Academic Nurse Leaders’ Interpretation of Concepts and Priorities Related to the Examination of Scientific Short Papers, Dissertations and Theses - Part 2

During the first round of the study panel members were asked to comment on the kinds of evaluation instruments they considered appropriate. The responses did not indicate clearly their preferences except that no one was in favour of a detailed evaluation instrument which indicated weights for each criterion. All participating members of the final roimd (6) were in favour of a broad instnunent without weighting but one respondent indicated that it should not be so broad to become me2uiingless. All of them were in favour of a rating scale for all of the criteria . Five respondents commented that, unlike other evaluation instruments, such a scale focuses attention on essential characteristics of a research study but should include a section for comments. One respondent indicated that a rating scale for all criteria would be suitable for both quzditative and quantitative research. Five respondents claim ed that separate evaluation instruments would be necessary for qualitative and quantitative research and one respondent recom m ended an instnunent which indicated a combined weight for criteria plus a mark to take into account the variability of research studies. From these responses it appears that a preferred evaluation instrument would consist of broadly structiu-ed items rated on a scale with provision for commentary. The desirabiUty of two evaluation forms, one for quantitative and the other for qualitative research still needs to be clarified. In the Uterature, different sch oo ls of thought are represented . Som e qualitative researchers maintain that the standards by which quantitative studies are judged are quite inappropriate to qualitative studies (Agar 1986, Guba 1981, Kirk & Miller 1986). Others maintain that the usual standards of good science should be retained but require redefmition in order to fit the realities of qualitative research and the complexities of social phenomena that we seek to understand (Corbin & Strauss 1990, Strauss & Corbin 1990). In their textbook on nursing research, Roberts and Burke (1989: 63-76) have mcluded guidelines for evaluating nursing research reports for both quantitative and qualitative research and the possibility of adapting this for use could be investigated.