Overview Nursing Research

Overview of the Research Process in Qualitative and Quantitative Studies
‫د خالدة علوان منصور‬.‫ا‬
Research is a systematic process based on the scientific method that

facilitates the identification of relationship and determination of differences
in order to answer question
Quantitative research is a systematic empirical approach to understanding

phenomena (The data are often numeric, observable, and measurable) to test
relationships, assess differences and/ or explain cause and effect
Qualitative research focuses on gaining insight into a phenomenon or

understanding about an individual’s perception of events.
Definition Quantitative Qualitative

person The person who do or researcher or the scientist
undertakes the research investigator
person who provide information to subjects or Informant, key
researchers by answering study informant
questions directly participants,
and
respondents
That Which Weight, anxiety levels, - Phenomena
Is Being — income, and body Concepts concepts
Investigated temperature, pain; are all Constructs
variables (i.e., each of these Variables
properties varies from one
person to another
Quantitative Qualitative
System of Organizing Theory, Theory
Concepts theoretical framework Conceptual framework,
Conceptual framework, sensitizing
conceptual model Framework
information Gathered Data (numeric values) Data (narrative descriptions

‫ا‬
Connections Between Relationships (cause-and- Patterns of association
Concepts effect, Associative
Logical Reasoning Deductive reasoning Inductive reasoning ‫االستدالل ا‬
Processes
Comparison of Qualitative and Quantitative Research

Quantitative Qualitative
Objective data Subjective data
Explanation Discovery
Parts are equal to the whole ‫ا‬ Whole is greater than the part
One truth Multiple truths ‫ة‬
Large sample sizes Small sample sizes ‫ة‬
Random samples ‫ة‬ Deliberately selected samples
Participants or subjects Participants or informants
Results presented as numbers/statistics Results presented as narrative data
Researcher separate from the study Researcher part of the study
Clinical nursing research
Examples of nursing research questions
What are the daily experiences of patients receiving hemodialysis treatment

for end-stage renal disease? (Chiaranai, 2016)
Evidence base practice:
Clinical practice based on the collection, evaluation, and integration of clinical

expertise, research evidence, and patient preferences Systematic use of data to
monitor outcomes of care
The Importance of Research to Evidence-Based Nursing Practice
To base their professional practice on emerging evidence from research.

evidence-based practice (EBP).
Example of evidence-based practice:
“Kangaroo care,” the holding of diaper-clad preterm infants skin-to-skin, chest-

to-chest by parents, is
now widely practiced in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs)
Research (problem or answer a question)
Major classes of quantitative and qualitative research
Experimental and Nonexperimental Studies
In experimental research, researchers actively introduce an intervention or

treatment
In non-experimental research, researchers collect data without making changes

or introducing treatments
Example
if a researcher gave bran flakes to one group of subjects and prune juice to
another to evaluate which method facilitated elimination more effectively
. In this example, the researcher created an “active variable” involving a dietary

intervention
Experimental studies are designed to test causal relationships
Sometimes nonexperimental studies also seek to detect causal relationships, but

doing so is tricky and usually is less conclusive
Experimental studies offer the possibility of greater control over extraneous
variables than nonexperimental studies.
Example of nonexperimental research
Wong , et al (2002) Searched for factors that contributed to hospital

readmission in a Hong Kong hospital
. A readmitted group was compared with a non-readmitted group of patients

in terms of demographic characteristics and health conditions upon admission.
Terms in Qualitative and Quantitative Research
Research, like nursing or any other discipline, has its own language and
terminology
. Some terms are used by both qualitative and quantitative researchers
 Studies with humans involve two sets of people:
Those who do the research and those who provide the information.
subjects or study participants, respondents :who provide information to

researchers by answering questions directly (quantitative study)
Informant, key informant(qualitative)
the researcher or investigator scientist (The person who undertakes the research
 the funder or sponsor
financial assistance is obtained to pay for research costs, the organization

providing the money
 Reviewers : offer feedback.

 peer reviewers: people are at a similar level of experience as the
researchers,
 .Settings: specific places where data collection occurs
a wide variety of locales—in health care facilities, in people’s homes, in

classrooms, a hospital and so on
For example, in a study of a new nursing intervention, researchers may wish to
implement the intervention in both public and private hospitals or in urban
and rural locations.
 Phenomena, Concepts, and Constructs
For example, the terms pain, coping, grief, and resilience are all abstractions of
particular aspects of human behavior and characteristics.
These abstractions are referred to as concepts or Constructs
Theories and Conceptual Models
A theory is a systematic, abstract explanation of some aspect of reality. Theories

play a role in both qualitative and quantitative research.
In a quantitative study, researchers often start with a theory, framework, or

conceptual model
. Variables
In quantitative studies, concepts are usually referred to as variables..
A variable, as the name implies, is something that varies.
Weight, anxiety levels, income, and body temperature are all variables (i.e.,
each of these properties varies from one person to another).
Variables are the central building blocks of quantitative studies
There are different types of variables
o Continuous, ،
o Discrete,
o and Categorical Variables
Continuous Variables
variables take on a wide range of values. A person’s age, for instance, can take
on values from zero to more than 100, a continuous variable can assume an
infinite number of values between two points. For example, consider the
continuous variable weight
A discrete variable
is one that has a finite number of values between any two points, representing
discrete quantities.
For example, if people were asked how many children they had, they might
answer 0, 1, 2, 3, or more
Categorical variables
The variables take on a small range of values that do not inherently represent a
quantity..
The variable gender, for example, has only two values (male and female).
Another example is the blood type (A, B, AB, and O).
When categorical variables take on only two values, they are sometimes referred
to as dichotomous variables)).
some examples of dichotomous variables are pregnant/not pregnant, HIV

positive/HIV negative, and alive/dead.
Active Versus Attribute Variables
such as age, health beliefs, or weight. Variables such as these are attribute
variables..
In many research situations, however, the investigator creates a variable
For example, a researcher might create an “active” salt-intake variable by

exposing two groups of people to different amounts of salt in their diets.
Another researcher could examine the salt-intake “attributes” of a sample by

asking about their consumption of salt. .
. Dependent Versus Independent Variables
Many studies are aimed at unraveling and understanding causes of phenomena
Does a nursing intervention cause more rapid recovery? .
Does smoking cause lung cancer?
The presumed cause is the independent variable,

and the presumed effect is the dependent variable. (criterion variable).
(outcome)
The term dependent variable, however, is more general
researchers investigate the extent to which lung cancer (the dependent variable)
depends on smoking (the independent variable(
Or,
investigators may be concerned with the extent to which patients’ perception of

pain (the dependent variable) depends on different nursing actions (the
independent variable)
 Example1 Does assertiveness training improve the effectiveness of

psychiatric nurses?
Independent variable (IV) = participation versus nonparticipation in assertiveness

training;
dependent variable (DV) = psychiatric nurses’ effectiveness
Example 2 Does the postural positioning of patients affect their respiratory

function?
Independent: ______ Dependent: ______
IV = patients’ postural positioning; DV = respiratory function
Example 3. Is patients’ anxiety affected by the amount of touch received

from nursing staff?
Independent: ______ Dependent: ______
IV = amount of touch by nursing staff; DV = patients’ anxiety
Major steps in the research process
Phase 1: The Conceptual Phase‫ة‬

Phase 2: The Design and Planning Phase
Phase 3: The Empirical Phase
Phase 4: The Analytic Phase
Phase 5: The Dissemination Phase:
Phase 1: The Conceptual Phase
Step 1: Formulating and Delimiting the Problem

Step 2: Reviewing the Related Literature
Step 3: Undertaking Clinical Fieldwork
Step 4: Defining the Framework and Developing Conceptual Definitions
Step 5: Formulating Hypotheses alternative directional null ( directional non
directional)
Phase 2: The Design and Planning Phase
Step 6: Selecting a Research Design ‫ا‬

Step 7: Developing Protocols for the Intervention
Step 8: Identifying the Population to be Studied
Step 9: Designing the Sampling Plan
Step 10: Specifying Methods to Measure the Research Variables
Step 11: Developing Methods for Safe guarding Human/Animal Rights
Step 12 Finalizing and Reviewing the Research Plan
Phase 3: The Empirical Phase
Step 13: Collecting the Data

Step 14: Preparing the Data for Analysis
Phase 4: The Analytic Phase

Step 15: Analyzing the Data (Statistical analyses
Step 16: Interpreting the Results Before the results of a study can be communicated
Phase 5: The Dissemination Phase ‫النشر‬

Step 17: Communicating the Findings
Example of Organization of a Research Project for (YORK University)

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Overview of the Research Process in Qualitative and Quantitative Studies

‫د خالدة علوان منصور‬.‫ا‬

Research is a systematic process based on the scientific method that

Quantitative research is a systematic empirical approach to understanding

Qualitative research focuses on gaining insight into a phenomenon or

Definition Quantitative Qualitative

information Gathered Data (numeric values) Data (narrative descriptions

Comparison of Qualitative and Quantitative Research

Clinical nursing research

Examples of nursing research questions

What are the daily experiences of patients receiving hemodialysis treatment

Evidence base practice:

Clinical practice based on the collection, evaluation, and integration of clinical

The Importance of Research to Evidence-Based Nursing Practice

To base their professional practice on emerging evidence from research.

“Kangaroo care,” the holding of diaper-clad preterm infants skin-to-skin, chest-

now widely practiced in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs)

Research (problem or answer a question)

Major classes of quantitative and qualitative research

Experimental and Nonexperimental Studies

In experimental research, researchers actively introduce an intervention or

In non-experimental research, researchers collect data without making changes

. In this example, the researcher created an “active variable” involving a dietary

Experimental studies are designed to test causal relationships

Sometimes nonexperimental studies also seek to detect causal relationships, but

Example of nonexperimental research

Wong , et al (2002) Searched for factors that contributed to hospital

. A readmitted group was compared with a non-readmitted group of patients

Terms in Qualitative and Quantitative Research

. Some terms are used by both qualitative and quantitative researchers

 Studies with humans involve two sets of people:

subjects or study participants, respondents :who provide information to

Informant, key informant(qualitative)

 the funder or sponsor

financial assistance is obtained to pay for research costs, the organization

 Reviewers : offer feedback.

a wide variety of locales—in health care facilities, in people’s homes, in

 Phenomena, Concepts, and Constructs

These abstractions are referred to as concepts or Constructs

Theories and Conceptual Models

A theory is a systematic, abstract explanation of some aspect of reality. Theories

In a quantitative study, researchers often start with a theory, framework, or

In quantitative studies, concepts are usually referred to as variables..

A variable, as the name implies, is something that varies.

Variables are the central building blocks of quantitative studies

There are different types of variables

Another example is the blood type (A, B, AB, and O).

some examples of dichotomous variables are pregnant/not pregnant, HIV

Active Versus Attribute Variables

In many research situations, however, the investigator creates a variable

For example, a researcher might create an “active” salt-intake variable by

Another researcher could examine the salt-intake “attributes” of a sample by

. Dependent Versus Independent Variables

Many studies are aimed at unraveling and understanding causes of phenomena

Does a nursing intervention cause more rapid recovery? .

Does smoking cause lung cancer?

The presumed cause is the independent variable,

The term dependent variable, however, is more general