Selecting a Theoretical Framework
Evaluating a critical appraisal of a research framework can help you to assess the theory’s reliability and validity, as well as its applicability to research and practice. For this Discussion, you will select a theoretical framework in a published study to evaluate. In doing this, you will consider how this framework might be applied to a practice problem of interest to you.
To prepare:
- Identify a practice problem of interest to you.
- Locate an article in the Walden Library, or one presented in the Learning Resources, that addresses the practice problem NOTE: You may wish to select an article that specifies the theoretical framework used in the research study addressing the practice problem (meaning a problem pertaining to where I practice as a nurse).
- Using the strategies presented in Chapter 7 of The Practice of Nursing Research: Appraisal, Synthesis, and Generation of Evidence, critically analyze the selected framework, engaging in “critical appraisal of a research framework,” (p. 127).
- Determine if the use of the selected framework was appropriate.
- Ask yourself: Could I apply this theoretical framework to an evidence-based practice project that addresses my problem of interest?
