Nursing: NUR205: Evaluating Research Literature

CLINICAL

• case studies or case reports
• clinical trials of all kinds

LABORATORY

• in vivo
• in vitro

EPIDEMIOLOGY

• incidence and prevelance
• risk analysis

Quantitative (Numerical Analysis) vs. Qualitative (Descriptive Analysis)

Criteria vary depending on what type of research is being conducted.

Authors and Affiliations are always clearly identified, along with grants and/or support

Abstract describing why & what was done..and conclusions.

Body: 

• Problem/Rationale description, existing research literature and possible hypothesis
• Materials & Methods: sample size & selection, methods
• Data: presentation of data, statistical analysis
• Discussion of results, interpreting the meaning of the data or information collected

Conclusion a statement of the importance, practice application or implications

References  a must!

Evaluating information as you begin to collect information for a research project or paper

Evaluating information is most commonly referred to as critical thinking. You are thinking and analyzing the information you encounter to make certain decisions about what the information means, how it is useful to you and if you can trust it. There are three main areas of evaluation of any resource. These three areas answer the basic questions of what, how and why:

• Content
• Format
• Appropriateness

Content

• Does this resource contain the information that I need to support my decisions? Do I need a resource that contains historical information or more current data-that will affect the accuracy of the content
• Only you can tell if the resource contains the information you need-critical thinking!

Format

• Is it in the correct format-do I need a book as opposed to an article or a website
• How do I know when I need a particular format over another? Usually, if you need historical information you will need a book, if you need an analysis on a specific subject you will need an article and if you need additional information or a more general view, a website will work.

Appropriateness 

• Do all of the resources work together or do some contradict each other? Is that what I need?

Content excerpted from Introduction to Evidence Based Medicine Tutorial from Duke University Medical Center

REVIEW - written by experts analyzing the Primary Research Literature

META LITERATURE - evaluating primary research and reviews (secondary)

• examples: meta analysis, validation studies, clinical practice guidelines, standards

EVIDENCE BASED LITERATURE - sophisticated Systematic Reviews of the literature

• Focused on OUTCOME
• PICO structure
• Evaluates, weights and analyses all other literature types.