Research Notes
Research Notes
The title
Functions of a title
Is it feasible in terms: time, money, personnel, access to data, and researcher’s area of competence?
Examples of title
The Relationship Between Socioeconomic Status and Severe Diarrhea in a Metropolitan Area
The Incidence of Cancer among Radiologists in the Different Hospitals in Metro Manila
Effects of Smoking among Pregnant Women in the Four Cities of Metro Manila
Prevalence of Tuberculosis among Families with Incomes Below the Poverty Line in the Sampaloc Area
THE RESEARCH PROBLEM
Research problem should be written in simple language just what it purposes to investigate . It may be in
the form of:
it must be relevant.
it must be feasible.
Is it worth doing?
Time element
Monetary resources
Personnel resources
Access to data
Measurability
Interesting
Researchable
Practical/Feasible
Ethical
Example of a Non-researchable problem
What is the relationship between the bed capacity of a hospital and the quality of its nursing care?
The research question should be clear, concise, and stated in measurable terms specifically in quantitative
research.
Ex:
What is the level of creativity among senior student nurses of a center of excellence college in Manila in
terms of originality and flexibility?
Ex: What is the relationship between the parents’ own childhood experiences and their subsequent child
abuse or neglect?
Ex: Would early diagnosis of cancer of the breast save the patient?
This section provides information on the setting, geographical location, cultural and demographic
characteristics, and political or economic implication/relevance of the study.
This section serves as an introduction to the study, giving the readers a big-picture understanding of the
topic at hand.
This section serves to orient the reader on what prompted the researcher to undertake the study.
It starts with the global scenario, then moves to the national level, and finally the local setting.
Example
During the first year of President Rodrigo Duterte’s term in office, there has been a rise in drug-related
killings that were opposed by the international community, human rights organizations, and religious
authorities.
These organizations have condemned killings done by vigilante groups and police drug
operations, called Oplan Tokhang.
Formulation of Objectives
refers to the overall purpose of the research study and is usually derived from the broad problem.
refer to the statements of specific outcomes and are usually derived from subproblems. They should have
the following characteristics:
written clearly
measurable
A Question
1. What is the profile of the physical therapists working in the hospital in terms of the following:
c. civil status
2. What is the level of performance of these PTs based on evaluation by their supervisors?
Declarative Statements
c. Civil Status
Example
The study aims to review the process of change in the choice of a Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing
Education, as its curriculum evolved from an integrated acute care focus to community-based health
framework.
1. What are the patterns or occurrence and the descriptions of change in the Philippine Nursing
Education from 1970 to 2001 in terms of the following:
2. What are the changes in the nursing supply here and abroad, in terms of the following:
a. When is a more appropriate time to enter nursing from the year 2002 to 2011?
b. Will there be enough nurses educationally prepared to meet the new challenges of the 21st
century?
3. What are the opportunities or implications of career growth in nursing in the new millennium
in terms of the following:
a. Nursing education
b. Nursing demand
Hypothesis
Are stated when the study aims to make statistical comparisons or aims to determine relationships
between variables.
A good hypothesis is one which is reasonable, consistent with known facts or theories, testable, and stated
in the simplest possible terms.
is a statement that explains or predicts the relationship between two or more variables in terms of
expected results or outcomes of the study (Fain, 2004).
Null Hypothesis
Example:
There is no significant difference between the effects of return demonstration exercises and practice
frequency on the retention of male and female students with different abilities in nursing basic
procedures.
This section discusses the importance of the study to the society, the country, the government, the
community, the institution, and the writer himself.
The study will improve and develop the compliance of respondents from the data gathered and
insights elicited as a basis for their planning, implementation and evaluation. Nurses. This research may
help the nurses to conduct and supplement information to the respondents through community health
teaching regarding oral contraceptives specifically compliance of oral contraceptives users. Health Care
Provider/ Physicians. They will be able to provide all necessary information to oral contraceptive users as
an increment for effective family planning and prevention of further complaints and complications.
Clients/Respondents. This research will help the respondents to have adequate knowledge about
oral contraceptives, their responsibility upon compliance and its advantages and disadvantages.
Institution. After conducting the study, institution will formulate ways and programs for student nurses in
the community areas for proper health teachings programs that will indicate compliance, types,
indications, danger signs and much information relevant for effective controlling of overpopulation with
the use of OCPs. Readers. Information gathered and evaluated in this study may help readers to contribute
in the dissemination of information regarding latest information about oral contraceptives pills and it will
also benefit the readers who plan to use family planning...
This section will provide brief description on the various significances of the study given the
three categories Educational, Technological and Economic. To students. The proposed study serves the
students as their reference or guide in creating their program. It will also help students taking computer
related courses to identify the best programming language to use. To teachers. The proposed study will
help teachers to have a deeper understanding to the said programming languages. By this study they will
come up with easier and powerful program. To future researcher. The proposed study will benefit and
help the future researcher as their guide. The study can also open in development of this study.
Scope
defines where and when the study was conducted and the participants were.
Limitations
are the weaknesses and shortcomings of the study as acknowledged by the researcher.
Area coverage
Out of 189 second year accounting students of Saint Mary’s University, 100 students were used
as a sample in conducting the survey. This study limits its coverage on the second-year accounting
students only. Its main purpose is to identify the common problems that they encounter and to propose
possible solutions regarding this problem.
This study considers every aspect of students’ personal information that has an impact on their
academic performances such as their parents educational background, their parents income, their gender,
age and home location. Each of the respondents are given same questionnaires to answer. And this study
focuses on the current second year students of the present school year, 2008-2009
Definition of terms
Operational definition
Conceptual definition
Operational definition
academic achievement refers to the mean scores obtained in a comprehensive nursing achievement tests
where students are classified as high achievers (90-100), average achievers (70-90), or low achievers (less
than 70).
Conceptual definition
academic achievement connotes the level of learning which a student acquires in any class based on his
ability to apply what he has learned in a subject or course.
The frameworks
A framework is the abstract, logical structure of meaning that guides the development of the study and
enables the researcher to link the findings to a body of knowledge.
2 types of frameworks
Theoretical Framework
is an integrated set of defined concepts and statements that attempt to describe, explain, predict, and/or
control a particular phenomenon.
is a theory in the form of a model/paradigm that serves as the basis for the study.
Conceptual Framework
it broadly explains a phenomena of interest, expresses assumptions, and reflects a philosophical stance.
is the researcher’s own model illustrating variables that specify the problem and gives direction to the
study.
It can be a simple summary of sources but has an organizational pattern and combines both summary and
synthesis.
It is conducted to generate a picture of what is known about a particular situation and the knowledge gaps
that exist in it.
Functions of Related Literature
Journals
Abstract journals
Indexes
Statistical reports
2. Primary Sources
3. Secondary Sources
Publications where authors cite the works of others. Examples are books, encyclopedias. Secondary
sources are good references for overview of the problem.
Sources for Related Literature
diaries
historical societies
official minutes
a description of a study or studies prepared by someone other than the original researcher/s.
Interpretations
historical researchers depend on another person’s private frame of reference for information.
Hearsay
Primary Source
In a Boston study, researchers reported that 32% of pregnant heavy drinkers bore infants with brain
defects, 14% in the moderate drinking group, and 9% in the light drinking or abstaining group.
Secondary Source
In the report of Dr. Sherwood Lew, pneumonia has been described by Bunyan as the “captain of the men
of death.”
is the entire process of planning and carrying out a research study; it is a detailed plan of how the research
will be conducted. In the beginning this plan is vague and tentative. As the study progresses it undergoes
many modifications. In planning the design, the problem must be clear.
Sampling Design
Involves selecting a group of people, events, behaviors, or other elements with which to conduct the
study.
Sample
the subset of the population selected by the investigator to participate in a research project.
Sampling frame
a listing of all the elements in the population from which the sample is drawn.
Sampling bias
Sampling error
pertains to the differences in proportion values (average age of the pop.) and sample values (average age
of the sample).
Population
Target population
Accessible population
refers to those cases that conform to the eligibility criteria and are accessible to the researcher as a pool of
subjects for the study.
Two Categories of Sampling Plan
Probability sampling
a process in which each element of the population has an equal chance of being chosen for the sample.
There is randomization.
Non-probability sampling
Probability Sampling
involves taking certain areas of the population, dividing the areas, into sections, and then taking a
random sample from each section.
Systematic Sampling
Non-Probability Sampling
Snowball Sampling
subjects acts as informants who identify others for inclusion in the sample who in turn leads to more
samples.
Quota Sampling
researchers identify strata of the population and then determine how many participants are needed from
each stratum to meet a quota.
subjects are hand picked to be included in the sample, based upon the researcher’s knowledge of the
population.
Steps in Sampling
refers to the group to which the researcher wants to generalize his results.
you must decide how the sample will be chosen and how large it will be.
Instrument tool
Instrument is the general term that researchers use for a measurement device (survey, test, questionnaire,
etc.).
Reliability
Validity
Questionnaire
TYPES OF QUESTIONS
Open-ended question
respondents are given enough flexibility to answer questions or specify answers other than those found in
the questionnaire.
Closed-ended question
Ex:
to a great extent
to a moderate extent
to a slight extent
not at all
Rank order question
Ex:
Below are key nursing values. Choose five that you deem most important and rank them accordingly.
____care
____collaboration
____competence
____courtesy
____knowledge
Rating question
Ex:
On a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 is strongly disagree and 10 is strongly agree, encircle the number that best
represents your degree of agreement or disagreement.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Scales
a scale is a measuring instrument composed of several items that have a logical or empirical relationship
with each other.
Unfair_____________________Very fair
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Semantic differential
Good_________________________Bad
Interview
Types of Interview
Structured
Unstructured
Observation Techniques
Types of Observation
this depends on the formulation of a system for categorizing, recording, and encoding the observations
and sampling the phenomenon of interest.
Approach:
category system
Record Keeping:
checklists
rating scales
Unstructured observational methods
involves collection of large amounts of descriptive information that is analyzed qualitatively rather than
quantitatively.
Approach:
participant observation
non-participant observation
Record Keeping:
log book
field notes
the population of interest and the sampling subjects are carefully chosen to suit the purpose of
researcher’s study so that validity of findings will not be jeopardized.
Research Locale
this briefly describes the place where the study will be conducted and the rationale behind its choice.
Data collection is the process of gathering and measuring information on variables of interest, in an
established systematic fashion that enables one to answer stated research questions, test hypotheses, and
evaluate outcomes.
Data mining
this procedure is simple. You can easily find many resource materials where data and numerical figures
are already tallied and presented.
Interviewing
is another example of a data gathering procedure. One benefit that you can get from this process is that
you can actually gather raw and reliable data direct from your subjects
Surveying
it involves gathering responses from subjects through a written medium. You will be distributing paper
questionnaires for your subjects to answer.