Nursing Research Paradigms & Assumptions

ParadigmA worldview or general view on the complexities of the real world.

Naturalistic ParadigmEmphasizes 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.

 

AssumptionThe response to a philosophical question that can represent a paradigm.

OntologicWhat is the nature of reality?

EpistemologicWhat is the relationship between the researcher & that being studied?

AxiologicWhat is the role of value in the inquiry?

MethodologicHow should the researcher obtain knowledge?

Positivist ParadigmEmphasizes the rational & scientific.Believes (assumes) reality is out there to be studiedRefers to a basic principle that is believed true with verification.Uses deductive (specific to general) reasoning, quantitative information & statistical analysis.

 

concept Building blocks of a theory Topic of interest

theoryexplain how

phenomena are interrelated

Grand theory vs. Middle

Range theory

modelConceptual:

loosely structured

Schematic: graphical, concise &

understandable

frameworkOverall

conceptual underpinning of

a study

Theoretical vs. Conceptual

Quantitative Study Terms

variablesIndependent (cause) vs. dependent

(effect)

Mediator (adds to) vs. moderator (detracts)

definitions Conceptual Operational

dataPieces of info

in numeric form obtained from subjects

Often displays patient care outcomes

Quantitative Study Terms

relationshipsBetween

independent & dependent variables

Cause & EffectOr Functional Relationship

experimentalResearcher

introduces an intervention or

treatment

Controlled trial Clinical trial

Non-experimental

Researcher is a bystander;

collects data w/o making changes

Observational study

Quantitative Study Terms

Develop conceptual definitions:Develop preliminary definition

Review relevant literature

Identify exemplars

Map the concept’s meaning

State the develop conceptual definition

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 re-search findings.”

Polit & Beck, 8th edition, page 143.

Steps in a Quantitative Study• Formulate/delimit the problem Define framework/develop

definitions• Review the literature Formulate hypothesis• Conduct fieldwork

Conceptual Phase

• Select a research design Specify ways to measure variables• Develop intervention protocols Develop ways to safeguard

subjects• Identify population Finalize the research

plan• Design sampling plan

Design & PlanningPhase

• Collect the data• Prepare the data for analysisEmperical Phase

• Analyzing the data• Interpret the resultsAnalytic Phase

• Communicate the findings• Unitize the findings in practice

Dissemination Phase

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

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

Quantitative Research Research Problem

Express problem & develop a rationale for research Should describe what it is that is problematic & what needs fixing

by including:1. Problem identification: What is wrong with the current situation?2. Background: What is the nature of the problem, the context of the

situation that readers need to understand?3. Problem Scope: How big a problem is it; how many people are

affected?4. Problem Consequences: What’s the cost of not fixing the

problem?5. Knowledge gaps: What info about the problem is lacking?

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

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

Flow of Literature ReviewFormulate &

refine primary & secondary questions

Document search

decision & actions

Devise search

strategy (id keywords)

Search for, identify &

retrieve potential primary source

materials

Screen sources for relevance, & appropriateness

Read source materials

Identify new references &

new leads

Discard irrelevant or

inappropriate references

1

432

4a

5

3a 5a

Ancestry approach: looking for earlier studiesDescendancy approach: search forward to subsequent studies

Flow of Literature ReviewRead

source materials

Prepare synthesis /

critical summary

Critique & evaluate studies

Analyze, integrate information, search

for themes

Abstract, encode information from

the studies

5 6 7

8

9

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?

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

Research Theory & ConceptsWhat 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

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

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)