Controlling the Research Topic Nursing September 2014

Why does topic control matter in research assignments?

Where does the topic come from? Assigned topics Illuminate certain ideas particular to the course think about issues in a way relevant to course objectives. Selected topics Ideas originate with you greater latitude to follow a particular interest Handle both the same way. Ask yourself questions! research is driven by questions key skill for students to develop keep course objectives in mind

Assigned topics 1.Ask questions about the assignment requirements? read a written assignment carefully. insure you understand. 2.Reduce the assigned topic to a question. most assignments can be reduced to a single question. probe the topic in a way that interests you

Question must answerable in the circumstances. length of paper submitted amount of available time quantity of supporting research

Manipulating the question depending on what is assigned, the basis for the question can be made broader or narrower example What factors effect nursing student retention?

Broader nursing student retention nursing student recruitment and retention health science student retention science student retention university student retention postsecondary student retention university student recruitment and retention

Narrower nursing student retention who? – mature nursing students what? – debt obligations where? – in Canada when? – during why? – burnout Possibilities are almost endless!

When is a question too broad? when the answer has no single focus o raises more questions than can be answered o lacks specifics o has too many competing ideas when there is too much research literature o database search turns up hundreds of references o internet search turns up thousands of websites When is a question too narrow? theoretically - never practically - when research is hard to find

My questions 1.Is there a significant difference in the retention of male and female nursing students ? 2.What are the factors that exacerbate the retention of men in nursing programs? 3.Is gender discrimination a significant deterrent to men in nursing education ?

Thesis statement short summary of the argument or analysis that is to follow. Why is it necessary? states your position pin point your argument and test the merit of your idea better organization direct the search for supporting research

My thesis Gender discrimination is a significant factor in discouraging male nursing students from continuing in a nursing program.

Translating my thesis into searchable terms 1.nurse or nurses or nursing 2.student or students or university or universities or college or colleges or education or educating or train or training 3.retention or retain or retaining or attrition 4.male or males or men or gender or sex 5.bias or biases or discrimination or discriminating or discriminate or equity or balance or equal or equality

Reduces to: 1.nurs* 2.student* or universit* or college* or educat* or train* 3.retention or retain* or attrition 4.male* or men or gender or sex 5.bias* or discriminat* or equity or balance or equal*

Steps starting with some intellectual effort, taking a topic and posing ourselves questions, working that question into manageable form, establishing a working thesis to direct our investigation, breaking thesis into conceptual components to give our search structure and organization, identifying searchable terms, interrogating an appropriate database, or set of databases.

Group Assignment (one submission from each group) 1.As a group, devise a Nursing related topic and provide a one sentence statement of that topic. 2.Devise a broader and a narrower question based upon your group’s topic and provide a one sentence statement of each. 3.From your group topic, develop a focused research question and state an associated thesis. Provide a one or two sentence statement of each. 4.In a database of your choosing, search for and submit references to two scholarly sources that establish the thesis developed can be supported by available research. 5.Provide a copy of the search history employed. 6.Include a list of the members of your group. 7.Submit to: Sept 24, 2014 – 11:59