CHAPTER 5:

COMPONENTS OF NURSING RESEARCH

1. Title of the Study
- The title of the study gives a 5. Assumptions
general idea of what the These are statements or
research study is all about. assumptions taken for granted or
- Should not be more than 15 are considered true even if they
words. have yet to be proven scientifically.

2. Introduction or Background of a. Universal Assumptions

the study They are beliefs taken as true by most
This section presents a brief people
discussion of the rationale and
background of the problem or b. Study Assumptions
subject of inquiry. These are assertions made by
researchers.
The introduction part includes the
following: c. Theory or Research-Based
a. The context of the problem and its Assumptions
historical background; These are assumptions derived by
b. Authoritative viewpoints on the previous research.
problem;
c. The researcher’s interest in working 6. Definition of Terms
on the problem; Facilitates better understanding of
d. The purpose of the study in relation the study.
to the problem.
Reasons for defining the
variables:
3. Statement of the Problem • To guide and direct the
The problem refers to the question researcher
that the research seeks to answer. • To ensure clarity of the
meaning of the variables
4. The Purpose of the Study • Direct the reader into
Should describe the intent of the the meaning of the word
inquiry and the rationale for it.
Types of Definitions
Good research objectives have the a. Conceptual Definition
following characteristics: Alphabetical, title itself
Sources: Dictionary, Related Literature,
S – Specific Authoritative sources.
M – Measurable
A – Attainable
R – Realistic and results b. Operational Definition
oriented
T – Time-bound
E – Evidenced-based
R – Rewarding
 Researcher’s own definition of restrictions in the study that may decrease
terms as used in the study. the credibility and generalizability of the
findings over which no one has any
Kinds of Operational Definitions control.
1. Denotative Definition variables or
concepts are defined in terms of a. issues
what the concept is or what it b. scope or coverage of areas of concern
represents. c. respondents
2. Connotative Definition variables d. time frame
are defined according to e. type of data
implications or associations one
might make with the variable.
CHAPTER 6
c. Lexical Definitions or Definitions RESEARCH PROBLEM AND ITS VARIABLES
from Authoritative Sources
Definitions from previous studies. PROBLEM and PURPOSE
Problem- question or difficulty that the
study seeks to solve.
7. Significance of the Study the Purpose- the outcome being intended
researcher should cite the
importance, responsiveness or Sources of Problems
relevance of the expected outcomes 1. Fields of Specialization
of the investigation and its probable 2. Instructional Programs;
effects on a nursing theory, 3. Reading programs. Literature
education and practice. (previous research studies)
4. Organizational Structure
Beneficiaries of research studies in nursing 5. New Technologies
include the following sectors: 6. Conflicting Ideas and Ideals
7. Journals, books, theses or
a. Nursing profession dissertations and mass media
b. The public 8. Theories and Principles
c. The nursing service 9. Problems Areas in Nursing such as
d. Nursing education the following:

e. Nursing practitioners • Administration

f. Nursing students • Clinical specialization
g. Hospital administrators
h. Future researchers 10. Problem situations and issues
11. Suggestions of Experts and
Scope and Delimitations the researchers Authorities
must be aware of and should be
categorically state certain constraints or
Criteria for Choice of Research 1. Originality- relatively new,
Problems untapped or rarely tapped
A. External Criteria 2. Significance- established priorities
1. Significance or Novelty of the in the nursing profession.
Problem- “newness”. Problem is 3. Manageability- nature and scope of
worth studying the study.
2. Problem Researchability- scope of 4. Measurability- time-bound
which are specific and well-defined. 5. Resource Availability- human,
3. Feasibility of the Problem – the material, physical and fiscal
potential research ability of the resources
problem which makes it a good
subject for scientific inquiry.
a. Time Tips for Discovering and Identifying a
b. Availability of Subjects Problem
c. Institutional/ Administrative Control 1. Reading a lot of literature
and Support Group 2. Attending professional lectures
d. Research Resources- special 3. Close observation of situations
equipment and facilities 4. Contemplating the possibility of
e. Fiscal Resources- funds research for most topics or lessons
f. Capability of the Researcher within taken in content courses
the filed 5. Conducting and compiling
g. Ethical considerations- not pose researches with special emphasis
unethical demands. on content and methodology
6. Visiting various libraries
B. Internal Criteria 7. Subscribing professional journals
1. Motivation, Interest, Intellectual 8. Building up a library of materials in
Curiosity, Perceptiveness nursing
2. Experiences, Training and
Professional Qualifications RESEARCH VARIABLES
3. Time management Variables are measurable qualities,
4. Cost and Returns properties, or characteristics of people,
5. Hazards, Penalties and things, events or situations under study
Handicaps- this could come up that vary from one subject to another.
during the pursuit of any
scientific work, which the Characteristics of variables
researcher should be capable - Two or more mutually exclusive
enough to cope with values
intellectually, morally and - Varying factors affecting the
materially. phenomenon
- Qualities of people
Characteristics and Qualities of
Researchable Problems
 - Heterogenous when the a review of literature pertains to all
attributes of a group are readings related to the study while review
extremely varied of related studies refers to data-based
- Homogenous researches or theses and dissertations.

Kinds of Variables What is Literature Review?

A. Explanatory Variables- Literature review is a collection of pertinent
phenomenon under study readings, published or unpublished data-
based research reports or article, in local
Types of Explanatory Variables or foreign settings.
1. Independent variable-
experimental, treatment, casual or Types of Related Literature
stimulus variables 1. Conceptual or Theoretical Literature
2. Dependent variable- criterion, 2. Research or Empirical Lietrature
effect, response or outcome (data-based literature)
variable
3. Intervening variable- correlated or Purpose or Related Literature and
mediator variables Studies
4. Moderator variable 1. It demonstrate the researcher’s
comprehensive grasp
B. Extraneous or Exogenous 2. It reflects the researcher’s
Variables awareness
1. Organismic Variables- 3. The researcher gains a crucial
physiological, psychological and frame of reference
demographic factors 4. Researcher is able to determine
2. Environmental Variables where the previous study has ended
5. Discovers findings of previous
C. Abstract or Continuous researches
Variables- factors that have 6. Researcher determine the
different values researchability
D. Dichotomous Variables- only two 7. Researcher is also able to identify
values the following areas of concern:
E. Active Variables- researcher • Appropriate research methods
creates and/ or manipulates • Source of effective procedure
F. Attribute Variables- pre-existing • Clues on the sequence of research
characteristics of the subjects. activities
Researcher simply observes and • Provides clues on how to ensure
measures. the accuracy and effectiveness of
data analysis
CHAPTER 7 • Serve as a connecting link
REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND STUDIES • Defines terms
 • Promotes critical thinking and b. Quoting
critical reading skills c. Paraphrasing
Categories and Sources of Materials for d. Acknowledging sources-
Literature information, cross reference
Review e. Cite References
1. Primary sources- information f. See Reference
taken directly from the original g. See also reference
research or author of the reference 8. Ways to cite sources of literature
material/ a. Footnotes- bottom of the page
b. Endnotes- end of the sentence
a. Data-based Material or Research c. American Psychological
Literature Association (APA) style
b. Referred Journals
c. Nursing Theories
d. Ideas from other sources • Single author
e. Empirical studies • Two authors
• Print sources
2. Secondary Sources- review are • Internet: Online
taken from a researcher or an Electronic Databases
author who cited the original author 9. Synthesize
in his work. 10. Take note of the Fallacies in the
Literature Review
a. Replications- a form of
triangulation; multiple sources
b. Thesis Review CHAPTER 8
c. Review of Related Research THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
d. Thesis Critique
e. Thesis Abstract What is Theory?
Theory comes from the Greek word
Locating and Preparing the Literature “theoria” which means a beholding
1. Determine the concept/ issue/ topic spectacle or speculation.
or problem
2. Identify terms or variables Theory is a statement that is much broader
3. Visit the library and gather pertinent and complex than “fact”
materials
4. Organize the review and weed out Characteristics of Theory
irrelevant 1. It consists of a Set of Concepts-
5. Retrieve relevant sources Concepts. The building block of
6. Critically read each source theory
7. Note-taking and Documentation a. Enumerative Concepts
a. Summarizing- shortened and b. Associative Concepts
expressed briefly c. Relational Concepts
 d. Statistical Concepts 6. Theory development occurs if
e. Summative Concepts new evidence or observations
undermine a previously accepted
In dealing with concepts, the following theory
processes are considered: 7. Theory is integral to research.
a. Conceptualization- process of
forming basic ideas Purpose of Theories
b. Fact 1. Theories summarize existing
c. Constructs knowledge
d. Conceptual Framework 2. Theories explain or interpret
e. Theoretical Framework observations as well as predict and
control outcomes
2. Proposition- a statement or 3. Theories stimulate the effort of
assertion of the relationship making new discoveries
between concepts
3. Conceptual Paradigm and Evaluating a Theory
Conceptual Models 1. Internal Criteria
Paradigm. Represents global issues about a. Semantic and structural
individuals, groups, situations and events clarity (how clear is the theory?)
of interest to the profession. b. Semantic and structural
simplicity (how simple is the
Conceptual Paradigm. Visually presents theory?)
and interprets the underlying theory. c. Generalizability (how broad is
the theory?)
- A diagram or a picture that d. Empirical precision (how
represents the structure and accessible is the theory?)
parts of a theory. e. Derivable consequences (how
important is the theory?)
Model. Symbolic representation of a f. Complexity and parsimony
phenomenon or phenomena using few (how accurate is the theory?)
words to express its meanings that can be Examines the relationship
easily understood. among many variables, while
parsimony is the decision criteria
Types of models that when two or more
a. Conceptual Models theoretically sound solutions
b. Theoretical Models exist.

4. Purposely created and 2. External Criteria

formulated, not discovered a. Adequacy (how adequate is the
5. Theories are tentative and theory?)
subject to change b. Utility (how useful is the
theory?)
 c. Significance (how meaningful is 6. Set the limits of the study
the theory?) 7. Accepted or rejected
d. Discrimination (how practical is
the theory?)
e. Scope (how specific is the Sources of Hypotheses
theory?) 1. Induction (specific-general)
2. Deduction (general-specific)
Research and Theory
1. Developing a theory. Induction Types of Hypotheses
2. Fitting a research problem to a 1. Simple vs. Complex Hypotheses
theory. Interrelated a. Simple Hypotheses
1 independent and 1 dependent
variable
CHAPTER 9
RESEARCH HYPOTHESES b. Complex Hypotheses
Relationship between two or more
What are Hypotheses? independent and two or more
- Greek word hypotithernai, dependent variables
meaning “to put under”
- “shrewd guess” “intellectual 2. Directional vs. Non- Directional
proposition” Hypotheses
- Speculations a. Directional Hypotheses
specifies the characteristics or
Formulating Research Hypotheses qualities of the variables being
- Should be formulated before the investigated
conduct of the study b. Non-directional Hypotheses
- Base the hypotheses predicts the type but not the
- Problems raised in the study nature and extent

Purpose of Hypotheses 3. Research vs. Statistical

1. Hypotheses unify theory and reality Hypotheses
2. Hypotheses give direction to a. Research Hypotheses
research expected relationship between
3. Hypotheses enhance knowledge- variables
induces critical thinking b. Statistical Hypotheses null
hypotheses
Characteristics of Hypotheses
1. Testability
2. Anticipated relationships CHAPTER 10
3. Logical and justifiable RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND DESIGN
4. Based from the research problem
5. Factually and theoretically based What is Research Design?
Researcher’s overall plan of how the study c. Randomization. Assigns subjects
will be conducted. to a control or experimental group
on random basis.
Elements to consider in the choice of Random selection. How the
research design sample of people is drawn from the
1. Total population population
2. Method of selecting Random assignment. How the
3. Alternative versions of independent sample drawn from the population
variables Is assigned to different groups or
4. Criterion measure treatments in the study.
5. Statistical treatment
d. Validity
5 kinds of research designs 1. Internal validity. Degree to
• Experimental which changes in the dependent
• Non- experimental variable (effects) can be
• Quantitative attributed to the independent
• Qualitative variable (cause)
• Mixed method or a combination of
the above Threats to Internal Validity:
a. Selection Bias.
A. Experimental Research. Design b. Maturation
inquiry on cause-and-effect c. Testing
relationships d. Instrumentation Change
e. Mortality
Types of Experimental Research
1. True experiment 2. External Validity. Degree to
a. Manipulative or intervention. which study results can be
Respondents of the study to a influenced or affected by
particular situation external factors.
b. Control. Imposes certain conditions
over the experimental situation Threats to External Validity:
• Control group (CG) no a. Hawthorne Effect. Participants
intervention respond in a particular manner
• Experimental group (EG) Blind experiment. The subject does not
base on intervention know whether he or she is receiving the
treatment or a placebo.
Techniques of Research Control
1. Control of external factors b. Experimenter Effect. Researcher’s
2. Control of intrinsic factors behavior influences the behavior of
the subjects. Researcher’s facial
expression, gender and clothing
among others.
 c. Reactive Effect of the Pre-test
d. Halo Effect

Double blind method. subject nor the

observer knows the specific research
objectives or the specific subjects.

If the double blind method is not feasible,

the double observer method may be
used.