the elements of the first step in the research process

Assignment Criteria

This is an individual assignment.  Each student will submit the written assignment and the chosen article.

Before completing this assignment, you must have completed Module 1 and completed the required reading for this module.

This assignment provides the student an opportunity to apply the elements of the first step in the research process.  This step is critical because it guides the research so that it most appropriately answers the research question.  These steps lay the foundation for the study.

Four pages total are allowed for this assignment. one title page, two pages for the assignment, and one reference page.

This assignment has three (3) parts:  identifying the problem, the literature review, and identifying variables.  The assignment is based on one (1) article that will apply to all three parts.  Successful completion requires the student to complete all three parts (Total points possible = 100).

Article Criteria

1. Select a research study article that provides a clear and concise research problem, literature review, and variables (Note:  make sure you are selecting a research study, NOT a systematic review, literature review, case study, or meta-analysis article).  Hint:  if you are unsure about your article selection, ask your faculty member if the article is appropriate and use the Library resources. The library personnel are an excellent resource in finding research articles/studies.

2. The topic of the research article/study is of your choice.

3. The study does not have to be from a nursing database or nursing research.  Other databases are acceptable.

4. Provide a reference in proper APA format (at the end of your assignment as a separate reference page per APA format).

5. In addition to your assignment, submit the associated article, not a link to the article.

6. Keep this article because you will use it again in Assignments #5 and #6.  (Note:  for these assignments, you will be discussing data analysis/statistics and implications for practice; so look for this information when selecting your research article).

Part 1:  Identifying the Problem

1.  What is the problem statement from the chosen article? (this may be a direct sentence(s) from the article, or a sentence(s) you have paraphrased that identify the problem)

Part 2:  Literature Review

1. Use the literature review in your article and summarize it by answering all the questions below (a – d).
a. Is the literature review present? Does it reflect critical issues related to main concepts (topic, variables, population, etc.)?  Identify those critical issues and the main concept(s) related to it.

b. Are the references current? Examine the number of sources in the last five and ten years in the reference list.
c. Is the development of ideas clear to demonstrate the progression of ideas through previous research?  Provide a narrative of the progressive development.  (For example:   study by Smith helped understand the variable, it was a qualitative study.  Study by Jones used the variables in a descriptive study. Study by Wesson eliminated 1 variable in their correlational study.  This study used all variables, disregarding  the correlational study elimination, with statistically significant outcomes.)
d. Is there a written summary synthesis of the reviewed scholarly literature?

Part 3:  Identifying Variables

Note:  Page 153 of your textbook offers the 4 (four) categories of variables.

1. Identify the 4 (four) categories of variables and identify a variable from your study for each category of the 4 (four) variables, as applicable.  Hint:  not all studies will have variables of each category, please note if your study does not contain variables of a certain type.
APA Format

1.  Proper citations

Proper references (on a separate page with proper heading per APA guidelines)