Nursing Research Chapter 3

The Building Blocks of Research:

1. The faces and places of Research: When researchers address a problem or answer a
question through disciplined research-regardless of the underlying paradigm-they are doing
a study (or an investigation or research project). Studies with humans involve two sets of
people: 1) those that do the research, 2) those who provide the information.
2. The people who provide information to researchers (investigators) in a study are referred
to as subjects, study participants or respondents in quantitative research or study
participants or informants in qualitative research; collectively they comprise the sample.

Please, see below the box

Key term used in Quantitative and qualitative research:

CONCEPT QUANTITATIVE TERM QUALITATIVE TERM

Person Contributing Subject. -
Information Study Participant Study participants.
Respondent Informant, key informant
Person undertaking the Researcher Researcher
Study Investigator. Investigator
Scientist -
That Which is Being - Phenomena
Investigated Concept Concepts.
Contructs -
Variables -
System of Organizing Theory, theorical framework. Theory
Concepts Conceptual framework, Conceptual framework,
conceptual model. sensitizing framework.
Information Gathered Data (numeric value) Data (narrative descriptions)
Connections Between Relationships (cause-and- Patterns of association
Concepts effect, functional).
Logical Reasoning Processes Deductive reasoning Inductive reasoning

3. Research can be undertaken in a variety of Settings (the specific places where information’s
is gathered) and in one or more site. Some studies take places in Naturalistic Settings in
the field; at the other extreme, some studies are done in highly controlled laboratory
settings. The site is overall location for research; researchers sometimes engage and
multisite studies. Settings are the more specific places where data collection will occur.
Setting for nursing research can range from totally naturalistic environments to formal
laboratories.

Phenomena, Concepts and Contructs:

4. Researchers investigate concepts and phenomena (or constructs), which are abstraction or
mental representations inferred from behavior or characteristics. For example, the terms
pain, spiritual, and resilience are all abstractions of particular aspects of human behavior
and characteristic.
5. Research may also use the term contruct. As with a concept, a construct refers to an
abstraction or mental representation inferred from situations or behaviors.

Theories and Conceptual Models:

6. Concepts are the building block of theories, which are systemic explanations’ of some
aspect of the real world. In Quantitative study, researchers often start with a theory or a
conceptual model and using deductive reasoning, make predictions about how phenomena
behave in real world if theory were true.

Variables:

7. In Quantitative studies, concepts are called variables. A variable is a characteristic or quality

that takes on different values (i.e., varies from one person or object to another). The
dependent (or outcome) variable is the behavior, characteristic, or outcome the researcher
is interested in understanding, explaining, predicting, or affecting. The independent
variable is the presumed cause of, antecedent to, or influence on the dependent variable.
The dependent (or outcome) variable is the behavior, characteristic, or outcome the
researcher is interested in understanding, explaining, predicting, or affecting. The
independent variable is the presumed cause of, antecedent to, or influence on the
dependent variable.

Conceptual and Operational Definitions:

8. Two Types of definition are relevant in a study conceptual and operational. A Conceptual
definition describes the abstract or theoretical meaning of the concepts being studied. An
Operational definition specifies the procedures required to measure a variable. A
Conceptual definition describes the abstract or theoretical meaning of the concepts being
studied. An Operational definition specifies the procedures required to measure a variable.

Data:

9. Data- the informant collected during the course of a study – may take the form of narrative
information (qualitative data) or numeric value (quantitative data).

Relationships:

10. A Relationship is bond or connection (a pattern of association) between two variables.

Quantitative researchers examine the relationships between the independent variables and
dependent variables. When the independent variable causes or affects the dependent
variable, the relationships is a cause and effect (Causal) relationship. In a functional or
associative relationship, variable are related in non causal way.
Next to Summary Chapter 3

1. A basic distinction in quantitative studies is between Experimental research, in which

researchers actively intervene and Non experimental (or Observation) researcher, in
which researchers make observations of existing phenomena without intervening.
2. In Quantitative studies, researchers move from beginning point of a study (the posing of a
question) to the end point (the obtaining of an answer) in a reasonably liner sequence o
steps that is broadly similar across studies.
3. The Conceptual Phase involves: (1) defining the problem to be studied: Quantitative
researchers begin by identifying an interesting, significant research problem and
formulating good research question. (2) Doing a literature review: Quantitative researchers
is typically strive to understand what is already know about a topic by undertaking a
thorough literature review before any data are collected. (3) Engaging in clinical fieldwork
for clinic studies: Researchers embarking on a clinical study often benefit from spending
time in appropriate clinical settings, discussing the topic with clinicians and health care
administrator, and observing current practice. (4) Developing a framework and conceptual
definitions: When quantitative research is performed within the context of a conceptual
frame-work, the findings may have broader significance and utility. (5) Formulating
Hypotheses to be tested: Hypotheses state researcher’s expectations about relationships
among study variables. Hypotheses are predictions of expected outcomes.
4. The Planning Phase entails ; (6) Selecting a research design: The research design is overall
plan of obtaining answer to the questions being studied and for handling various challenges
to the worth of the study evidence. (7) Developing intervention protocols if the study is
experimental: An Intervention protocol for the study would need to developed, specifying
exactly what the intervention will entail (e.g. who would administer it, how frequently and
over how long a period of treatment would last, and so on) and what the alternative
condition would be. (8) Specifying the population: A Population is all individuals or object
with common, defining characteristic. (9) Developing a sample plan: Researchers voicall
collect data from a sample, which is a subset of the population. (10) Specifying methods to
measure the research variables; A Variety of quantitative data collection approaches exist;
the primary methods are self-report (e.g. interview), observations (e.g. observing children
behavior), and bio physiology measurements. (11) Developing strategies to safeguard the
rights of subject; Most nursing research involves human subject, although some involve
animals. (12) Finalizing the research plan (e.g. conferring with colleagues, pretesting
instrument).
5. The Empirical Phase involves ; (13) Collecting data: The actual collection of data in
quantitative study often proceeds according to a preliminary steps are needed.(14)
Preparing data for analysis (e.g. coding data).
6. The Analytic Phase involves; (15) analyzing data through statistical analysis: Quantitative
information is analyzed through statically analyses, which include some simple procedures
(e.g. computing an average) as well as complex and sophisticated methods. (16)
 Interpreting the result: Interpretation is the process of making sense of study result and
examining their implications.

The Dissemination Phase entails; (17) communicating the findings: Another and often final task
of research project, therefore, is the preparation of a research report that can be share with
others. (18) Efforts to promote the use of the study evidence in nursing practice: Ideally, the
concluding step of a high quality study is to plan for its use in practice settings.

MAJOR STEPS IN A QUANTITATIVE STUDY

1. Formulating and delimiting the problem.
2. Reviewing the related literature.
PHASE 1: THE CONCEPTS PHASE 3. Undertaking clinical fieldwork.
4. Defining the framework/ developing
conceptual definitions.
5. Formulating hypotheses.
6. Selecting a research design
PHASE 2: THE SIGN AND PLANNING 7. Developing intervention protocols.
PHASE 8. Identifying the population
9. Designing the sampling plan
10. Specifying methods to measure research
variables
11. Developing methods to safeguard subjects
12. Finalizing the research plan.
PHASE 3: THE EMPERICAL PHASE 13. Collecting the data
14. Preparing the data analysis
PHASE 4: THE ANALYTIC PHASE 15. Analyzing the data
16. Interpreting the result.
PHASE 5: THE DESSEMINATION 17. Communicating the findings.
PHASE 18. Utilizing the findings in practice.

 Reference: Denise F. Polit., et.al. (2010). Essentials of Nursing

Research, seventh edition, Wolters Kluwer, Lippincott Williams &
Wilkins.