[Nursing research in Italy, 1998-2001].

Academic education and professional role, both enhancing status and opening new paths for further developments. Consequently, there is a wide a compulsory interest to develop scientific research in the nursing field and to increase the number of studies published in the nation each year. This study reviewed the areas of inquiry and characteristics of research articles published in Italian journals from 1998 throughout 2001. Phenomena of interest, research design, sampling, and internal consistency have been used as evaluation criteria. Of 64 articles identified, only 52 have been reviewed (81%) because matching the selection criteria. Of the reviewed studies, 73% focus on clinical aspects, 21.2% on management, and 5.8% on nursing education. The majority of the reviewed studies use cross or longitudinal observational design, correlational (3.8%), or quasiexperimental design (5.2%). Convenience selection was the most used sampling method when reported. Data analysis was mostly done using descriptive statistics with only few exceptions. The majority of the reviewed studied adopt a quantitative approach. A nurse was principal investigator only in 58% of the studies.