Chapter 3 Deciding What to Study Choosing a Topic and Stating the Problem

Sources of Research Topics Observed discrepancies (the difference between the way things are and the way they ought to be) in nursing practice common patterns of phenomena across clinical situations Testing folk wisdom (some taken-for-granted wisdom) Understanding phenomenon from the insider’s perspective

Tackling current issues (eg. expanded roles for nurses) Inconsistencies in the literature Testing relationships between variables predicted in a theory Exploring variations in a dependent variable (here the goal is to understand the factors influencing the dependent variable) Evaluation of a nursing intervention or policy Replicating a study Sources of Research Topics (cont’d)

Non Researchable Problems Not all problems of interest to nurses are researchable Value questions or questions that involve choosing a moral course of action are not researchable Policy questions may not be directly researchable although research findings may inform or shape policy

Terminology Research Topic is simply a broad area of interest for investigation. Research Problem identifies what is problematic about the topic Problem Statement elaborates on the research problem

What is a Research Problem? A situation or circumstance that requires a solution to be described, explained, or predicted, or A discrepancy between the way things are and the way they ought to be, or A knowledge gap in an area that needs to be investigated The problem is related to but different from the research topic and the purpose

Process of Limiting the Problem review the literature talk to those in the field who have experienced the problem eliminate all the unrelated information so that a clear, unambiguous research question can emerge

Research Purpose A declarative statement that identifies what the researcher intends to do It is the specific goal of the study One research problem may become the basis for several research purposes leading to a program of research

Examples Research Topic: Accidental Falls in the Elderly Research Problem: Type of elderly who sustain falls versus those who do not Research Purpose:the purpose of this study is to extend knowledge beyond the known risk factors of age & diagnosis by comparing the characteristics of elderly who fell while hospitalized with a group matched for age & diagnosis who did not fall

The Research Problem Statement The research statement presents the research problem A narrative that elaborates on the research problem and identifies the specific area of concern. It communicates to others the problem to be studied. The problem statement provides direction for the entire study and guides the study toward a quantitative or qualitative design

6 Elements of the Problem Statement Information about the topic that provoked the study the scope of the problem (e.g. # of people affected) importance of the problem how nursing science would be influenced by the study characteristics of the population overall goal or aim (purpose) of the study

Problem Statement No single approach exists to write a research problem statement but it is helpful to include the six elements Frequently the research purpose is included as the sixth element

Example of Problem Statement - Declarative …Falls are the most frequent cause of accidents in the hospital setting (Catchen, 1983)... and may be a primary reason for placement in nursing homes. The proportion of falls resulting in a fracture is low (5%) but the additional costs of treatment may be high. The literature consistently identifies age and medical diagnosis as risk factors. Most research has examined only characteristics of fallers and not compared characteristics of fallers and non fallers. The purpose of this study is to extend knowledge beyond known risk factors of age and diagnosis by com paring characteristics of hospitalized adults who fell with a group matched on age & diagnosis who did not fall.

Research Question The research problem stated in the interrogative form is referred to as the research question It is stated in the present tense A question invites an answer e.g. “What is the relationship of age to frequency of falls in hospitalized adults?”

Literature Review A critical step in focusing the research problem, the problem statement, and the research purpose A process of reviewing current knowledge about the problem, describing characteristics of previous studies, noting similarities and differences in research results, evaluating strengths and limitations, and identifying gaps in knowledge.

Literature Review Tells us what is known about the research problem and what is not known Places the existing study in the context of prior research studies and current knowledge Some qualitative designs do not include review of the literature at this stage of the research process

Feasibility of Study Time Commitment Money (budget, literature review, subjects, equipment, personnel, supplies, computer, travel) Researcher Expertise Availability of Subjects Availability of Equipment & Facilities Cooperation of Others Ethical Considerations