Professional Documents
Culture Documents
I.
Introduction
A.
Questiontoanswerorproblemtosolve
B.
Initiallybroadandvague
C.
Mustberefinedsoitcanbesubjecttoempiricalinvestigation
D.
Guidesthedirectionoftheresearchdesign
E.
Paradigmsuitedtotheresearchproblem
F.
BasictermsTable6.1onpg.113illustratestheseterms
a.
b.
c.
d.
II.
Researchproblemperplexingortroublingcondition
Problemstatement
Researchquestionspecificquestionstoanswerinaddressingtheresearchproblem
Statementofpurposesummaryoftheoverallgoal
Wheretofindaproblem
trickyforbeginnershoweveritiscriticalbecauseitformsthebasisoftherestofyourproject
A.
Experienceprob.inpracticethatremainunsolved
B.
Nursingliterature
1.
Keyresearchjournalsex.NursingResearch,WesternJournalofNursing
Research,AdvancesinNursingScience
2.
Journalsdesignedforsubspecialtiesex.JOGN,PediatricNursing,Community
HealthNursing
articlesmaysuggestareasforfurtherstudy
C.
3.
Booksandjournalsthatsummarizeresearchonaspecifictopic
4.
Replicationofastudyonanewpopulation=goodsource
5.
Lookforgapsinthenursingliterature
Socialissues.
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D.
Theoriesarisesfromresearchaswellasprovidesasourceofproblemsforresearch
1.
Deductionsaremadebasedonthetheory
2.
E.
III.
Hypothesesaredevelopedandtestedempirically
Ideasfromexternalsources
1.
ANAspriorities
2.
Directsuggestionsfrominstructor,employer,fundingsource
3.
Brainstormingeverymembercontributesideasandtheneachmember
mustsupporttheselectedtopic
Developingandrefiningatopic
creativeprocess
A.
Selectabroadtopicofinterest
B.
Narrowdownthetopicasyoumovefrommoregeneraltomorespecific
severalpossibleproblemsmayemerge
KISSkeepitsimple,stupid
mostbeginningresearcherstrytotackleproblemsthataretoobroad
C.
IV.
Literaturereviewcanhelpnarrowtheproblem
Criteriaforevaluatingaresearchproblem
A.
Significanceistheproblemimportanttopatients,nursesorsociety;whowill
knowledgebenefit;avoidtrivialmatters
B.
Researchabilityoftheproblemcanthevariablesbedefinedandmeasured
*WhichproblemsareNOTmeasurable?(moralorethical)
C.
Feasibilitydifficulttoevaluateforbeginners
1.
Timeandtimingcantheprojectbecompletedinthetimeallotted
Researchtakesmoretimethanyouthinkitwilltake
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Someproblemsoccuratcertaintimes
2.
Availabilityofsubjects
Keeptimecommitmentstoaminimumtoincreaseparticipation
stipends
3.
Cooperationofothers
parentsandguardians
staffmembers
administration
4.
Facilitiesandequipment
computer,labtime,technicalequipment,secretarialservices,copier,
transportation
5.
D.
V.
Moneysomestudiesareverycostly
a.
Literaturecomputersearches,articles,books
b.
Supportpersonnel
c.
Stipends
d.
Supplies
e.
Labfees
f.
Transportationcosts
6.
Experienceoftheresearcher
7.
Ethicalconsideration
Researcherinterestdoestheresearcherlikethetopic
ResearchProblemStatementsSpecificAims
A.
Goodstatementsshould
1.
Identifykeyvariables
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B.
2.
Havevariablesthatcanbemeasured
3.
Describethenatureofthepopulationofinterest
4.
Guidethereaderandtheresearcherthroughthestudy
Twoforms
1.
Declarativestatement
Ex.Thepurposeofthisstudyisto
2.
Interrogativequestion
Ex.Whatistherelationshipbetween?
C.
VI.
Definitionofterms
1.
Shouldaccompanyproblemstatement/question
2.
Researchermustspecifythemethodofoperationalizingthevariables
FormulationoftheHypothesis
A.
Overview
Definition:
Hypothesisisatentativepredictionorexplanationofthe
relationshipbetween2ormorevariables
Turnsproblemstatementintoapredictionofexpectedoutcomes
Thehypothesis(nottheproblemstatement)isempiricallyused
Isdevelopedbeforethestudyisconductedbecauseitspurposeit
toguidethestudy
hypothesisleadstheresearchertotheresearchdesign,and
tocollectionandanalysisofdata
(TheyaremuchlikethegoalsthatyoustateinyourNCPs.Justaswell
developedgoalsguideyourplanofcareandevaluationofoutcomes,the
hypothesisguidesyourresearchplanandtheevaluationofitsresults.)
ReviewStepsofResearchProcess
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TheConceptual
Phases
1.
FormulatingtheProblem
2.
LiteratureReview
3.
TheoreticalFramework
4.
B.
DevelopingtheHypothesis
WorkableHypothesis
=statementofthepredictedrelationshipbetweenatleast2variables
=testable
1.
independentvariable=thepresumedcauseorinfluence
2.
dependentvariable=(orcriterionvariable)istheeffectorparameterof
interest
therelationshipbetweentheindependentandthedependentvariableisdescribed
withaconnectivephrasesuchasmorethan,greaterthanorfewerthan,
lessthanornodifferentthanorthesameas
Hypothesisstatementsarenotwildguessesonthepartoftheresearcher
Theyareeducatedpredictionsbaseduponrationaleandshouldbeconsistentwith
existingresearchfindings
Aworkablehypothesisalsoprovidesdefinitionsofthevariablesthatareoperational
(canbeused)
C.
TypesofHypotheses
1.
2.
SimpleVS.Complex
a.
Simplehypothesiscontainsoneindependentvariableandonedependent
variable
b.
Complex(multivariate)hypothesispredictstherelationshipbetween3or
morevariables
DirectionalVS.NonDirectionalHypothesis
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a.
Directionaltellsthereaderthedirectionoftherelationshipbetweenthe
twovariables=morespecificaboutthenatureoftherelationship
b.
NonDirectionalHypothesis
donotspecifythenatureoftherelationshipbetweenthevariables
thereisarelationshipbetweentheuseoffamilyplanningeducationand
therateofteenagepregnancy
Generally,thedirectionalhypothesisispreferred.Thedevelopmentofa
directionalhypothesisforcestheresearchertothinkcritically.
Foryourprojects,developadirectionalhypothesis.
3.
ResearchVS.StatisticalHypothesis
a.
Researchhypothesis=statementofrelationshipbetweenvariables
(Wehavebeendescribingresearchhypothesisallthroughthis
discussion.)
b.
StatisticalHypothesis(orNullHypothesis)statesthatthereisno
relationshipbetweenthevariables
Thisincontrarytoourdefinitionandnullhypothesesarenotused
muchinnursing.
Researchhypothesisarebetterforourpurpose.
D.
Summary
1.
Hypothesesareempiricallytested
Remember,resultscansupportorfailtosupportthehypothesis.But,the
hypothesisisneverprovenordisproven
2.
Hypothesisisastatementofthepredictedrelationshipbetweenatleast2
variables
3. Forourprojectsbesuretodevelopasimple,directional,research(notnull)
hypothesisthatisclear,concise,andtheprovidesoperationaldefinitions
E.
CritiquingResearchProblems,Questions,andHypotheses
1.
Implicationsforpractice
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2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Extensionofknowledgebase
Theorydevelopment
Fitwithresearchpriorities
Fitwithparadigm
Fitwithpreviousresearch
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