Second year nursing unit, NSB224 Research Approaches in Nursing: essay critiquing research literature
Developed by Dr Yvonne Osborne and Moira Cordiner
Synopsis of the task and its context
Yvonne wanted to do a criteria sheet for a QUT unit that had not been revised using CRA principles. A new set of objectives was written from the original.
These new objectives informed the criteria for this task, thus the criteria were still aligned to the original objectives. This exercise demonstrates that you can
develop criteria sheets that relate to existing objectives, even when these objectives are flawed and/or unmanageable in number. In this task, students critique
research and determine its value by using a critique framework. They have a choice of analysing and evaluating either (i) a singular published research report
that is attached to a clinical problem or (ii) research literature related to a problem they have identified. For option (i) students choose one of four clinical
problems and its associated research report. For option (ii), students choose a clinical problem in consultation with their tutor and then undertake a literature
search related to the problem. Regardless of which option is chosen, students are required to demonstrate knowledge of research methodology and processes,
justify implications of the research report, or their literature search for nursing practice and standards of care (in terms of the clinical problem), and
communicate in writing about research.
Match between objectives/learning outcomes and criteria for the task
Objectives (unrevised)
On completion of this unit you should be able to:
2. describe selected methodologies currently used to research nursing practice
Task-specific criteria
1. Demonstrate knowledge of research methodology and processes. (Objectives 2,3)
3. demonstrate an understanding of quantitative and qualitative data collection and
analysis
5. discuss strengths and weaknesses of a selected research study
2. Analyse and evaluate a published research report /literature using a critique
framework. (Objectives 4,5)
1. recognize the value of research in contributing to developments in nursing and
improved standards of care
3. Justify implications of given research report/literature to nursing practice and
standards of care. (Objectives 1, 5)
4. systematically evaluate research reports
5. discuss strengths and weaknesses of a selected research study
6. demonstrate the ability to write in a scholarly manner about research related to
nursing and health care drawing on relevant literature to support your arguments
4. Communicate in writing about research related to nursing and health care.
(Objective 6)
1
Interpreting the criteria sheet
Note that this criteria sheet uses some descriptors across standards. For example, all the descriptors for criterion 1 (demonstrate knowledge) and criterion 4
(communicate) apply to standards High Distinction (HD) and Distinction (DN) because this is what Yvonne typically sees in student work and what she
expects of students who reach these two standards. In the second criterion (analyse and evaluate), the descriptors for the HD standard and the DN standard are
all different. The first descriptor for criterion 3 (justify) is also different for these two standards. This means that it is these different descriptors that
distinguish an HD from a DN. This way of setting out standards can help you avoid ‘contriving’ a difference between the standards when, in some instances,
there is no difference.
2
NSB224 Research Approaches in Nursing: essay (30% of the unit)
STUDENT NAME:____________________________________STUDENT NUMBER: ________________________________
criteria
Demonstrate knowledge
of research
methodology and
processes
HD (High Distinction)
DN (Distinction)
Weighting 1/3
PP (Pass)
NN (Fail)
You have:
 accurately identified the type of research methodology and
processes used in the selected report
You have
 accurately identified the type of research methodology
used in the selected report
You have:
 stated a methodology
 discussed in detail the relationship between all the
processes used and the research methodology
 discussed the relationship
between most of the
processes used and the
research methodology
 described some of the
processes used with
some links to the
methodology used
 restated or paraphrased
parts of the research
report
You have used a critique
framework to determine the
value of the research by:
You have used a critique
framework to determine the
value of the research by:
You have used a critique
framework to determine the
value of the research by:
You have used a critique
framework to determine the
value of the research by:
You have used some of the
steps in a critique framework
to:
 critically analysing and
evaluating the
interrelationships
between the strengths
and weaknesses of the
research report in detail
 analysing and evaluating
the strengths and
weaknesses of the
research report in detail
 analysing and evaluating
most of the strengths and
weaknesses of the
research report
 partially analysing and
evaluating most of the
strengths and
weaknesses of the
research report
 list some strengths and
weaknesses of the
research report
 making accurate and
informed judgments
about the suitability of all
the processes used for
the research
methodology
 making accurate
judgments about the
suitability of most of the
processes used for the
research methodology
 making accurate
judgments about the
suitability of some of the
processes used for the
research methodology
 making mostly accurate
judgments about the
suitability of some of the
processes used for the
research methodology
 make comments
unrelated to methodology
or processes
Weighting 1/6
Analyse and evaluate a
published research
report /literature using a
critique framework
CR (Credit)
3
criteria
Justify implications of
given research
report/literature for
nursing practice and
standards of care
Weighting 1/3
Communicate in writing
about research related
to nursing and health
care
HD (High Distinction)
DN (Distinction)
CR (Credit)
PP (Pass)
NN (Fail)
When presenting
implications of the research
for nursing practice and
standards of care you:
When presenting implications
of the research for nursing
practice and standards of
care you:
When presenting
implications of the research
for nursing practice and
standards of care you:
When presenting
implications of the research
for nursing practice and
standards of care you:
When presenting
implications of the research
for nursing practice and
standards of care you:
 discussed in detail all the
implications mentioned in
the selected research,
and suggested some
other realistic implications
 discussed in detail
implications mentioned in
the selected research
 discussed the major
implications mentioned in
the selected research
 made broad
generalisations about the
implications mentioned in
the selected research
 listed a few of the
implications mentioned in
the selected research
 justified these implications with relevant and substantiated
evidence
 justified these implications
with mostly relevant
evidence
 justified these implications
with some relevant
evidence
 restated others’ opinions
and/or used personal
comments to support your
statements
When writing about research related to nursing and health
care, your report:
When writing about research
related to nursing and health
care, your report:
When writing about research
related to nursing and health
care, your report:
When writing about research
related to nursing and health
care, you:
 was clear, logical, concise and free of colloquialisms
 was clear and logical, free
of colloquialisms but with
some extraneous detail
 was mostly clear and
logical, but with some
colloquialisms and
extraneous detail
 used everyday rather than
academic language and
may have relied on
colloquialisms and/or
extraneous detail
 cited all sources both within the text and reference list, by
consistently and correctly using either APA or Harvard
referencing style.
 correctly cited most
sources both within the
text and reference list
using either APA or
Harvard referencing style
 cited most sources both
within the text and
reference list using either
APA or Harvard
referencing style, with
occasional errors
 partially acknowledged
sources using own style
of referencing
Weighting 1/6
Assessor’s Comments and Signature:
Grade
4