Whether used to help students learn how to perform research or how to critically appraise research reports for use in practice, this authoritative, approachable textbook shows how nursing research is applicable across today's changing healthcare field. AJN award-winning authors Denise Polit and Cheryl Beck detail the latest methodologic innovations that have arisen in nursing, medicine, and the social sciences in their signature user-friendly style, accompanied by the helpful learning features, pedagogy, and clean design that have made this book a classic. The updated 11th Edition adds two new chapters designed to help students ensure the accuracy and effectiveness of research methods and the relevance and applicability of nursing inquiries. Extensively revised content throughout strengthens students' ability to locate and rank clinical evidence, verify the authoritativeness of systematic reviews, and distinguish interpretive approaches from aggregative approaches using meta-aggregation. -NEW! Quality Improvement and Improvement Science chapter provides methods and frameworks to help students develop and assess improvement projects. -NEW! Applicability, Generalizability, and Relevance: Toward Practice-Based Evidence chapter details cutting-edge strategies to meet the growing need for patient-centered, practice-based evidence. -UPDATED! Revised content throughout reflects the latest methodologic approaches to ranking evidence, verifying systematic reviews, using meta-aggregation, and more. -Critical appraisal guidelines help students focus on specific aspects of a report for the most effective appraisal. -Clear, user-friendly writing style introduces concepts logically and clarifies difficult ideas. -Specific research tips translate abstract notions into practical strategies to help students confidently apply chapter lessons in real-life situations. -Research examples throughout the text illustrate key points and stimulate critical thinking. -A comprehensive index provides fast, efficient access to precise information. -Tables, figures, and bulleted summaries reinforce essential chapter concepts at a glance.