[The evaluation of qualitative research published in nursing journals: protocol of a cross-sectional study]

The nature of nursing has prompted researchers nurses to use a large number of qualitative methodology research. The trend showed a substantial increase in its production between 1997 and 2000 to settle back down in the following years although until recently the qualitative methodology was considered a non-scientific research. The growing number of publications with qualitative design is paid concern to verify the rigor and credibility of studies using this method. The use of the quality assessment tools showed that the methodological precision of studies with a qualitative design has grown over time.

Assessing, using the tool Critical Appraisal Skills Programme, the quality of qualitative studies published in the last five years by international nursing journals with higher impact factor.

We will search the qualitative articles published on the ten most influential nursing journals that will be submitted by two independent researchers at the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool in its original version.

The results make it possible to observe whether the qualitative research produced in the field of nursing uses a rigorous methodology in the drafting of the report, assuming that the quality has grown in the past five years than in previous years.

The study will help researchers assess which level reached nurses in the development of qualitative research.