Research and survey methods

Introduction to Research

Islamic University College of Nursing

Health Research:

Definition: The application of a scientific and

systematic inquiry or investigation to validate and refine existing knowledge and generate new knowledge that directly or indirectly influence practices.

To explain or help understand health issues, questions, or problems.

Definition: cont…

“A careful investigation or inquiry

specially through search for new

facts in any branch of knowledge.”

Definition: cont… Systematized effort to gain new

knowledge.

A movement from the known to the unknown.

Research is an academic activity

Research comprises defining and redefining

problems, formulating hypothesis or suggested

solutions; collecting, organizing and evaluating

data; making deductions and reaching

conclusions; and at last carefully testing the

conclusions to determine whether they fit the

formulating hypothesis.

Goal:

To explain or help

understand health issues,

questions, or problems.

Purpose of Research

1. Description: How prevalent is the phenomenon? What are the characteristics of the phenomenon? 2. Exploration: What factors are related to phenomenon? 3. Explanation: Why does the phenomenon exist? 4. Prediction: If phenomenon X occurs, well phenomenon Y

follow? 5. Control: Can the occurrence of the phenomenon be

controlled?

Research: Six ways we can know something:

Tradition. Expert opinion (authority). Trial and error. Acquisition from other disciplines. Personal experience. Intuition. Logical reasoning

Inductive: reasoning from the specific to general. Deductive: reasoning from the general to specific.

Research.

Research Tradition

Doing things as they have always been done Limitations

Often based on customs & beliefs. Have not been evaluated or tested.

Experts or authorities Relying on the expertise or authority of

others Limitations

Experts can be wrong. Experts can disagree among themselves.

Research Personal experience

Relying on one’s knowledge of their prior experiences.

Limitations: How one is affected by an event depends

on who one is. Intuition

Relying on your “gut” feeling Limitations:

Difficulty verifying results.

Research Inductive reasoning

Reasoning from the specific to the generalThis approach involves starting with a research

question, gathering data and analyzing it answer the questions

Limitations In order to be certain of a conclusion one must

observe all examples. All examples can be observed only in very limited

situations where there are few members of the group. Example: nurse observe specific behavior of hospitalized child

and conclude that child's separation of parents is stressful events.

Research Deductive reasoning

Reasoning from the general to the specificThis approach involves starting with a

theoretical framework, formulating hypotheses, gathering data and analyzing it to test the hypotheses.

Limitations: You must begin with true premises in order to arrive

at true conclusions. Only organizes what is already known. Example: assume that separation anxiety occur in hospitalized

child, then we might predict that the child in hospital who his parents not room in would manifest symptoms of stress.

Deductive vs Inductive

Inductive

Deductive

Inductive/deductive reasoning

It is important to recognize

whether the form of an argument

is inductive or deductive,

because each requires different

types of support.

Research Research

Systematically studying problems using a scientific and disciplined inquiry approach.

Limitations Difficulty removing errors related to the

complexity of human behavior in varying contexts.

Difficulty controlling researcher bias.

Research Research provides the most

unbiased and verifiable understanding.

Some decisions require such evidence, others do not.

The scientific problem solving approachand research process

1. Identify phenomena2. Problem & purpose

identification3. Methodology Design Sample Measurement4. Data collection5. Outcome &

disseminating findings.

1. Assessment Data collection2. Diagnosis3. Planning Goal identification Planned intervention4. Implementation5. Evaluation modification

Limitations of Research

Moral or Ethical Issues.

Measurement Problems.

Human complexity.

General Limitations.

Functions of Research

Basic Research: Conducted to develop, test, or refine

theory.

Applied Research: Conducted to examine the usefulness of

theory in solving practical problems.

Functions of Research Evaluation Research:

Conducted to assess the value or worth of

a specific practice in terms of the values

operating at a specific site Is “X” program accomplishing what is was

supposed to accomplish.

Types of research

Quantitative Research: Results of quantitative research are

numbers. Utilizes statistical techniques that can

be used to analyze the numbers (data) and draw conclusions.

Statistically tests a specific hypothesis.

Types of research Qualitative Research:

Involves analysis of data derived from words (e.g., surveys and questionnaires).

Investigates naturally occurring phenomena without trying to manipulate them.

Phenomena are studied as a whole (holistic)

rather than focusing on narrow aspects.

Quantitative Designs Purposes:

Describe current conditions. Investigate relationships. Study causes and effects.

Four major designs: Descriptive/survey. Correlational. Causal comparative. Experimental.

Quantitative Designs Descriptive/survey

Purpose – to describe current conditions. Characteristics

Use of large samples. Use of tests, questionnaires, and surveys Focused on information related to preferences, attitudes, practices, concerns, or interests.

Statistical analysis of numerical data.

Quantitative Designs Correlational

Purpose – to ascertain the extent to which two or more variables are statistically related.

Characteristics Measurement with a correlation

coefficient Use of instruments to measure variables Focused on the direction and nature of

the relationship.

Quantitative Designs Causal-comparative

Purpose – to explore relationships among variables that cannot be manipulated or controlled by the researcher.

Characteristics Selection of subjects from at least two

groups in which the cause (i.e., the independent variable) has already occurred

Statistical comparisons of the effect (i.e., the dependent variable) using at least two groups

Potential problems Inferring cause and effect relationships

Quantitative Designs Experimental

Purpose – to establish cause and effect relationships between variables.

Characteristics: Strict procedures for selecting subjects and

assigning them to groups. Manipulation of the causal variable. Control of extraneous variables. Statistical analysis of numerical data.

Experimental Des. (continued)

Potential problems Inability of researcher to adequately

control extraneous variables. Use of complicated research designs. Complex statistical analyses of data.

Qualitative Designs Purpose – provide field focused,

interpretative, detailed descriptions and interpretations of participants and their settings

Four designs Action research Historical research Ethnography Grounded theory Phenomenological

Qualitative Designs Action research

Purposes To improve practice or understand issues

Characteristics

Four basic steps – identify a problem, collect data, analyze data, and take action to resolve the problem

Qualitative Designs Historical research

Purpose – to gain insight into past events, issues, of personalities to better understand the current situation

Characteristics Focus on specific individuals, social issues,

events, or policies Documents is the primary sources of data Data is already available and is presented

and interpreted Data is examined carefully for truthfulness

Qualitative Designs Ethnography

Purpose – to obtain an understanding of the shared beliefs and practices of a particular group or culture

Characteristics The study is conducted in the natural

setting for a lengthy period of time Participants are observed in naturally

occurring activities

Qualitative Designs Grounded theory

Purpose – to derive theory from the analysis of identified patterns, themes emerging from data

Characteristics Respect for participant’s beliefs and views Qualitative data collection using analytic

strategies Inductively reasoned synthesis of data through

the use of constant comparison analysis

Qualitative Designs Phenomenological- Purpose

To describe experience as they are lived. Explores the meaning of human experience through intensive dialogue.

Characteristics

-The only reliable source of information is persons- The individual must willing to express inner feelings- Data are collected through a variety of means

Quantitative Vs QualitativeQuantitative Vs Qualitative

Quantitative Qualitative Objective. Subjective. Soft science. Hard science. Focus: concise & narrow. Complex and broad. Tests theory. Develops theory. Reduction, control. Discovery,

description, shared interpretation.

Basic element of analysis is numbers. Basic element of analysis is

words/ideas. Hypotheses. Research questions. Reasoning is logistic & deductive. Reasoning is dialectic

& inductive.

Quantitative Vs QualitativeQuantitative Vs Qualitative

Establishes relationships Describes meaning and discoveryand causation Uses instruments Uses communication and observe. Strive for generalization Strives for uniqueness Designs: Designs:descriptive, correlation, phenomenological, grounded quasi-experimental & experimental. theory, ethnographic, historical, philosophical.Sample size: Vary Sample size is not a concern;

seeks "information rich" sample