Evidence-Based Practice NSG 5210

Advanced Research Methods and Evidence-Based Practice
NSG 5210
Guidelines for Quantitative Research Study Critique
Name: Date:
Title of article in APA format:
Complete the following information. Be specific in your responses. You must present a rationale for ALL items. No yes or no
responses are accepted. It is unacceptable for you to copy and paste information from the study. This is to be your own
interpretation of the study critiqued and synthesis of research content.
This is a critical analysis of the article. Copying of information from the article with no analysis or rationale will not be
accepted. Copying information without correct citations represents plagiarism. If there are areas the author did not address,
you are expected to give potential research questions, hypotheses etc.
Article link: https://clinmedjournals.org/articles/ijdcr/international-journal-of-diabetes-and-clinical-research-
ijdcr-4-079.pdf
1. Design
Item Response
a. What is the design? Explain the design. Is
the study design identified?
The study design used in the article is a non-random
assessment of diabetic patients receiving health care (Pinto,
et al., 2017).
b. Is the design used in the study the most
appropriate to obtain the needed data? Why or
why not?
The study design used is most appropriate to get the required
results as non-random assessment eliminates treatment
selection bias and provides validity of results based on
probability theory.
c. Does the design provide a means to examine
all of the objectives, questions or hypotheses?
Give a rationale for your response.
Truly, the examination configuration gives a way to analyze
all objectives of the research by providing inclusion criteria
for the patients. Besides, patients were assessed using semi-
structured and face to face interview based on the aim of the
study (Pinto, et al., 2017).
d. Are the threats to internal and external
design validity described? If yes, what are
they, if not state what they could be. Elaborate
on them and why present or not. Do not
address statistical conclusions and construct
here – will address these later.
Yes, they include inclusion of small sample size which
cannot generalize the whole population of diabetic patients.
Also, the researchers did not contact thorough dietary
assessment.
2. Research Problem and Purpose.
Item Response
a. What is the study purpose? The main aim of the study was to analyze how diabetic

patients value nutritional therapy and their perceived issues
linked to it.
b. Does the purpose narrow and clarify the
focus of the problem to be studied and identify
the research variable, subjects and setting?
Give a rationale for your response.
Yes, the study identifies and focuses on type 2 diabetes
receiving health care in diabetic clinic in Faro, Portugal.
3. The Literature Review.
Item Response
a. Is there a specific literature review section
for the research study Give a rationale for your
response.
Yes, the literature review section is provided from the third
paragraph of introductory part of the article
b. Does the literature review provide rationale
and a context for the study? Give a rationale
for your response.
Yes, the literature provides reviews on factors that
compromise adherence such as clinical inertia which is
included in the study.
4. Study Framework.
Item Response
a. Is the framework explicitly expressed or
must the reviewer extract the framework from
implicit statements in the literature review?
Give a rationale for your response.
The framework is explicitly expressed whereby there are sub
endings for every different theme (Pinto, et al., 2017).
b. Does the framework describe and define the
concepts of interest, relate them to the
variables of the study, and show relationships
between the concepts discussed? Give a
rationale for your response.
The framework does not define any concepts of interest as it
goes straight to describing various factors that may impact
on nutritional therapy value.
c. If stated, is the framework appropriate? Why
or why not? Was it a nursing model or theory,
if so what? If not, how does it relate to
nursing?
Framework not states. The study relates to nursing as it
involved education and caring for diabetic patients.
d. If not stated, what nursing theory or model
would be appropriate for this study, and why?
King’s nursing model because it is related to education on
patients with diabetes (Park et al., 2015).

5. Research Objective, Questions, Hypothesis.
Item Response
a. What are the objectives, questions and/or
hypotheses for the study? Were they implied or
explicit? Give examples.
The objectives of the study are to analyze the value of
diabetic patients towards nutritional therapy. Yes, the results
of the findings found out that diabetic patients perceive
nutrition intake as crucial part of treatment but not as much
value as pharmacologic treatment.
b. Are the objectives, questions, and/or
hypotheses appropriately linked to the research
purpose and study framework? Give a rationale
for your response.
Yes, the criteria used by the study focus mainly on diabetic
patients and nutrition and considers lifestyle, physical
activity as well as dietary habits.
6. Variables.
Item Response
a. What are the study variables? Dietary intake variables, gender and obesity variable
whereas physical activity, clinical characteristics and patient
education were dependent variables.
b. Identify the dependent, independent and/or
research variables.
Dietary intake, gender and obesity rate are independent
variables and whereas physical activity, clinical
characteristics and patient education were dependent
variables.
c. Are the variables defined based on previous
research and/or theories? Give a rationale for
your response.
Yes, the study identifies and defines previous research
theories and considers such theories to define variables such
as dietary intake variables, gender and obesity variable
(Pinto, et al., 2017).
d. Is the conceptual definition of a variable
consistent with the operational definition? Give
a rationale for your response.
No, the definition of some of the variable used in the study
like gender and physical activity is not well consisted with
the operational definition.
e. Is the framework logically linked with the
research purpose, variables, and objectives or
hypotheses? Give a rationale for your response.
Yes, the research criteria are linked to the main objective of
the study as the findings and the analysis are represented in a
manner that ideas can flow (McGovern et al., 2018).
7. Sample, Population and Setting.
Item Response
a. What is the sample, accessible, and target
population and setting?
The sample size in the study is 62 diabetic patients based in
diabetes clinic in municipality of faro. The target population
is diabetic patients who according to the findings should be
empowered to improve on self-care and be encouraged to