3.1 Critiquing Research Problems
Using the critiquing Research Questions and Hypotheses, appraise the research question/hypothesis for your Scholarly Practice Project. Prepare a Word document, listing the eight questions with your answers. Provide as much detail as needed to support your answers.
Here are the eight questions:
- What is the research problem? Is the problem statement easy to locate, and is it clearly stated? Does the problem statement build a cogent and persuasive argument for the new study?
- Does the problem have significance for nursing? How might the research contribute to nursing practice, administration, education, or policy?
- Is there a good fit between the research problem and the paradigm in which the research was conducted? Is there a good fit between the problem and the qualitative research tradition (if applicable)?
- Does the report formally present a statement of purpose, research question, and/or hypothesis? Is this information communicated clearly and concisely and is it placed in a logical and useful location?
- Are purpose statements or questions worded appropriately? For example, are key concepts/variables identified and is the population of interest specified? Are verbs used appropriately to suggest the nature of the inquiry and/or the research tradition?
- If hypotheses were not formally stated, is their absence justified? Are statistical tests used in analyzing the data despite the absence of stated hypotheses?
- Do hypotheses (if any) flow from a theory or previous research? Is there a justifiable basis for the predictions?
- Are hypotheses (if any) properly worded—do they state a predicted relationship between two or more variables? Are they directional or nondirectional, and is there a rationale for how they were stated? Are they presented as research or as null hypotheses?
