Data collection and measurement

(Nilam)

(5 points)

⮚ Are the operational and conceptual definitions congruent?

⮚ Were key variables operationalized using the best possible method (e.g., interviews, observations, and so on) and with adequate justification?

⮚ Given the study purpose and study population are the specific instruments adequately described and were they good choices? What were the instruments?

⮚ Does the report provide evidence that the data collection methods yielded data that were high on reliability and validity? What was the evidence?

Procedures

(Nilam)

(5 points)

⮚ If there was an intervention, is it adequately described, and was it properly implemented? Did most participants allocated to the intervention group actually receive it? Was there evidence of intervention fidelity?

⮚ Were data collected in a manner that minimized bias? Were the staff who collected data appropriately trained?

Results

Data analysis

(Nilam)

(5 points)

⮚ Were analyses undertaken to address each research question or test each hypothesis? What were they?

⮚ Were appropriate statistical methods used, given the level of measurement of the variables, number of groups being compared, and so on?

⮚ Was the most powerful analytic method used? How did the analysis help to control for confounding variables)?

⮚ Were Type I and Type II errors avoided or minimized?

Findings

(Nilam)

(5 points)

⮚Was information about statistical significance presented? Was information about effect size and precision of estimates (confidence intervals) presented?

⮚ Are the findings adequately summarized, with good use of tables and figures?

⮚Are findings reported in a manner that facilitates a meta-analysis, and with sufficient information needed for EBP?

Discussion

Interpretation of the findings

(Nilam)

( 5 points)

⮚ Are all major findings interpreted and discussed within the context of prior research and/or the study’s conceptual framework?

⮚Were causal inferences, if any, justified?

⮚ Are the interpretations consistent with the results and with the study’s limitations?

⮚ Does the report address the issue of the generalizability of the findings?