Research Chapter 3: Key Concepts and Steps in Quantitative and Qualitative Research

What is the best description of a dependent variable? Outcome being measured A person's gender Presumed cause Measurements performed

Outcome being measured Rationale: The dependent variable is the presumed effect or outcome of an independent variable (the presumed cause). Gender typically is a categorical variable. The operations (measurements) to be performed for data collection refer to the operational definition of a variable.

Phases in a Quantitative Study

Phase 1: Conceptual Phase Phase 2: Design and Planning Phase Phase 3: Empirical Phase Phase 4: Analytic Phase Phase 5: Dissemination Phase

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Major Steps in a Quantitative Study Phase 3: Empirical Phase

Step 13: Collecting the data Step 14: Preparing data for analysis (e.g., coding the data)

Major Steps in a Quantitative Study Phase 4: Analytic Phase

Step 15: Analyzing the data (through statistical analysis) Step 16: Interpreting results

Major Steps in a Quantitative Study Phase 5: Dissemination Phase

Step 17: Communicating the findings in a research report (e.g., in a journal article) Step 18: Putting the evidence into practice

Major Steps in a Quantitative Study Phase 1: Conceptual Phase

Step 1: Formulating/delimiting the problem Step 2: Reviewing related literature Step 3: Undertaking clinical fieldwork Step 4: Defining the framework and developing conceptual definitions Step 5: Formulating hypotheses

Researchers actively introduce an intervention or treatment most often to address therapy questions. Called clinical trials in medical research

experimental research

researchers actively introduce an intervention or treatment

experimental research

knit concepts into a coherent system that purports to explain phenomena

theories

an explanation of some aspect of reality

theory

A characteristic or quality that takes on different values, that is, that varies from one person to the next

variable

in quantitative studies, concepts are usually called ___

variables

the people who are being studied

subjects or study participants

Activities in a Qualitative Study

- Conceptualizing and planning the study -Identifying the research problem -Doing a literature review -Selecting sites and gaining entrée -Developing an overall approach -Addressing ethical issues - Conducting the study: undertaking iterative activities through emergent design -Making sampling decisions -Deciding what questions to ask -Collecting data -Evaluating integrity and quality -Analyzing and interpreting data -Making new decisions

Clinical trials are an example of observational research in medicine. True False

False Rationale: Clinical trials are a form of experimental research in medicine. Observational research is nonexperimental research in medicine.

Researchers involved in quantitative research commonly engage in fieldwork. True False

False Rationale: Researchers engage in fieldwork when performing qualitative studies.

Which action would be performed first when designing and planning a quantitative study? -Developing intervention protocols -Identifying the population -Designing the sampling plan -Formulating a research design

Formulating a research design Rationale: The first step in designing and planning a quantitative study is formulating a research design. This is followed by developing intervention protocols, identifying the population, and designing the sampling plan.

Major Steps in a Quantitative Study Phase 2: Design and Planning Phase

Step 6: Selecting a research design Step 7: Developing intervention protocols Step 8: Identifying the population Step 9: Designing the sampling plan Step 10: Specifying methods to measure variables and collect data Step 11: Developing methods to protect human/animal rights Step 12: Reviewing and finalizing the research plan

A nurse researcher is conducting a quantitative study to determine protocols for triaging patients in the emergency department. Which term is generally associated with this type of research? -Phenomena -Subject -Pattern of association -Inductive reasoning

Subject Rationale. The person contributing information in a quantitative study is called the subject. In the qualitative study, this person is called the study participant, informant, or key informant. That which is investigated is called a concept in quantitative studies and concept or phenomena in qualitative studies. Pattern of association and inductive reasoning are qualitative terms. Relationships and deductive reasoning are quantitative terms.

What is an example of a question that researchers ask when using phenomenology during qualitative research? - What is the meaning of the phenomenon experienced by the people? - What are the psychological phases that characterize a particular event? - What are the patterns and lifeways of a defined cultural group? - What is the core variable that explains what is happening in the social scene?

What is the meaning of the phenomenon experienced by the people? Rationale: The phenomenological researcher asks the questions What is the essence of this phenomenon as experienced by these people? or What is the meaning of the phenomenon to those who experience it? The focus of most grounded theory studies is on a developing social experience—the social and psychological phases that characterize a particular event or episode. Ethnography provides a framework for studying the patterns and lifeways of a defined cultural group in a holistic fashion.

primary research tradition in anthropology, provides framework for studying the patterns and life ways of a defined cultural group in a holistic fashion

ethnography

the overall location for a study (e.g., Portland)

study site

variables can be related to one another in different ways, including ___

cause-and-effect relationships (or causal relationships)

ex of a cause and effect relationship

cigarette smoking and lung cancer

in medical and epidemiological research, experimental studies are usually called ______

clinical trials

abstractions of particular aspects of human behavior or characteristics (e.g., pain, weight)

concepts

phenomena aka

concepts

the abstract or theoretical meaning of a concept being studied

conceptual

theoretical meaning of a concept

conceptual definition

slightly more complex abstractions (e.g., self-care) For example, self-care in Orem's model of health maintenance is a ______

construct

people being studied or cooperating in study

study subject or participant

the pieces of information researchers collect in a study

data

the presumed effect (of an independent variable)

dependent variable

presumed effect

dependent variable (DV) or outcome variable

IV and DV terms can be used to indicate ____ rather than cause and effect

direction of influence

Focuses on the patterns and lifeways of a cultural group

ethnographic research

ex of associative relationship

gender and life expectancy

the ____ tradition seeks to describe and understand key social psychological processes

grounded theory

theory that Seeks to understand key social psychological processes

grounded theory research

state researchers expectations about relationships between study variables

hypothesis

the presumed cause (of a dependent variable)

independent variable

presumed cause

independent variable (IV)

tend to yield more diverse group of study participants, potentially enhancing generalizability of findings

multisite studies

Qualitative researchers collect ___ data

narrative (verbal)

Researchers collect data without intervening or introducing treatments. Called observational studies in medical research

non experimental research

researchers are bystanders who collect data without introducing treatments

non experimental research

Quantitative researchers collect ____ data

numeric (quantitative)

in medical and epidemiological research, nonexperimental studies are usually called

observational studies

the operations (measurements) a researcher must perform to measure the concept and collect the desired information

operational

indicates what the researchers specifically must do to measure the concept and collect information needed

operational definition

Focuses on the lived experiences of humans

phenomenological research

concerned with the lived experiences of humans

phenomenology

all the individuals or objects with common, defining characteristics

population

narrative descriptions

qualitative data

Qualitative researchers may seek patterns of association as a way of illuminating the underlying meaning and dimensionality of phenomena of interest

qualitative study of pattern

the term variable is used almost exclusively in _____ research

quantitative

information in numeric form

quantitative data

bond or connection between variables

relationship

connection between phenomena

relationship

the overall plan for obtaining answers to research questions

research design

subset of the population from which researchers collect data

sample

__ occurs when participants accounts about their experiences become redundant, such that no new information can be gleaned by further data collection

saturation

quantitative data are analyzed through _____ which include simple procedures as well as more complex, sophisticated methods

statistical analyses