EVIDENCE-BASED PROJECT, PART 3

Assignment: Evidence-Based Project, Part 3: 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:

• Reflect on the four peer-reviewed articles you selected in Module 2 and the four systematic reviews (or other filtered high- level evidence) you selected in Module 3.
• 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 3A: Critical Appraisal of Research

Conduct a critical appraisal of the four peer-reviewed articles you selected by completing the Evaluation Table within the Critical Appraisal Tool Worksheet Template. Choose a total of four peer- reviewed articles that you selected related to your clinical topic of interest in Module 2 and Module 3.

Note: You can choose any combination of articles from Modules 2 and 3 for your Critical Appraisal. For example, you may choose two unfiltered research articles from Module 2 and two filtered research articles (systematic reviews) from Module 3 or one article from Module 2 and three articles from Module 3. You can choose any combination of articles from the prior Module Assignments as long as both modules and types of studies are represented.

Part 3B: 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

Evidence Based Project Part 3 Evidence Part 2

Evidence Based Project Part 3 Evidence Bases Practice

Evidence Based Project Part 3 qUALITATIVE eVIDENCE

APA Formatting

Further Guidance on Your Evidence-Based Project

This assignment is a crucial step in translating research into practice. Your critical appraisal will determine the strength, validity, and relevance of the evidence you have gathered. A thorough appraisal ensures that any proposed change in practice is based on sound, credible, and applicable research, which is the cornerstone of evidence-based practice (EBP) in nursing.

Key Considerations for Your Appraisal (Part 3A)

When completing the Critical Appraisal Tool Worksheet Template, your analysis should be detailed and specific to the research design of each article. Remember that different study types have different criteria for rigor.

• For Quantitative Studies (e.g., Randomized Controlled Trials, Cohort Studies):
  • Validity: How well did the study measure what it intended to measure? Scrutinize the methodology for internal validity (Was there a control group? Was randomization used?) and external validity (Can the results be generalized to your patient population?).
  • Reliability: Were the results consistent and reproducible? Assess the statistical analysis. Look for the reporting of confidence intervals (CIs) and $p$-values. A small $p$-value (typically $p<0.05$) suggests a statistically significant result, but the clinical significance is for you to determine.
  • Bias: Consider potential sources of bias, such as selection bias, performance bias, or measurement bias, and evaluate how the authors attempted to mitigate them.
• For Qualitative Studies (e.g., Phenomenology, Ethnography, Grounded Theory):
  • Credibility & Trustworthiness: How believable are the findings? Look for evidence of techniques like member checking, triangulation, or prolonged engagement with participants.
  • Transferability: Can the findings be transferred to other contexts or settings? The authors should provide a rich, thick description of the setting and participants to allow you to make this judgment.
  • Data Saturation: Did the researchers collect data until no new themes or information emerged? This is a key indicator of a comprehensive qualitative study.
• For Systematic Reviews or Meta-Analyses:
  • Clarity of the Question: Did the review address a clear and focused clinical question (often in PICOT format)?
  • Search Strategy: Was the literature search comprehensive and systematic? The authors should detail the databases searched, keywords used, and inclusion/exclusion criteria. This minimizes the risk of publication bias.
  • Appraisal of Included Studies: Did the review authors assess the quality of the individual studies included in their review? A high-quality systematic review will not treat all evidence as equal.

Synthesizing a Best Practice Recommendation (Part 3B)

Your 1-2 page paper is not merely a summary of your four articles. It is a synthesis that culminates in a clear, actionable clinical recommendation. Your goal is to build a compelling argument for a specific “best practice” that logically flows from the evidence you have just appraised.

• Identify Converging Themes: What are the common threads across the strongest studies? Do multiple high-quality studies point toward a similar intervention or outcome?
• Address Diverging Results: If the evidence is conflicting, discuss the possible reasons. Does a weaker study show a different result than a stronger one? Is the intervention applied differently across studies?
• Propose a Specific Action: Your best practice recommendation should be clear and precise. For example, instead of saying “Nurses should educate diabetic patients,” a better recommendation would be, “Based on the evidence, nurses in the outpatient clinic should implement a teach-back method during monthly follow-up appointments to improve glycemic control in adult patients with Type 2 Diabetes.”
• Justify with Evidence: Every claim you make about your proposed best practice must be directly supported by in-text APA citations from the articles you appraised. This demonstrates the critical link between the research evidence and your clinical recommendation.

Submission Checklist:

Before submitting, ensure you have:

1. Completed the entire Critical Appraisal Tool Worksheet Template for all four chosen articles.
2. Written a 1-2 page synthesis paper that proposes a specific best practice.
3. Included a title page and a reference list formatted according to the latest APA guidelines.
4. Used correct APA in-text citations to support your best practice recommendation.
5. Proofread your work for clarity, grammar, and scholarly tone.