Research Ch. 5, 6, 7, 8 terms

research topic

a concept or broad issue that is important to nursing, such as acute pain, chronic pain management, coping with illness or health promotion. each topic contains numerous research problems that might be investigated through quantitative, qualitative and outcome studies

significance of a research problem

indicates the importance of the problem to nursing and health care and to the health of individuals, families, and communities.

research variables

involved in descriptive and correlational quantitative studies. they are the qualities, properties, or characteristics identified in the research purpose and objectives or questions that are observed or measured in a study. they are used when the intent of the study is to observe or measure variables as they exist in a natural setting without the implementation of a treatment. thus no independent variables are manipulated and no cause and effect relationships are examined.

paraphrasing

involves expressing the ideas clearly and in your own words.

synthesis of sources

involves thinking deeply about what you have found and identifying the main themes of information that you want to present. through synthesis, you will cluster and describe connections among what you have found from the clusters of connections, you can begin to draw some conclusions about what is known and made additional connections to the topic being studied. one strategy for synthesizing is to review the tables or mind maps that you have developed and make a list of findings that are similar and those that are different. another strategy for synthesis is to talk about the articles you have reviewed with another student, nurse or friend. verbalizing the characteristics of the studies and explaining them to anther person can cause you to think differently about the studies than you do when you are reading your noted.

primary source

is written by the person who originated or is responsible for generating the ideas published. a research report written by the researchers who conducted the study is a primary source. a theorist's development of a theory or other conceptual content is a primary source.

conference proceedings

major professional organizations may publish papers selected by a review process that were presented at their conference, called conference proceedings. these may be in print or online. may include the findings of pilot studies and preliminary findings of ongoing studies.

research synthesis

may be a systematic review of the literature, meta-analysis of quantitative studies, meta-synthesis of qualitative studies or a mixed-method systematic review.

quantitative research reports

may include citations to relevant sources in all sections of the report. researchers include sources in the intro section to summarize the background and significance of the research problem. the lit review section may not be labeled, but integrated into the intro. the methods section of the research report describes the design, sample and the process for obtaining the sample, measurement methods, treatment and data collection process. the results section includes the results of the statistical analyses, but also includes sources to validate the analytical techniques that were used to answer the research questions. sources might also be included to compare the analysis of the data in the present study with the results of previous studies. the discussion section of the research report provides the comparison of the findings to other studies' findings, if not already included in the results section. also incorporates conclusions that are a synthesis of the findings from previous research and those from the present study.

peer-reviewed

means that the author of the research report, clinical description or theoretical explanation has submitted a manuscript to a journal editor, who identified scholars familiar with the topic to review the manuscript. these scholars provide input to the editor about whether the manuscript in its current form is accurate, meets standards for quality and is appropriate for the journal. a peer reviewed paper has undergone significant scrutiny and is considered trustworthy.

Writing the review of the literature

organizing your information by developing an outline prior to writing the major sections of the review. Develop an outline to organize the information from the review: before starting to write your review, develop an outline based on your synthesis of what you have read using the sections of the review as major headings of the outline. frequently, a comprehensive literature review has 4 major sections; introduction, discussion of theoretical literature, discussion of empirical literature, and summary. the intro and summary are standard, but the discussion of sources should be organized by the main ideas that you have identified or the concepts of the theoretical framework you will use in your study. under the major headings of the outlines, makes notes about which sources you want to mention in the different sections of the paper. the intro will include the focus or purpose of the review and present the organizational structure of the review. you should make clear what you will and will not be covering. discussion section may be divided into theoretical and empirical subsections or divided by the themes of the review findings. a theoretical lit section might include concept analysis, models, theories or conceptual frameworks relevant to the topic. the empirical section, if separate, will include the research findings of the articles reviewed. you also want to incorporate the strengths and weaknesses of the overall body of knowledge, rather than a detailed presentation and critical appraisal of each study. in the summary section, make notes of your conclusions. Write each section of the review: start each paragraph with a theme sentence that describes the main idea of the paragraph. present the relevant studies in each paragraph that support the main idea. end each paragraph with a concluding sentence that transitions into the next claim. avoid using direct quotes from an author. your analysis and synthesis will allow you to paraphrase the authors' ideas. the meanings of these sources are then connected to the proposed study. if written review is not clear or cohesive, then recheck. write the summary as a concise presentation of the current knowledge base for the research problem. the findings from the studies will have been logically presented in the previous sections. you will make conclusions about the gaps in the knowledge base. you may also conclude with the potential contribution of the proposed study to the body of knowledge. Create the reference list: many journals and academic institutions use the format developed by the APA. the APA standard for direct quotations from a print source is to site the page of source on which the quotation appears. the sources included in the list of the references are only those that were cited in the paper. each citation on an APA style reference list is formatted as a paragraph with a hanging indent, meaning that the first line in on the left margin and subsequent lines are indented. the inclusion of an article published in a print journal in a reference list includes the journal #, volume and issue. an entry on the list for a book is listed by the author and includes the publisher and it's location. when you retrieve an electronic source in PDF format, you cite the source in the same way as if you had made a copy of the print version of the article. when you retrieve an electronic source in HTML format, you will not have page #'s for the citation. providing the URL that you used to retrieve the article is not helpful because it is unique to the path you used to find the article and reflects your search engines and bibliographic databases. the updated APA standard is to provide the URL for the home page of the journal from which the reader can navigate and find the source. Check the review and reference list: reread your review a day after you finish it. one way to identify awkward sentences or disjointed paragraphs is to read the review aloud. a critical final step is to compare the sources cited in the paper to the reference list. be sure that the authors' names and year of publication match. if you are missing sources on the list, add them. if you have sources on the list that you didn't cite, remove them.

conceptual definition

provides the theoretical meaning of a variable and is often derived from a theorist's definition of a related concept. in a published study, the framework includes concepts and their definitions, and the variables are selected to represent these concepts. the variables are conceptually defined, indicating the link with the concepts in the framework

Availability of Subjects, Facilities and Equipment

researches need to have adequate sample size, facilities and equipment to implement their study. most published studies indicate the sample size and setting in the methods section of the research report. a review of the methods section of the research article will determine if adequate and accurate equipment was available.

sample characteristics

results of data collected from study subjects on the demographic variables and analyzed. can be presented in table format and/or narrative.

Money commitment

the problem and purpose studied are influenced by the amount of money available to the researchers. the cost of a research project can from a few dollars for a student's small study to hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars for complex projects. critically appraising a study involves examining the financial resources available to the researchers in conducting their study. Sources of funding for a study are usually identified in the article. Receiving funding for a study indicates that it was reviewed by peers who chose to support the research financially.

ethnographic research

the problem and purpose identify the culture and specific attributes of the culture that are to be examined, described, analyzed and interpreted to reveal the social actions, beliefs, values and norms of the culture.

historical research

the problem and purpose in historical research focus on a specific individual, characteristic of society, event or situation in the past and usually identify the time period in the past that was examined by the study.

grounded theory research

the problem identifies the area of concern and the purpose indicates the focus of the theory to be developed to account for a pattern of behavior of those involved in the study.

purpose

the purpose is the goal or focus of a study that guides the development of the objectives, questions or hypotheses in quantitative and outcome studies. in qualitative research, the purpose and broadly stated research questions guide the study of the selected research concepts.

Ethical Considerations

the purpose selected for the investigation must be ethical, which means that the subjects' rights and the rights of others in the setting are protected. an ethical study confers more benefits than risks in its conduct and will generate useful knowledge for practice.

Associative vs. Causal

the relationships identified in hypotheses are associative or causal. an associative hypothesis proposes relationships among variables that occur or exist together in the real world, so that when one variable changes, the other changes. they identify relationships among variables in a study but do not indicate that one variable causes an effect on anther variable. a causal hypothesis proposes a cause and effect interaction between 2 or more variables, referred to as independent and dependent variables. the independent variable (treatment or experimental variable) is manipulated by the researcher to cause an effect on the dependent or outcome variable. the researcher then measures the dependent variable to examine the effect created by the independent variable.

addresses nursing research priorities

the research priorities for clinical practice were initially identified in a study by Lindeman (1975). Those original research priorities included nursing interventions related to stress, care of the aged, pain management and patient education.

Researcher expertise

the research problem and purpose studied need to be within the area of expertise of the researchers. research reports usually identify the education of the researchers and their current positions, which indicate their expertise to conduct a study. also examine the reference list to determine whether the researchers have conducted additional studies in this area.

Statistical vs. Research hypotheses

the statistical hypothesis, also referred to as a null hypothesis, is used for statistical testing and for interpreting statistical outcomes. Even if the null hypothesis is not sated, it is implied, because it is the converse of the research hypothesis. The null hypothesis is also used when the researchers believes that there is no relationship between 2 variables and when theoretical or empirical information is inadequate to state a research hypothesis. a statistical hypothesis can be simple or complex and associative or causal. a research hypothesis is the alternative hypothesis to the null or statistical hypothesis and states that a relationship exists between 2 or more variables. can be simple or complex, nondirectional or directional, associative or causal

variables in general

variables in quasi-experimental and experimental research are narrow and specific in focus and can be quantified or manipulated using specified steps that are often developed into a protocol also, the variables are objectively defined to decrease researcher bias. qualitative research is more abstract, subjective and holistic than quantitative research and involves the investigation of research concepts vs research variables.

Hypotheses in Studies

1. Are the hypotheses formally stated in the study? If the study is quasi-experimental or experimental, hypotheses are needed to direct the study. 2. Do the hypotheses clearly identify the relationships among the variables of the study? 3. Are the hypotheses associative or causal, simple or complex, directional or nondirectional, and research or null (statistical)? 4. If hypotheses are included in the study, are they used to organize research results and interpret study findings?

Research Objectives an Questions

1. Are the objectives (aims) or questions clearly and concisely expressed in the study? 2. Are the study aims or questions based on the study purpose? 3. Do the aims or questions appear to direct the study methodology and interpretation of results?

Study variables

1. Are the variables clearly identified in the study purpose and/or research objectives, questions or hypotheses? 2. What types of variables are examined in the study? Are independent and dependent variables or research variables examined in the study? 3. If a quasi-experimental or experimental study is conducted, are the extraneous variables identified and controlled? 4. Are the variables conceptually defined? 5. Are the variables operationally defined?

Types of hypotheses

1. Associative vs. causal 2. Simple vs. complex 3. Nondirectional vs. directional 4. Statistical vs. research

Examining Feasibility of Study's Problem and Purpose

1. Did the researchers have the research, clinical, and educational expertise to conduct the study? 2. Was the study funded by local or national organizations or agencies? Did clinical agencies provide support for the study? 3. Did the researchers have adequate subjects, settings and equipment to conduct their study? 4. Was the purpose of the study ethical?

Critical Appraisal Guidelines

1. Is the problem clearly and concisely expressed early in the study? 2. Does the problem include the significance, background and problem statement? 3. Does the purpose clearly express the goal or focus of the study? 4. Is the purpose focused on the study problem statement? 5. Are the study variables and population identified in the purpose?

In a study the research problem

1. indicates the significance of the problem 2. provides a background for the problem 3. includes a problem statement

Processing the literature

Read the articles: skim over the information provided by the author that is not relevant to your task. learn what is normally included in different sections of an article so you can read those sections pertinent to your task more carefully. you don't have to read every word. you will want to read the articles mot relevant to your topic word for word and probably more than once. Appraise, analyze, and synthesize the literature: analysis is required to determine the value of a reference as you make the decision about what information to include in the review. 1st, you need to appraise the individual studies critically. analysis requires manipulation of what you are finding, literally making it your own. as you continue to analyze the literature you have found, you will make comparisons among the studies. this analysis allows you to appraise the existing body of knowledge critically in relation to the research problem. you may want to record theories that have been used, methods that have been used to study the problem, and any flaws with these theories and methods. you will begin to work toward summarizing what you have found by describing what is known and what is not known about the problem. **pay special attention to conflicting findings, because they may provide clues for gaps in knowledge that represent researchable problems. sources can organized by the sections you plan to cite them in.

Conducting the literature review

Search the selected databases: the actual search of the databases may be the easiest step, on way to take less time is to search multiple databases at one time, an approach that is possible when several databases are available within a search engine such as Elton B. Stephens Company Host (EBSCOhost). keep a list of searches to avoid duplications. Use a table or other method to document the results of your search: record the search terms, the time frame used, and the results. Refworks and EndNotes can make tracking references easier. Refine your search: look at some of the articles, look at the key terms used. reconsider the topic and determine how you can narrow your search. one strategy is to decrease the range of years your searching. some databases allow you to limit the search to certain types of articles (scholarly, peer-reviewed articles). may be ok to limit the search to full text articles for undergrad research. Review the abstracts to identify relevant studies: the abstract provides pertinent information about the article. you can easily determine if the article is a research report, description of a clinical problem or theoretical article, such as a concept analysis. identify the articles that seem to be the most relevant to your topic and purpose of the review. Obtain full text copies of relevant articles: for articles not available as full text online, you will need to check the library for the print form. it is necessary to obtain the full text of the article because the abstract does not include the detail needed for a lit review. Ensure that information needed to cite the source is recorded: as you retrieve articles, not if the article includes all the info needed for the citation. you will need the authors' names, year, article title, journal name, journal volume and issue, and page numbers. if a book chapter has been copied or retrieved electronically, ensure that the publisher's name, location and year of publication are recorded. notice specifically whether the chapter is in an edited book and if the chapter has an author other than the editor.

Nondirectional vs. Directional hypotheses

a nondirectional hypothesis states that a relationship exists but does not predict the nature (positive or negative) of the relationship. a directional hypothesis states the nature (positive or negative) of the interaction between 2 or more variables. they are developed from theoretical statements (propositions), findings of previous studies, and clinical experience. as the knowledge on which a study is based increases, researchers are able to make a prediction about the direction of a relationship between the variables being studied. a causal hypothesis predicts the effect of independent variable on a dependent variable, specifying the direction of the relationship. thus ALL causal hypotheses are directional.

builds on previous research

a significant study problem and purpose are based on previous research. in a research article, the intro and literature review sections include relevant studies that provide a basis or the current study. the gaps in current knowledge base provide support for and document the significance of the study's purpose.

Simple vs. Complex hypotheses

a simple hypothesis states the relationship (associative or causal) between 2 variables. a complex hypothesis states the relationships (associative or causal) among 3 or more variables.

abstract

an idea that focuses on a general view of a phenomenon.

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)

another federal agency with emphasis on funding healthcare research. their mission: to improve the quality, safety, efficiency and effectiveness of health care for all Americans.

problems formulated in qualitative research

identify areas of concern that require investigation to gain new insights, expand understanding, and improve the comprehension of the whole. the purpose of a qualitative study indicates the focus of the study, which may a concept such a pain, even such as loss of a child or a facet of a culture such as the healing practices of a specific Native American tribe. the purpose often indicates the qualitative approach used to conduct the study.

statements

in a theory describe how the concepts are connected to each other.

literature review in general

appraising the literature review of a published study involves examining the quality of the content and sources presented. a correctly prepared literature review includes what is known and not known about that study problem and identifies the focus of the present study. the review provides a basis for the study purpose and may be organized according to the variables (quantitative) or concepts (qualitative) in the purpose statement. the sources cited must be relevant and current for the problem and purpose of the study. to judge whether all the relevant sources are cited, the reviewer must search the literature to determine the focus of the sources, the number of data-based and theoretical sources cited, and where and when the sources were published. sources should be current, up to the date that the paper was accepted for publication. most articles indicate when they were accepted for publication on the first page of the study.

environmental variables

are a type of extraneous variable that compose the setting in which the study is conducted. examples include: climate, family, healthcare system, and governmental organizations. in qualitative and some quantitative studies, little or no attempt is made to control extraneous variable. the intent is to study subjects in their natural environment without controlling or altering that setting or situation. the environmental variables in quasi-experimental or experimental research can be controlled by using a laboratory setting or a specially constructed research unit in a hospital. environmental control is an extremely important part of conducting an experimental study.

demographic variables

are attributes of subjects that are collected to describe the sample. they are identified by the researcher when a proposal is developed for conducting a study. some common ones are age, education, gender, ethnic origin (race), marital status, income, job classification, and medical diagnosis.

clinical journals

are periodicals that include research reports and non-research articles about practice problems and professional issues.

variables

are qualities, properties or characteristics of persons, things or situations that change or vary. they should be concisely defined to promote their measurement or manipulation within quantitative or outcome studies. research concepts are usually studied in qualitative research and are at higher levels of abstraction than variables. Types: independent, dependent, research and extraneous variables

replication studies

are reproductions or repetitions of a study that researchers conduct to determine whether the findings of the original study could be found consistently in different settings and with different subjects. they are important to build the evidence for practice. a replication study that supports the findings of the original study increases the creditability of the findings and strengthens the evidence for practice. one that does not support the original findings raises questions about the creditability of the findings.

landmark studies

are significant research projects that have generated knowledge that influences a discipline and sometimes society as a whole. AKA groundbreaking study.

concepts

are terms that abstractly describe and name an object, idea, experience or phenomenon, thus providing it with a separate identity or meaning. concepts are defined in a particular way to present the ideas relevant to a theory.

seminal studies

are the first studies on a particular topic that signaled the beginning of a new way of thinking on the topic and sometimes are referred to as classical studies.

theories

are the ideas and knowledge of science. they guide nurses in clinical practice and in conducting research. the theory on which the study is based is expressed as the framework for the study. used to organize bodies of knowledge and establish what is known as a phenomenon. they are abstract rather than concrete. concepts are the building blocks and relational statements indicate how the concepts are connected.

current sources

are those published w/in the last 5 years before publication of the manuscript.

relevant studies

are those with a direct bearing on the problem of concern

Comprehending a source

begins by reading and focusing on understanding the main points of the article or other sources highlight or make notes in the margins. the theory articles you might make note of concepts, definitions and relationships among concepts. for a research article, the research problem, purpose, framework, major variables, study design, sample size, measurement methods, data collection, analytical techniques, results and findings are usually highlighted.

background for a problem

briefly identifies what we know about the problem area

empirical literature

in this context refers to knowledge derived from research (the knowledge is based on data from research).

research concepts

include the ideas, experiences, situations, or events that are investigated in qualitative research.

Preparing to review the literature

clarify the purpose of the literature review: your approach to reviewing the literature will vary according to the purpose of the review. these reviews will vary depending on the level of educational program, purpose of the assignment, and expectations of the instructor. USUALLY the focus of course assignment literature reviews will be a summary of information on the selected topic and the implications of the information for clinical practice. another reason for lit review is to examine the strength of the evidence and synthesize the evidence related to a practice problem. EBP guidelines are developed through the synthesis of the literature on the clinical problem. the purpose of the lit review is to identify all studies that included a particular intervention, critically appraise the quality of each study, synthesize all the studies and draw conclusions about the effectiveness of a particular intervention. select electronic databases and search terms: general search engines such as google, google scholar and yahoo will identify scholarly publications, but they will often be older and not current. to find current literature, learn to use computerized BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATABASES such as CINHAL and Science Direct. Narrow your search with keywords (are terms that serve as labels for publications on a topic). when you find one article on your topic, look under the abstract to determine whether your search terms are listed.

data based literature

consists of reports of research and includes published studies, usually in journals, on the internet, or books, and unpublished studies, such as master theses and doctoral dissertations.

purpose of different types of research

descriptive research: to identify and describe concepts or variables, identify possible relationships among variables and delineate differences between or among existing groups. correlational research: to examine the type (positive or negative) and strength of relationships among variables. quasi-experimental studies: conducted to determine the effects of a treatment or independent variable on designated dependent or outcome variables. experimental studies: conducted in highly controlled settings, using a highly structured design to determine the effect of one or more independent variables on one or more dependent variables.

extraneous variables

exist in all studies and can affect the measurement of study variables and the relationships among these variables. are of primary concern in quantitative studies because they can interfere with obtaining a clear understanding of the relational or causal dynamics within these studies. classified as recognized or unrecognized and controlled or uncontrolled.

confounding variables

extraneous variables that are not recognized until the study is in process, or are recognized before the study is initiated but cannot be controlled. they are a design weakness and can hinder the interpretation of findings. as control in correlational, quasi-experimental and experimental studies decreases, the potential influence of confounding variables increases.

digital object identifiers (DOI)

have become standard for the International Standards Organization. DOI "provides a means of persistent identification for managing information on digital networks. CrossRef is a registration agency for DOI's so that citations can be linked across databases and disciplines.

Healthy people 2020

identifies and prioritizes the health topics and objectives of all age groups over the next decade. these topics and objectives direct future research in the areas of health promotion, illness prevention, illness management and rehabilitation.

the problem statement

identifies the specific gap in knowledge needed for practice. not all studies have a clear problem, but the problem can usually be identified in the first page of the report

theoretical literature

includes concept analyses, models, theories and conceptual frameworks that support a selected research problem and purpose. theoretical sources can be found in books, periodicals and monographs

research question

is a clear, concise interrogative statement that is worded in the present tense, includes one or more variables, and is expressed to guide the implementation of studies. the foci of research questions in quantitative studies are description of variable, examination of relationships among variables, use of independent variables to predict dependent variable, and determination of differences between 2 or more groups regarding selected variables. research questions are usually narrowly focused and inclusive of the study variables and population. research questions directing qualitative studies are often limited in number, broadly focused and inclusive of variables or concepts that are more complex and abstract than those of quantitative studies. the specific study questions formulated are very important for the selection of the qualitative research method to be used to conduct the study.

research purpose

is a clear, concise statement of the specific goal or focus of a study. in quantitative and outcome studies, the goal of the study might be to identify, describe or examine relationships in a situation, examine the effectiveness of an intervention, or determine the outcomes of health care. in qualitative studies, the purpose might be to explore perceptions of a phenomenon, describe elements of a culture, develop a theory of a health situation or issue, or describe historical trends or patterns. the purpose includes the variables or concepts, the population, and often the setting for the study.

Research objective or aim

is a clear, concise, declarative statement expressed in the present tense the objectives are sometimes referred to as aims and are generally used in descriptive and correlational quantitative studies. for clarity, an objective or aim usually focuses on one or two variables and indicates whether they are to be identified or described. in a published study, the objectives, questions or hypotheses usually are presented after the literature review section and right before the methods section. qualitative research is most appropriate when the focus of the study is to obtain a personal perspective of a situation, experience or event. research objectives or aims formulated for quantitative or qualitative studies have some similarities because they focus on exploration, description and determination of relationships. However, the objectives directing qualitative studies are commonly broader in focus and include concepts that are more complex and abstract than those of quantitative studies. the aims or objectives in qualitative studies focus on obtaining a holistic, comprehensive understanding of the area of study.

hypothesis

is a formal statement of the expected relationship(s) between 2 or more variables in a specified population. the hypothesis translates the research problem and purpose into a clear explanation or prediction of the expected results or outcomes of a selected quantitative and outcome studies. a clearly states hypothesis includes the variables to be manipulated or measured, identifies the population to be examined and indicates the proposed outcomes for the study. quasi-experimental and experimental quantitative studies are conducted to test the effectiveness of a treatment or intervention; these types of studies should include hypotheses to predict the study outcomes.

article

is a paper about a specific topic and may be published together with other articles or similar theses in journals (periodicals), encyclopedias, or edited books. as part of an edited book, articles may be called chapters

thesis

is a report of a research project completed by a post graduate student as part of the requirements for a master's degree

dissertation

is a report of an extensive, sometimes original, research project that is completed as the final requirement for a doctoral degree.

conclusion

is a statement about the state of knowledge in relation to the topic area

literature

is all written sources relevant to the topic you have selected, including articles published in periodicals or journals, internet publications, monographs, encyclopedias, conference papers, theses, dissertations, clinical journals, textbooks and other books. websites and reports developed by govt agencies and professional organizations are also included. each source reviewed by the author and used to write the review is cited.

research problem

is an area of concern in which there is a gap in the knowledge needed for nursing practice. research is required to generate essential knowledge to address the practice concern, with the ultimate goal of providing evidence based nursing care. when critically appraising the significance of the problem and purpose in a published study, you need to determine whether the knowledge generated in the study 1. influences nursing practice 2. builds on previous research 3. promotes theory testing or development and/or 4. addresses current concerns or priorities in nursing

encyclopedia

is an authoritative compilation of information on alphabetized topics that may provide background information and lead to other sources, but is rarely cited in academic papers and publications.

independent variable

is an intervention that is manipulated or varied by the researchers to create and effect on the dependent variable. also called an intervention, treatment, or experimental variable in predictive correlational studies, the variables measured to predict a single dependent variable are also called independent variables.

exploratory-descriptive qualitative research

is being conducted by several qualitative researchers to describe unique issues, health problems, or situations that lack clear description or definition. this type of research often provides the basis for future qualitative and quantitative research.

value of a hypothesis

is ultimately derived from whether it is testable in the real world

review of literature in quantitative research

is conducted to direct the planning and execution of a study. the major lit review is performed at the beginning of the research process (before the study is conducted). a limited review is conducted after the study is completed to identify studies published since the original lit review, especially if it has been 1 year or longer since the study began. the results of both reviews are included in the research report. the purpose of the lit review is similar for the different types of quantitative studies-descriptive, correlational, quasi-experimental and experimental.

outcomes research

is conducted to examine the end results of care.

phenomenological research

is conducted to promote a deeper understanding of complex human experiences as they have been lived the by the study participants.

theory

is defined as a set of concepts and statements that present a view of a phenomenon

operational definition

is derived from a set of procedures or progressive acts that a researcher performs to receive sensory impressions that indicate the existence or degree of existence of a variable. need to independent of time and settings to that variables can be investigated at different times and in different settings using the same operational definitions. is developed so that a variable can be measured or manipulated in a concrete situation.

feasibility of a study

is determined by examining the researchers' expertise; money commitment; availability of subjects, facilities and equipment; and the study's ethical considerations.

reference

is documentation of the origin of the cited quote or paraphrased idea and provides enough information for the reader to locate the original material. typically the original author's name, year and title of the publication, and if necessary, periodical or monograph title, volume, pages and other location information as required by standard style writing manuals. APA is commonly used in nursing education programs and journals.

World Health Organization (WHO)

is encouraging the identification of priorities for a common nursing research agenda among countries. a quality healthcare delivery system and improved patient and family health have become global goals. their priorities: Improve the health of the world's most marginalized populations Study new diseases that threaten public health around the world Conduct comparative analysis of supply and demand of the health workforce of different countries Analyze the feasibility, effectiveness, and quality of education and practice of nurses Conduct research on healthcare delivery modes Examine the outcomes for healthcare agencies, providers and patients around the world

testable hypothesis

is one that clearly predicts the relationships among variables and contains variables that are measurable or able to be manipulated in a study. the independent variable must be clearly defined, often by a protocol, so that it can be implemented precisely and consistently as and intervention in a study. the dependent variable must be clearly defined to indicate how it will be precisely nd accurately measured. a testable hypothesis also needs to predict a relationship that can be "supported" or "not supported", as indicated by the data collected and analyzed. if the hypothesis states an associative relationship, correlational analysis are conducted on the data to determine the existence, type and strength of the relationship between the variables studied. it is the statistical or null hypothesis that is tested to determine whether the independent variable produced a significant effect on the dependent variable. Hypotheses should not identify methodological points, such as techniques of sampling, measurement and data analysis. hypotheses also need to reflect the variables and population outlined in the research purpose.

citation

is the act of quoting a source, paraphrasing content from a source, using it as an example, or presenting it as support for a position taken. each citation should have a corresponding reference in the reference list.

phenomenon (phenomena)

is the appearance, objects and aspects of reality as we experience them.

dependent variable

is the outcome that the researcher wants to predict or explain. changes in the dependent variable are presumed to be caused by the independent variable.

review of literature

is the process of finding relevant research reports, critically appraising the studies and synthesizing the study results. the written description of the literature that results from the process is also called a review of the literature. literature reviews in published research reports provide the background for the problem studied. such reviews include: 1. describing the current knowledge of a practice problem 2. identifying the gaps in this knowledge base 3. explaining how the study being reported contributed to building knowledge in this area. the scope must be broad enough to allow the reader to become familiar with the research problem and narrow enough to include only the most relevant sources

National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)

significant funding agency for nursing research. a major initiative of the NINR is the development of a nation nursing research agenda that involves identifying nursing research priorities, outlining a plan for implementing priority studies and obtaining resources to support these priority projects. To advance the science of health, NINR will invest in research to: Enhance health promotion and disease prevention Improve quality of life by managing symptoms of acute and chronic illness Improve palliative and end of life care Enhance innovation in science and practice Develop the next generation of nurse scientists

promotes theory testing or development

significant problems and purposes in quantitative studies are supported by theory, and often the focus of these studies is theory testing. the focus of qualitative studies is often on developing theory.

influences nursing practice

studies that address clinical concerns and generate findings to improve nursing practice are considered significant. these types of practice focused studies often have the potential to improve the quality of nursing care provided, promote healthy patient and family outcomes, decrease morbidity and mortality, and reduce the cost of care. the ULTIMATE GOAL is providing evidence based practice so that nursing care is based on the most current research.

monograph

such as a book on a specific subject, a record of conference proceedings or a pamphlet, usually is a one time publication.

periodical

such as a journal is published over time and is numbered sequentially for the years published. this sequential numbering is seen in the year, volume, issue and page numbering of a journal.

secondary source

summarizes or quotes content from primary sources. authors of secondary sources paraphrase the works of researchers and theorists and present their interpretation of what was written by the primary author. secondary sources are used only if primary sources cannot be located, or the secondary source provides creative ideas or a unique organization of info not found in a primary source.

literature review in qualitative research

the intro will be similar to the same in the quantitative study report because the researchers document the background and significance of the research problem. they often include citations to support the need to study the selected topic. addt'l review of literature may not be cited for 2 reasons: 1. qualitative studies are often conducted on topics about which we know very little, so little literature is available for review, 2. some qualitative researchers deliberately do not review the literature deeply prior to conducting the study because they do not want their expectations about the topic to bias their data collections, data analysis and findings. in the methods, results and discussion sections, qualitative researchers will incorporate literature to support the use of specific methods and place the findings in the context of what is already known. phenomenologists are among those who are likely to delay lit review until after data collection and initial analysis have been completed. grounded theory researchers include a minimal review of relevant studies at the beginning of the research process. this review is merely a means of making the researcher aware of what studies have been conducted and that a research problem exists. the researchers uses the literature primarily to explain, support and extend the theory generated in the study. ethnographic research lit review is similar to that in quantitative research. theoretical and philosophical literature was and continues to be used to provide a framework or perspective through which researchers approach data collection. their research problem is based on a review of the lit that identifies how little is known about the culture of interest. the review also informs the research process by providing a general understanding of the cultural characteristic to be examined. exploratory-descriptive qualitative and historical approaches may be conducting the study because they have reviewed the literature and found that little knowledge is available. E-DQ researchers want to understand a situation or practice problem better so solutions can be identified. Historical researchers conduct an initial review of current literature and identify an event or time in history about which little is known and that has possible implications for nursing and healthcare today. the researchers develop an inventory of sources, locate these sources and examine them. b/c historical research requires an extensive review of literature that is sometimes difficult to locate, the researcher can spend months and even years locating and examining the sources.