Nursing Research Paradigms & Assumptions

1. Nursing Research Paradigms & Assumptions Paradigm A worldview or general view on the complexities of the real world. Assumption The response to a philosophical question that can represent a paradigm. Ontologic What is the nature of reality? Naturalistic Paradigm Emphasizes focus on the entirety of phenomena, the whole experience. Focuses on under-standing ideas from the informants’ experience & understanding. Uses inductive (general to specific) reasoning, narrative information & qualitative analysis. Positivist Paradigm Emphasizes the rational & scientific. Believes (assumes) reality is out there to be studied Refers to a basic principle that is believed true with verification. Uses deductive (specific to general) reasoning, quantitative information & statistical analysis. Epistemologic What is the relationship between the researcher & that being studied? Axiologic What is the role of value in the inquiry? Methodologic How should the researcher obtain knowledge?

2. Quantitative Study Terms

3. Quantitative Study Terms

4. Quantitative Study Terms

5. Develop conceptual definitions:

6. Concepts & definitions • Why are they important? Concepts: “In studies that fail to articulate a conceptual framework, it may be difficult to figure out what the researcher thought was “going on’ – and why.” Definitions: “When researchers fail to clarify the conceptual underpinnings of their research variables, it becomes difficult to integrate research findings.” Polit & Beck, 8th edition, page 143.

7. Steps in a Quantitative Study

8. Quantitative Research • Research Problem • Purpose of the research is to “solve” the problem or contribute to solution • Originates with researchers’ interests or experience • Consider the problem’s: • Significance • Researchability • Feasibility of the problem

9. Quantitative Research • Research Problem • Express problem & what is it that needs fixing • Includes: • Problem statement: found early in the report • 1st sentence after abstract • Research question: research will specifically answer this ? • Hypothesis: • prediction about the relationship between 2 or more variables; prediction of expected outcomes • Clear, concise present tense wording • Types (inductive, deductive, simple, complex, directional, non-directional, scientific/research, null) Pollit & Beck pgs 95-100

10. Quantitative Research • Research Problem • Express problem & develop a rationale for research • Should describe what it is that is problematic & what needs fixing by including: • Problem identification: What is wrong with the current situation? • Background: What is the nature of the problem, the context of the situation that readers need to understand? • Problem Scope: How big a problem is it; how many people are affected? • Problem Consequences: What’s the cost of not fixing the problem? • Knowledge gaps: What info about the problem is lacking?

11. Quantitative Research • Statement of Purpose • Summary of the overall goal of a study • Establishes general direction of the research • Captures (usually in 1 or 2 sentences) essence of the study • Identifies key variables & possible interrelationships along with study population • Little researched topic: verbs → explore, describe • Experimental: verbs → test or evaluate • Non-experimental: verbs → examine or assess

12. Literature Review/Critique • Primary source: description of studies written by the research who conducted them • Secondary source: description of studies prepared by someone other than the original researcher

13. Flow of Literature Review 1 4a Formulate & refine primary & secondary questions Discard irrelevant or inappropriate references Ancestry approach: looking for earlier studies Descendancy approach: search forward to subsequent studies 2 3 5 4 Devise search strategy (id keywords) Search for, identify & retrieve potential primary source materials Read source materials Screen sources for relevance, & appropriateness 5a 3a Identify new references & new leads Document search decision & actions

14. Flow of Literature Review 5 6 7 Read source materials Critique & evaluate studies Abstract, encode information from the studies 8 Analyze, integrate information, search for themes 9 Prepare synthesis / critical summary

15. Writing a Literature Review • Written summary of evidence on research problem • Identify Themes: detection of patterns or regularities • Substantive: pattern, amount, consistency, persuasiveness, gaps • Theoretical: theories or frameworks used to address primary question or has most research been without a theoretical basis? • Methodologic: designs & methods used to address primary question, method strategies that have NOT been used, methodological deficiencies & strengths? • Generalizability/transferability: types of people or settings findings apply to, findings vary for gender, ethnicity, area or age • Historical: trends over time?, evidence getting better? Period most research conducted? • Researcher: person/discipline/specialty/nationality conducting research, developed within a systematic program of research?

16. Writing a Literature Review • Organize: • Outline: leads to an understandable flow of information • Goal: keep review logical & lead to conclusion about the state of evidence on the topic • Content is an objective summary of: • what has been studied Reveals current state of knowledge on a topic • how adequate & dependable the studies are • gaps that exist in the research • contribution your study will make

17. Research Theory & Concepts What makes research high quality? High levels of • Conceptual integration. This occurs when the • Research question is appropriate for methods & strategies • Question is consistent w/ existing body of evidence • Conceptual rationale is plausible for • expected outcomes • testing hypothesis • designing interventions

18. Theory • Traditional Theory: an abstract simplification offering an systematic explanation about how phenomena (events) are interrelated • Represents 2 or more concepts that are related & explained deductively • Includes: proposition, postulate, premise, axiom, law, principle • Concepts: basic building blocks making up a theory • Grand Theory: describe large segments of the human experience • Middle-Range Theory: more restricted in scope, focusing on a narrow range of experience

19. Theory • Descriptive theory: Broad description of 1 quantitative phenomena • Empirically driven to describe a specific dimension or characteristic of an individual, group, situation, or event by summarizing commonalities found in discrete observations Fawcett (1999, pg 15)