title: Making sense of conflicting research findings.
abstract: The purpose of this article is to help readers interpret research findings. Many research studies with conflicting results are published each year. This article will help the reader to understand the research process and aid in interpreting the findings to determine their appropriateness and/or applicability to oneself or one's patients.
authors.affiliation: Bellarmine University, School of Nursing in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. vmiracle@aol..com
authors.forename: Vickie A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Miracle
mesh_terms: D015982:Bias; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D034462:Dissent and Disputes; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination; D015399:Nursing Research / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012107:Research Design / Q000592:standards*