How to Read and Critique Research: A Guide for Nursing and Healthcare Students

Reading, critiquing and using research is a key requirement of nursing and healthcare students to ensure evidence-based practice. This unique book will equip you with the skills you need to understand research and use it in your practice and academic assignments.

What will you learn?

• Understanding research papers: Learn to read, understand, and critically appraise research papers, a skill vital for your studies and clinical practice.
• Research methods: Explore common research designs through real-world examples, making complex concepts accessible and relevant.
• Critical appraisal tools: Discover tools to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of research studies, enhancing your ability to discuss evidence confidently.

 

Why this book?

• Real-World Examples: Each chapter presents a research paper relevant to nursing practice, annotated to highlight key aspects and decisions.
• Expert Insights: Contributions from original researchers provide authentic perspectives and rationales.
• Accessible and Practical: Designed to make research approachable, with step-by-step guidance and contemporary examples.
• Fully updated in a second edition, featuring a new chapter on participatory action research and new glossary to demystify complex terminology.

Embark on your journey to mastering research in nursing and health care with confidence and clarity. This book is your companion in developing the critical skills needed to excel in your studies and beyond.

Dr Helen Aveyard is a Principal Lecturer in the Oxford School of Nursing and Midwifery at Oxford Brookes University. After completing her undergraduate nursing degree, combining clinical duties with study, Helen completed her MA in Medical Law and Ethics and PhD. On taking up academic role, Helen has published widely on nursing ethics and education in research methods. Helen is an experienced supervisor for PhD and professional doctorate students and is the author of ′ Doing a literature review in health and social care′ which is in its 4^th edition. Other co-authored texts include ‘A postgraduate’s guide to doing a literature review’ and “A beginner’s guide to evidence based practice’ all published by Open University Press. Helen has written previous courses for Epigeum in 2010 and 2017

Professor Nancy Preston is a Professor of Supportive and Palliative Care and Associate Dean for Post Graduate Education in the Faculty of Health and Medicine at Lancaster University. She completed her degree in Nursing at King’s College, London and worked as a cancer nurse including time as a research nurse on clinical trials. She completed her PhD at the Institute of Cancer Research, London. With over 30 years of experience in research, her research focusses on palliative care and how best to integrate palliative care into general healthcare systems. She has a strong interest in how people make decisions about their future care including advance care planning and experiences around assisted dying. She has been involved in five European research projects. She has published over 150 research papers. She is an experienced PhD supervisor and examiner. She is the co-author of a ‘Post-Graduate’s Guide to Doing a Literature Review’ and ‘Palliative Nursing’.

Professor Morag Farquhar is Professor of Palliative Care Research at University of East Anglia (UEA). An early graduate nurse by background (King’s College London), she holds an MSc in Medical Sociology and PhD (University of London). She has worked in health services research for over 30 years, predominantly in the field of supportive and palliative care, within the universities of London, Manchester, Cambridge and UEA. Her main research areas include person-centred care, informal carers, breathlessness in advanced disease, and developing and testing of interventions using mixed methods. Morag has collaborated and published with colleagues internationally in the field of breathlessness in advanced disease and palliative care methodology. At UEA Morag teaches on research and using evidence in clinical practice across a range undergraduate and postgraduate health care professional programmes, including PhD supervision and examination.