Nursing Research

Tutorial by George Washington University.
Describes different study designs.

Nurse Researcher 2006. Vol. 13, Iss. 4; p. 66 (9 pages)
Marilyn H Oermann, Elizabeth A Galvin, Judith A Floyd, Janna C Roop

Coopey, M & Nix, MP
Journal of Nursing Care Quality (2006) 21(3), 195-202.

Whittemore, R., & Knafl, K. (2005). The integrative review: Updated methodology. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 52(5), 546-553. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2005.03621.x

Watson, M. (2020). How to undertake a literature search: A step-by-step guide. British Journal of Nursing (Mark Allen Publishing), 29(7), 431-435. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjon.2020.29.7.431

Gregory, K. (2015). Differentiating Between Research and Quality Improvement. The Journal of Perinatal & Neonatal Nursing, 29 (2), 100-102. doi: 10.1097/JPN.0000000000000107.

As defined by the Cochrane Consumer Network, A systematic review summarises the results of available carefully designed healthcare studies (controlled trials) and provides a high level of evidence on the effectiveness of healthcare interventions. Judgments may be made about the evidence and inform recommendations for healthcare.
Source: Cochrane Consumer Network

A study design that randomly assigns participants into an experimental group or a control group. As the study is conducted, the only expected difference between the control and experimental groups in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) is the outcome variable being studied. Source: Study Design 101, GWU

A study design where one or more samples (called cohorts) are followed prospectively and subsequent status evaluations with respect to a disease or outcome are conducted to determine which initial participants exposure characteristics (risk factors) are associated with it. As the study is conducted, outcome from participants in each cohort is measured and relationships with specific characteristics determined. Source: Study Design 101, GWU

A study that compares patients who have a disease or outcome of interest (cases) with patients who do not have the disease or outcome (controls), and looks back retrospectively to compare how frequently the exposure to a risk factor is present in each group to determine the relationship between the risk factor and the disease. Source: Study Design 101

An article that describes and interprets an individual case, often written in the form of a detailed story. Case reports often describe:

Unique cases that cannot be explained by known diseases or syndromes
Cases that show an important variation of a disease or condition
Cases that show unexpected events that may yield new or useful information
Cases in which one patient has two or more unexpected diseases or disorders
Case reports are considered the lowest level of evidence, but they are also the first line of evidence, because they are where new issues and ideas emerge. This is why they form the base of our pyramid. A good case report will be clear about the importance of the observation being reported. Source: Study Design 101

a belief or judgment about something given by an expert on the subject

Thabane, L., Ma, J., Chu, R., Cheng, J., Ismaila, A., Rios, L. P., . . . Goldsmith, C. H. (2010). A tutorial on pilot studies: The what, why and how. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 10(1), 1-1. doi:10.1186/1471-2288-10-1

Tutorial by George Washington University.
Describes different study designs.

Wimmer, E. N., Rethlefsen, M. L., Jarvis, C., & Shipman, J. P. (2016). Understanding research impact: A review of existing and emerging tools for nursing. Journal of Professional Nursing, 32(6), 401-411. 10.1016/j.profnurs.2016.05.005

Novosel, Lorraine M, PhD,A.P.R.N.-C.N.P., A.G.P.C.N.P.-B.C. (2023). Understanding the Evidence: Non-Experimental Research Designs. Urologic Nursing, 43(2), 99-102.