(^138) Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice: Model and Guidelines, Third Edition
The Abstract
The abstract is usually located after the title and author section and is graphically
set apart by use of a box, shading, or italics. The abstract is a brief description
of the problem, methods, and findings of the study (Polit & Beck, 2017). The
abstract provides the information needed to quickly screen the relevance of the
study to the EBP topic.The Introduction
If the abstract appears to be relevant, the team should move on to an examina-
tion of the introduction. The introduction contains the background as well as a
problem statement that tells why the investigators have chosen to conduct the
particular study. Background is best presented within the context of a current lit-
erature review, and the author should identify the knowledge gap between what
is known and what the study seeks to find out (or answer). A clear, direct state-
ment of purpose should be included as well as a statement of expected results or
hypotheses. The statement of purpose is often, although not always, located im-
mediately before the article’s first main heading.The Method
This section describes how a study is conducted (study procedures) in sufficient
detail so that readers can replicate the study, if desired. For example, if the in-
tervention was administration of a placebo, the nature of the placebo should be
stated. An investigator should identify the intended study population and provide
a description of inclusion and exclusion criteria. How subjects were recruited
and demographic characteristics of those who actually took part in the study
should be included. In addition, if instrumentation was used, the method section
should present evidence of instrument quality even if well-known published tools
are used. An acknowledgement of ethical review for research studies involving
human subjects should also be presented. Finally, the report should contain a de-
scription of how data were collected and analyzed.