Validation of an instrument to evaluate the methodological quality of quantitative research work in Nursing

Objective: To assess the methodological quality of nursing degree projects in Ecuadorian universities during the period 2021-2023. Methodology: A total of 340 quantitative approach projects were selected from university repositories across Ecuador. The RStudio platform (GNU Affero General Public License, 2011) with the Lavaan package was employed to evaluate the multivariate distribution of the 34 items in the instrument. Results: Although the chi-square test was statistically significant, the absolute fit indices, such as RMSEA and SRMR, met the established criteria, with values of <0.08 and 0.07, respectively. Regarding the robust incremental indices, the results showed values greater than 0.900, indicating a satisfactory fit. Conclusion: The successful validation and adaptation of the instrument for the Ecuadorian nursing context demonstrates its relevance. However, the observations regarding the lack of multivariate normality and low factor loadings in certain items highlight the need for further adjustment and revision.