Research Methods in Nursing
Textbook Exam Questions
Course Introduction
This course provides an in-depth exploration of research methodologies and their application in the field of nursing. Students will learn foundational concepts related to the scientific method, research design, data collection, and statistical analysis. Emphasis is placed on developing skills to critically appraise research literature, understand ethical considerations, and design projects that address clinical questions in nursing practice. By the end of the course, participants will be equipped with the knowledge and tools required to contribute to evidence-based practice and improve patient outcomes through research-driven approaches.
Recommended Textbook
Nursing Research 8th Edition by
Geri LoBiondoWood
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Page 2
Chapter 1: Integrating Research, Evidence-Based Practice, and Quality Improvement Processes
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Q1) Which statement(s) describe the actions of the baccalaureate nurse graduate as a participant in the nursing research process? (Select all that apply.)
A) Administering care at the bedside according to a research protocol
B) Providing leadership by helping others apply scientific knowledge to practice
C) Sharing with nursing colleagues research findings that are pertinent to practice
D) Designing and conducting nursing research studies
E) Functioning as a primary investigator for a research study
Answer: A, C
Q2) The nurse is using the critical reading process to analyze a research article. The nurse is using a list of criteria to determine how well the researcher performed each step of the research process. The nurse is using a strategy to promote which type of understanding?
A) Preliminary
B) Comprehensive
C) Analysis
D) Synthesis
Answer: C
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Chapter 2: Research Questions, Hypotheses, and Clinical Questions
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Q1) A nurse researcher proposes a study of teenage mothers and their experience with postpartum depression. Which of these considerations would affect the feasibility of the study?
A) Availability of participants
B) Direction of the hypotheses
C) Gaps in the literature
D) Design of the study
Answer: A
Q2) How is a hypothesis related to a theory?
A) Hypotheses can be developed in the absence of a theoretical framework.
B) Hypotheses must be consistent with an existing theoretical framework.
C) A theory can determine the validity of a hypothesis.
D) A theory can be used to evaluate the merit of a hypothesis.
Answer: B
Q3) In a research study, what are the properties of interest that differ in value?
A) The study's variables
B) The study's concepts
C) The study's hypotheses
D) The study's assumptions
Answer: A
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Chapter 3: Gathering and Appraising the Literature
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Q1) What is considered to be essential to a thorough and relevant review of the literature?
A) Use of both published and unpublished sources
B) Critical evaluation of mainly primary sources
C) Liberal use of secondary sources
D) Evaluation of both quantitative and qualitative sources
Answer: B
Q2) For which of these reasons would a nurse researcher include refereed journals in the literature review?
A) The articles are critiqued by a panel of external reviewers.
B) The articles selected for publication are related to a specific field of knowledge.
C) The journals encourage competition among authors to have their articles published.
D) The journals publish only articles that are primary sources of research findings.
Answer: A
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Chapter 4: Theoretical Frameworks for Research
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Q1) How is a model related to a concept or concepts?
A) A model tests conceptual theories.
B) A concept defines the purpose of a model.
C) Relationships between or among concepts are demonstrated in a model.
D) Concepts generate the theoretical basis for knowledge depicted in a model.
Q2) Which phrase correctly defines a theory?
A) The operational definition of the study's conceptual framework
B) The assumptions and beliefs of the worldview of the researcher
C) A set of interrelated concepts that provides a systematic view of a phenomenon
D) A researcher's best guess of the direction of the relationship between variables
Q3) A graphic or symbolic representation of a phenomenon not directly observable, which allows the reader to visualize key constructs and their interrelationships, is called what?
A) A concept
B) A conceptual definition
C) An operational definition
D) A model
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Chapter 5: Introduction to Qualitative Research
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Q1) Which description is typical of a qualitative research study?
A) Deductive reasoning is used.
B) Truth is a subject's perception of reality.
C) Sample size is determined before the study begins.
D) One or more variables are measured in a context-free setting.
Q2) Which research study characteristic would be \(\bold{inappropriate}\) for qualitative methods?
A) Testing a new hypothesis
B) Using an intensive approach to data collection
C) Employing inductive analysis of the data
D) Examining individual responses to a nonmodifiable situation
Q3) A nurse researcher who is considering whether to use a qualitative research design should be aware that the focus of qualitative research is what?
A) Measuring one or more human characteristics
B) Controlling variables that interfere with the phenomenon being studied
C) Viewing human beings as composites of many body systems
D) Studying human experiences that occur within a person's natural setting
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Chapter 6: Qualitative Approaches to Research
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Q1) A nurse researcher has chosen to use the phenomenologic method. What feature distinguishes the intensive dialogue the researcher will use in this method from a simple interview?
A) Notes are made about the participant's responses during the interview.
B) The researcher is fully engaged, becoming a thoughtful presence during the interview.
C) The questions posed during the interview were developed before the actual interview occurred.
D) The researcher completes the questionnaire for the participant to avoid misunderstanding or confusion.
Q2) Which qualitative research approach is used by researchers for the purpose of theory building?
A) Case study
B) Phenomenology
C) Grounded theory
D) Ethnographic method
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Chapter 7: Appraising Qualitative Research
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Q1) The nurse researcher reports that after data collection was completed, a follow-up focus group session with participants was used to validate that the participants agreed the findings were true to their own experiences. What aspect of the study does this support?
A) The study's credibility
B) The study's auditability
C) The study's transferability
D) The study's fittingness
Q2) When critiquing a qualitative research study, the nurse asks, "Has the researcher remained true to the data?" This question is critiquing which area of the report?
A) Method
B) Data collection
C) Data analysis
D) Findings
Q3) Which activity represents attention to credibility in a qualitative study?
A) Ensuring that all subjects self-identified with a specific ethnic group.
B) Providing direct quotations from study participants.
C) Identifying the basic social psychological process (BSP) under study.
D) Determining usefulness of the data outside of the study.
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Chapter 8: Introduction to Quantitative Research
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Q1) What should the nurse researcher consider when determining the feasibility of a research question? (Select all that apply.)
A) Time
B) Selection effects
C) Reactive effects
D) Measurement effects
E) Subject availability
F) Cost
Q2) When reviewing a research report, the nurse determines that all aspects of a study systematically and logically follow from the research problem. Which condition has been met?
A) Accuracy
B) Feasibility
C) Internal validity
D) External validity
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Chapter 9: Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Designs
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Q1) What type of threat to validity is minimized by the use of a Solomon four-group design?
A) Mortality
B) Selection bias
C) Testing
D) Antecedent variable
Q2) In a study using a true experimental design, which of these methods would control for antecedent variables?
A) Manipulation of the independent variable
B) After-only data collection
C) Intervention fidelity
D) Random assignment to groups
Q3) How are threats to validity affected when studies are conducted in real-world settings?
A) Threats to both internal and external validity are increased.
B) Threats to both internal and external validity are decreased.
C) Threats to internal validity are decreased, whereas threats to external validity are increased.
D) Threats to internal validity are increased, while threats to external validity are decreased.
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Chapter 10: Nonexperimental Designs
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Q1) Which statement about cross-sectional studies is most accurate?
A) More than one group can be compared.
B) Only descriptive data can be measured.
C) Data are collected retrospectively rather than prospectively.
D) Data collection and data analysis can occur simultaneously.
Q2) Which type of study should be used when data are collected at only one point in time?
A) Cross-sectional
B) Retrospective
C) Longitudinal
D) Prospective
Q3) Which method of data collection is most appropriate for a nurse researcher to use in a survey study?
A) Videorecording of people-to-people interactions
B) Direct participant observation
C) Unstructured interview
D) Questionnaires
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Chapter 11: Systematic Reviews and Clinical Practice Guidelines
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Q1) ___ methods for selecting studies for review
Q2) ___ plain language summary
Q3) ___ implications for research and practice
Q4) ___ background of the question
Q5) The highest level of evidence is known to be provided by what?
A) Meta-analysis
B) Systematic review
C) Effect size
D) Integrative review
Q6) What terms means a summation and assessment of research studies found in the literature based on a clearly focused question?
A) Meta-analysis
B) Systematic review
C) Cochrane collaboration
D) Integrative review
Q7) ___ references and tables
Q8) ___ analysis of the located studies
Q9) ___ abstract Page 13
Q11) ___ type of studies reviewed
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Chapter 12: Sampling
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Q1) The primary characteristic of a probability sample is considered to be what?
A) Self-selection of subjects
B) Random selection of the sample
C) Subjects handpicked by the researcher
D) Representation of proportional segments of the population
Q2) What can a nurse researcher use to restrict the study population to homogeneous groups of subjects?
A) Sampling
B) Self-selection
C) Eligibility criteria
D) Defining study limitations
Q3) A nurse researcher should be concerned about establishing clear eligibility criteria for inclusion in a study sample because such criteria will do what?
A) Increase the homogeneity of the sample
B) Decrease the homogeneity of the sample
C) Increase the size of the sample
D) Decrease the size of the sample
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Chapter 13: Legal and Ethical Issues
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Q1) How should a completed and signed informed consent form be handled?
A) It is turned over to the agency's institutional review board (IRB) for safekeeping.
B) It is sent to the National Institutes of Health Office of Research Integrity.
C) It is filed in a locked filing cabinet, separate from data generated by the study.
D) It is copied, with one given to the participant and the other held by the researcher.
Q2) The nurse researcher is planning a research study that will use human subjects and their choice to participate in a specific treatment. The ethical principle guiding the research study that describes the nurse researcher's obligation to benefit others is what?
A) Justice
B) Beneficence
C) Confidentiality
D) Respect for persons
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Chapter 14: Data Collection Methods
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Q1) Which observational role would be most appropriate if the nurse researcher wants to identify maternal response behaviors to cries of infants with colic?
A) Concealment with intervention
B) Concealment without intervention
C) No concealment with intervention
D) No concealment without intervention
Q2) A nurse researcher would select the interview method of data collection for which reason?
A) It is of value only in qualitative studies.
B) It allows subjects to provide more detailed answers
C) Consistency, rather than objectivity, is of primary importance.
D) Objectivity, rather than consistency, is of primary importance.
Q3) The nurse researcher is attempting to answer specific questions about families' perceptions of caring for elderly parents with dementia. What would be the most appropriate method of data collection for this study?
A) Field notes
B) Structured interview
C) Unstructured interview
D) Physiologic instrumentation
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Chapter 15: Reliability and Validity
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Q1) In testing an instrument consisting of 25 items for homogeneity using the "item-to-total" correlation, 8 items were found to have a low correlation to the total. The nurse researcher interprets this information to mean that the researcher should do what?
A) Use the instrument without changes.
B) Use the instrument only with a multitrait-multimethod approach.
C) Retain the 8 items with low correlation and delete the other 17 items.
D) Delete the 8 items with low correlation and retain the other 17 items.
Q2) A nurse researcher assesses the degree to which individual items on a scale cluster together around multiple dimensions using what?
A) Factor analysis
B) Split-half reliability
C) Cronbach's alpha coefficient
D) Kuder-Richardson coefficient
Q3) Which type of validity is most difficult to establish?
A) Content validity
B) Construct validity
C) Predictive validity
D) Concurrent validity
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Chapter 16: Data Analysis: Descriptive and Inferential Statistics
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Q1) The nurse researcher is using a nursing degree as a variable in a research study. The level of measurement most appropriate in this case is what?
A) Nominal
B) Ordinal
C) Interval
D) Ratio
Q2) The nurse researcher is interested in describing the assignment of numbers to objects or events. This is best achieved in which way?
A) Through use of prediction
B) Through use of dispersion
C) Through use of variability
D) Through use of measurement
Q3) The nurse researcher is using respiratory rate as a variable in a research study. The level of measurement most appropriate in this case is what?
A) Nominal
B) Ordinal
C) Interval
D) Ratio
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Chapter 17: Understanding Research Findings
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Q1) The nurse researcher questions the strength, quality, and consistency of the evidence provided by the findings. This is described in which part of the discussion section?
A) Inferences
B) Summary
C) Limitations
D) Recommendations
Q2) When researchers write the Discussion section of a study, which section of the report is used to evaluate the findings?
A) Method
B) Introduction
C) Theoretical framework
D) Data analysis
Q3) Which section of the report allows a nurse researcher to interpret the evidence provided?
A) Results
B) Discussion
C) Literature review
D) Methods
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Chapter 18: Appraising Quantitative Research
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Q1) A study includes this statement: "The fact that the inventory [instrument] was administered verbally introduced a potential bias of social desirability." This is indicative of what?
A) Implications for practice
B) Limitations of the study
C) Generalizability of the study
D) Recommendations for future research
Q2) This statement was included in a study's abstract: "This research was an exploratory descriptive investigation of the pregnancy experiences of a multiethnic group of pregnant adolescents." What is this indicative of?
A) The study's aims
B) The study's design
C) The study's significance
D) The study's implications
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Chapter 19: Strategies and Tools for Developing an
Evidence-Based Practice
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Q1) From top to bottom, what are the study designs associated with the strongest level of evidence base? (Select all that apply.)
A) Randomized controlled trial
B) Quasi-experimental
C) Correlational
D) Descriptive study
E) Phenomenal
Q2) A nurse researcher critiquing a research study notes that a confidence interval (CI) is too large for a new therapy to be clinically meaningful. What likely contributed to this statistical outcome?
A) Strong power level
B) Quantitative experimental design
C) Statistical analysis
D) Too small a sample
Q3) Relative risk reduction is most accurately calculated as what?
A) EER + CER
B) EER - CER/CER
C) EER - CER
D) EER/CER
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Chapter 20: Developing an Evidence-Based Practice
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Q1) The nurse researcher is reading theoretical and clinical articles to have a broad view of the topic and related concepts before reviewing existing EBP guidelines. The nurse researcher begins the process of reading the articles by doing what?
A) Reading evidence-based guidelines and evidence reports
B) Reading systematic review articles and synthesis reports
C) Reading theory articles to understand theoretical perspectives in critiquing studies
D) Reading research articles including meta-analyses
Q2) ___ provide feedback of analyzed data to staff
Q3) A nurse researcher is selecting a topic for an EBP project. Which type of topic would be most appropriate if the researcher is interested in developing an idea from a knowledge-focused trigger?
A) One identified through the benchmarking of data
B) One identified through risk surveillance
C) One identified through financial data
D) One identified through staff reading research
Q4) ___ identify process and outcome variables of interest
Q5) ___ establish content validity of data collection forms
Q6) ___ collect data at specified intervals
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Chapter 21: Quality Improvement
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Q1) Improved confidence among key stakeholders as to the organization's consistency, effectiveness, and efficiency
A)Customer focus/patient focus
B)Leadership
C)Involvement of people
D)Process approach
E)System approach to management
F)Continual improvement
G)Factual approach to decision making
H)Mutually beneficial supplier relationships
Q2) Informed decisions
A)Customer focus/patient focus
B)Leadership
C)Involvement of people
D)Process approach
E)System approach to management
F)Continual improvement
G)Factual approach to decision making
H)Mutually beneficial supplier relationships
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