Nursing Research Week Two

Research Problem Definition: a perplexing or troubling condition. Sources – Clinical experience – Nursing literature – Social issues – Theories – External sources

Development & Refinement of Research Problems Quantitative research – Problem process goes from broad to a very specific final problem statement Qualitative research – Problem also needs refinement, but in many cases it remains fairly broad

Significance, researchability, & feasibility of research problems Is the research problem significant to nursing? Is it researchable? Is it feasible?

Statement of the Research Purpose or Question Statements of purpose are often more broad so many researchers include several specific questions Should ID the key study variables and possible relationship & problem of interest.

Should connote objectivity Qualitative questions often use verbs such as explore, describe, understand, discover or develop Verbs in the purpose statement often include goal, objective, intent or aim.

Critiquing the Research Problem Implications for nursing practice. Extension of knowledge base. Promotion of theory development. Correspondence to research priorities.

The Research Hypothesis: Quantitative Studies Translates problem statement into precise, unambiguous prediction of expected outcomes. Subjected to empirical testing. May or may not follow directly from a theoretical framework Theories tested via hypotheses.

Characteristics of Hypotheses Must have relational term in describing variables Based on sound justifiable rationales Dependent variable: outcome variable of interest; acted upon or caused by independent variable Independent variable: the variable that is manipulated; cause of dependent variable

Wording of the Hypothesis State relationship between independent & dependent variables Complex (multivariate) hypothesis Directional hypothesis Nondirectional hypothesis Null hypothesis

Hypothesis Testing Hypothesis are not proven! They are accepted or supported (or rejected). Results are always tentative.

Definition and purpose of theories – Abstract generalizations that represent a systematic explanation of the relationships among phenomena. – Provide principles for explaining, predicting, and controlling phenomena.

Good research builds on existing knowledge. Theories are useful in guiding and organizing the search for knowledge.

Theories are used to help explain events- the what and why. Theories sharpen reality, they are not reality. Overall purpose is to make scientific findings meaningful and generalizable. (& interpretable)

Theories are used to help explain events- the what and why. Theories sharpen reality, they are not reality. Overall purpose is to make scientific findings meaningful and generalizable. (& interpretable)

Characteristics of theories Concepts are basic ingredients of theories. – Concepts are labels for ideas. – Theories describe relationships among concepts- these are called statements or propositions Humans do not discover theories; they create or invent them.

Theories are tentative in nature. Remember they cannot be proven or confirmed. They can be supported. Hypotheses are deduced from theories and are tested. Theories are not tested.

Literature Review Purposes of literature review for non- researchers: – Acquire knowledge on a topic. – Evaluated current practices and make recommendations for change. – Develop evidence based clinical protocols and interventions. – Develop policy statements and practice guidelines.

Primary source – Descriptions of studies written by the researchers who conducted them Secondary source – Descriptions of studies prepared by someone other than the original researcher.