Problems, Purpose, Questions and Hypotheses Flashcards
What is a problem statement?
A problem statement is an expression of a dilemma or disturbing situation that needs to be investigated. The problem statement identifies the nature of the problem that is being addressed in the study, and usually its context and significance.
What are three key things that the problem statement identifies?
The nature of the problem
Its context
Its significance
What are four questions to ask when critiquing the problem and purpose?
Does the purpose narrow and clarify the focus of the problem to be studied?
Are the problem and purpose of the study clearly and concisely expressed?
Does the problem or purpose statement express a relationship between two or more variables?
Are the problem and purpose significant to generate nursing knowledge?
What does the purpose statement accomplish?
Many researchers articulate their goals as broad statements of purpose. The purpose statement captures in a sentence or two, the essence of the study and establishes the general direction of inquiry
What kind of words are used in the purpose statement?
The word “purpose, goal, aim, intent, or objective” appear in the purpose statement.
Explore; Explain; Describe; Predict
What three components are included in a purpose statement?
Includes variables, population and setting (what, who & where)
What is a researchable question? (3 qualifiers)
Helps solve a problem, add to theory, or improve nursing practice.
Needs to be usable, current, and clear.
Provides answers that will explain, describe, identify, predict, or qualify
What are some guidelines for writing research questions? (three guidelines)
Start with a simple question
Has one stem and one topic
Action-oriented
The way you ask a question determines how you will answer it.
What way should a research question be asked? (So that it determines a good answer)
Should be an open-ended question, not closed-ended. (Not a “yes” or “no” question)
What are some types of hypotheses?
Causal vs. Associative
Simple vs. Complex
Non-directional vs. Directional
Null vs. Research
What is an associative hypothesis? (example)
Associative – There is a relationship between amount of exercise and weight loss among dieting women.
What is the difference between simple and complex hypotheses?
Simple = 2 variables. Complex = more than 2 variables.
What is an example of simple vs complex hypotheses?
Infants born to heroin-addicted mothers have lower birthweight than infants of non-addicted mothers.
Infants born to heroin-addicted mothers have lower birthweight, more neurologic complications, and higher mortality than infants of non-addicted mothers.
What is the difference between a directional and non-directional hypothesis?
Directional includes a word like “less, more, higher, lower, positive negative” to indicate the direction of relationship between the variables. Non-directional does not.
What is an example of non-directional vs directional hypothesis?
Incidence of decubitus ulcers is related to the frequency of turning patients. – non-directional
Patients turned at least every two hours have a lower incidence of decubitus ulcers than patients turned less frequently. - directional
What is a null hypothesis?
Null hypothesis = there is no relationship. I accept or reject this based on my findings.
What is an example of a research hypothesis compared to a null hypothesis?
There is no relationship between gender and knowledge of sexually transmitted diseases among teenagers. – Null hypothesis
Teenage boys are better informed about STDs than teenage girls.
What are some characteristics that a research hypothesis should have? (4 points)
Be written in the present tense
Not include statistical jargon (eg. “statistically significant” “controls”)
Allude to the target population to which the knowledge would apply
Be simple and concise
What are variables?
Qualities, properties, or characteristics of persons, things, or situations that are manipulated or measured in research. - OPERATIONALIZED
What are independent variables?
Variable that is believed to cause or influence the dependent variable; may or may not be manipulated by the researcher.
What are some other names for independent variables?
Cause
Action
Intervention
What are dependent variables?
Outcome variable, consequence
What are some other names for dependent variables?
Effect, outcome, reaction, response
What are extraneous variables?
varaibles influence relationships being studied.
What is another name for extraneous variables?
Confounding variables.
What are demographic variables?
describe the population (and may be confounding variables)
What is a conceptual definition?
the abstract meaning of a variable that is usually based on theory.
Conceptualization of the variable is the abstract, theoretical meaning of the concept being studied
What is an operational definition?
a way of defining the variable to make it measurable.
Operationalization of the variable is the means by which the researcher will collect information about the variable
What are the three levels of abstraction?
Construct
Concept
Variable
What are three questions one should ask when critiquing objectives/questions/hypotheses?
Are the objectives, questions, or hypotheses clearly expressed and linked to the research purpose and study framework?
Do they clearly identify the variables and population to be studied?
If hypotheses are stated, is the form of the statement statistical or research? Are the hypotheses testable?
