Quantitative content analysis of published nursing-midwifery articles in Iranian medical journals

Identifying the weaknesses and strengths of nursing and midwifery articles using analytical and critique methods is important for knowledge generation and exploitation. This research aimed to perform a quantitative content analysis of nursing/midwifery articles in the last decade.
In order to analyze content of nursing/midwifery articles in the last decade quantitatively, year 2009 was selected randomly. Among 188 articles that published in that year, 168 articles were evaluated according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. The analysis tool was based on Burns & Grove (2007). Variables such as author characteristics, title, type of study, introduction, review of literature, abstract, statement of problem, goals, assumptions, variables, framework, research design, findings, discussion and conclusion and reference were analyzed statistically.
From a subject point of view, most of the articles were clinical study (38.1%). Most of the articles (83.3%) had structural abstract. The non-reported variables included: critique and analysis of literature (90.5%), research framework (89.9%), sampling method (23.7%), consent obtaining (28.6%) and validity and reliability (43.4%). Discussion and conclusion section of the articles was in a favorable status. The average total number of references used in nursing/midwifery articles was 23.72.
The nursing/midwifery articles published in medical journals had a relatively favorable status. However, most of the articles had problems in methodology and in some cases, such as the research framework, critique and review of the literature, more accuracy is necessary.