detail, including inclusion/exclusion criteria).
Sample/Setting
The number and characteristics of
patients, attrition rate, etc.
Major Variables Studied
List and define dependent and independent variables
Measurement
Identify primary statistics used to answer clinical questions (You need to list the actual tests done).
Data Analysis Statistical or
Qualitative findings
(You need to enter the actual numbers determined by the statistical tests or qualitative data).
Findings and Recommendations
General findings and recommendations of the research
Appraisal and Study Quality
Describe the general worth of this research to practice.
What are the strengths and limitations of study?
What are the risks associated with implementation of the suggested practices or processes detailed in the research?
What is the feasibility of use in your practice?
Key findings
Outcomes
General Notes/Comments
*
These levels are from the Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice: Evidence Level and Quality Guide
· Level I
Experimental, randomized controlled trial (RCT), systematic review RTCs with or without meta-analysis
· Level II
Quasi-experimental studies, systematic review of a combination of RCTs and quasi-experimental studies, or quasi-experimental studies only, with or without meta-analysis
· Level III
Nonexperimental, systematic review of RCTs, quasi-experimental with/without meta-analysis, qualitative, qualitative systematic review with/without meta-synthesis
· Level IV
Respected authorities’ opinions, nationally recognized expert committee/consensus panel reports based on scientific evidence
· Level V
Literature reviews, quality improvement, program evaluation, financial evaluation, case reports, nationally recognized expert(s) opinion based on experiential evidence
**Note on Conceptual Framework
· The following information is from Walden academic guides which helps explain conceptual frameworks and the reasons they are used in research.
· Researchers create theoretical and conceptual frameworks that include a philosophical and methodological model to help design their work. A formal theory provides context for the outcome of the events conducted in the research. The data collection and analysis are also based on the theoretical and conceptual framework.
· As stated by Grant and Osanloo (2014), “Without a theoretical framework, the structure and vision for a study is unclear, much like a house that cannot be constructed without a blueprint. By contrast, a research plan that contains a theoretical framework allows the dissertation study to be strong and structured with an organized flow from one chapter to the next.”
· Theoretical and conceptual frameworks provide evidence of academic standards and procedure. They also offer an explanation of why the study is pertinent and how the researcher expects to fill the gap in the literature.
· Literature does not always clearly delineate between a theoretical or conceptual framework. With that being said, there are slight differences between the two.
References
The Johns Hopkins Hospital/Johns Hopkins University (n.d.). Johns Hopkins nursing dvidence-based practice: appendix C: evidence level and quality guide. Retrieved October 23, 2019 from
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/evidence-based-practice/_docs/appendix_c_evidence_level_quality_guide
Grant, C., & Osanloo, A. (2014). Understanding, Selecting, and Integrating a Theoretical Framework in Dissertation Research: Creating the Blueprint for Your” House”. Administrative Issues Journal: Education, Practice, and Research, 4(2), 12-26.
Critical Appraisal Tool Worksheet Template
© 2018 Laureate Education Inc.
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Matrix Worksheet Template
Use this document to complete Part 2 of the Module 2 Assessment,
Evidence-Based Project, Part 1: An Introduction to Clinical Inquiry, and Part 2: Research Methodologies.
Full
citation
of the selected article
Article #1
Article #2
Article #3
Article #4
Prendergast, M. L. (2009). Interventions to Promote Successful Re-Entry Among Drug-Abusing Parolees. Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, 5(1), 4–13. doi: 10.1151/ascp09514.
Carpenter, C. S., McClellan, C. B., & Rees, D. I. (2017). Economic conditions, illicit drug use, and substance use disorders in the United States. Journal of Health Economics, 52, 63-73.
Nigg, J. (2018). Self-regulation, behavioral inhibition, and risk for alcoholism and substance use disorders. In Alcohol Use Disorders: A Developmental Science Approach to Etiology (pp. 131-142). Oxford University Press.
McHugh, R. K., Votaw, V. R., Sugarman, D. E., & Greenfield, S. F. (2018). Sex and gender differences in substance use disorders. Clinical psychology review, 66, 12-23
Why
you chose this article and/or
how it relates
to the clinical issue of interest (include a brief
explanation of the ethics
of research related to your clinical issue of interest)
The reason why I decided to use this article is that it touches on the main issue of concern in my study. Most of the patients who seek treatment for their addiction are individuals who are from prison and they are seeking acceptance from the society. It is essential for any healthcare professional to help the individual fight his or her addiction problem to prevent them from going back to prison or being rejected by the society.
This article gives a clear overview of the way economics and drug abuse are related. It shows how the use of illicit drugs by patients is contributed to by certain economic factors in the patient’s life. The article touches on my issue of interest as it focuses on the issues that contribute to drug use, and they can be issues that lead to relapse. It is ethical to treat all patients equally, no matter their financial state.
This article touches on a very crucial part of the treatment that prevents the patient from relapsing. The recovery process is a team effort, and the patient should also self-regulate him or herself from relapsing. It is ethical to ensure that you offer the best care to the patient to ensure that he or she recovers.
The reason why I chose this article is that substance abuse has affected both the male and the female gender, and it is my aim to help both genders recover fully and not relapse. The article shows the different factors that contribute to substance use by either males or females. It is essential to treat patients with equality.
Brief
description of the aims
of the research of each peer-reviewed article
This article focuses on the interventions that healthcare professionals and the society should have to help the parolees get accepted back to the society. Re-entering to the society by drug abusers is not easy but with programs in place to help them stay sober and prevent relapsing then it becomes easy for them to be accepted back to the community.
The article carried out research on how various economic factors affect an individual and how they contribute to the abuse of drugs for the patients. The economic status of an individual is a facto that might lead to substance abuse or relapse, and the scholar wanted to get a clear perspective so that solutions can be formulated.
The research conducted in this article aims to help both the patient and the healthcare professions find a technique or a method that will enable the patient to recover smoothly. Teamwork between the doctor and the patient is essential, and self-regulation for patients should be encouraged to enable them to recover and prevent relapse.
The research that was conducted to get the results or data that was used in this article aimed at finding out what are the different factors that encourage substance abuse in both genders. The data will enable healthcare professionals to know how to handle different patients and what methods or techniques to use on different patients.
Brief description of the
research methodology
used Be sure to identify if the methodology used was
qualitative
,
quantitative
, or a
mixed-methods
approach. Be specific.
The methodology used in this research was qualitative. The researcher gathered the data from studying other people’s works, content analysis, interviewed some patients and healthcare professionals to get the information used in writing the article. This way, the researcher was able to get a more clear perspective of how effective the initiatives for helping the parolees who were addicts get integrated back to the society.
The researchers used a qualitative method in his research, where he conducted the content analysis, he used case studies, and interviews on various individuals. This methodology is reliable and valid as it allows the researchers to do extensive research on their own based on the data collected to which gives them more knowledge on the issue. This type of research method gives the researchers a broad view of which is or elaborative to enhance understanding.
The researcher in this article used a mixed-method approach to collect the data that was used in writing the article. The researcher used both qualitative and quantitative methods to get a clear perspective of the effects and benefits of self-regulation by patients during the treatment process. The mixed approach gave the rescuer enough information on the subject as more depth information was acquired during the process, which enabled him to share the vast knowledge with his readers.
A qualitative method approach was used in this research to gather data. The researchers conducted the process by looking at other scholar’s works, read case studies on the subject and interviewed some individuals to find out how the issue of gender differently influences people to indulge in drug and substance abuse. The method allowed them to get personals with patients and doctors who gave them a deeper understanding of the issue and how it worked.
A brief description of the
strengths
of each of the research methodologies used, including
the reliability
and
validity
of how the methodology was applied in each of the peer-reviewed articles you selected.
With qualitative methodology, the researcher can get more information from the sources. Since the researcher conducts interviews, then he can get a piece of more detailed and descriptive information that enabled the researcher to come up with a more conclusive piece. The method has validity and reliability as it involves personal interaction with the interviewees hence providing the researcher with information from a primary source
The qualitative research done by the researcher expands their knowledge on the subject matter by looking at what other scholars say about it. This methodology is reliable and valid as it allows the researchers to do extensive research on their own based on the data collected to which gives them more knowledge on the issue.
The use of a mixed-method in the research helped the research obtain valid and more reliable information from the sources as he had the opportunity to contrast between what was the real situation on the ground and what other scholars had written on the subject. This enabled him to have a more comprehensive view of things and translated that to the readers.
The strength of this method is that it allows the researcher some personal interaction with people or victims that gives them the advantage of getting information from a primary source. The method is reliable and valid as information from the primary source can be trusted as it has no omission or filtering.
General Notes/Comments
Recovery programs for addicts especially those that have been in prison should be established in different locations of every region so that the patients can have easy access to the services and help when they need it. Proper care should also be integrated into the treatment process to enable them achieve their goal of staying sober and get accepted back to the community.
Solutions should be established to help people find jobs as unemployment and lack of money result in spiked stress levels that result in the individual indulging in drug abuse. Families need to support other people in all ways possible to prevent them from getting addicted or relapsing during treatment.
Recovery is an issue of teamwork because no matter how good the doctor is and the patient is not cooperating, and then the desired results will not be achieved. It is essential for patients to play their part in the recovery process by self-regulating themselves and to stay away from things that might cause a relapse.
Women and men are affected and influenced by different factors that lead them to drug abuse or substance use. Healthcare practitioners should be aware of these factors so that they can formulate different strategies for each gender to enhance successful treatment programs for each gender.
Matrix Worksheet Template
© 2018 Laureate Education Inc.
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