The nurse has done a literature search and has found 25 possible articles on the topic that she is studying. To determine which of those 25 best fit her inquiry, the nurse should first look at:

Question

a. The abstracts
b. Literature reviews
c. The "Methods" sections
d. The narrative sections

Answer 1

A
The abstract is a brief summary of the article that quickly tells you if the article is research- or clinically-based. An abstract summarizes the purpose of the study or clinical query, the major themes or findings, and the implications for nursing practice.

The literature review usually gives you a good idea of how past research led to the researcher's question. The "Methods" or "Design" section explains how a research study is organized and conducted to answer the research question or to test the hypothesis. The narrative of a manuscript differs according to the type of evidence-based article, either clinical or research.