Step 1: Conceptualize the Study Flashcards
What is a research problem?
An enigmatic (puzzling), perplexing, or troubling condition/situation that a researcher wants to address through disciplined inquiry
When developing a research problem what is it important to consider before moving too far into the process regarding whether it can/should be done
Significance to nursing
Feasibility: Is it capable of being done?
o I.e. enough sample, money, or expertise needed to perform the study
How is a research topic identified?
o A specific problem area
o Generally, an area of interest to the researcher
o May be a difference in procedure noted between units or facilities
What is a problem statement?
A statement articulating the research problem and indicating the need for a study
An aspect of the research topic that is troubling or thought provoking
o Doesn’t have to be “bad”, it can just be a concern over a deficit in knowledge
o It is not a question, just a declared statement
Criteria:
o Feasibility
o Significance
o Researchability
(Fucking Serious Research)
What are the criteria for the problem statement?
MEMORY: Fucking Serious Research
Feasibility
o Adequate time and resources to do the study
Significance
o Is it significant to our discipline? Maybe the population at large
Researchability
o Is it possible to research what we are interested in?
Describe researchability, one of the criteria for a problem statement?
o Is it possible to research what we are interested in?
Describe feasibility, one of the criteria for a problem statement?
o Adequate time and resources to do the study
Describe significance, one of the criteria for a problem statement?
o Is it significant to our discipline? Maybe the population at large
What does a problem statement look like in a paper?
May just be one sentence
Generally located in the background or literature review section
Sometimes not easy to find in articles
1-2 paragraph discussion
May not have specific sentences for the statement
May have to read a few paragraphs to determine what the problem is
Sometimes located in general statements
What is this an example of:
“The general problem that this article addresses is the continuing prevalence of poor communication during the diagnostic window of time within the cancer experience”
Problem statement
What is this an example of:
“Given the teratogenic effects of some medications traditionally used to treat depressive disorders, there is the need to explore possible alternatives for women with depression associated with pregnancy”
Problem statement
Describe a purpose statement. What are the components of it?
Statement of purpose
o Researcher’s summary of the overall study
2-3 sentences
Components
o Study’s target
o Action verb
Describe the purpose statement of a quantitative article
Identifies key study variables
Identifies possible relationships among variables
Indicates the population of interest
Suggests, through use of verbs, the nature of the inquiry
o I.e. to test, to compare, to evaluate
What is this an example of:
The purpose of this descriptive study was to describe the compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue, and burnout among undergraduate nursing students at a tertiary nursing institution
Purpose statement of a quantitative article
What is this an example of:
The purpose of this meta-ethnography was to explore nurses’ experience with telephone triage and advice within the primary-care sector and to understand the factors that facilitate or impede their decision-making process
Purpose statement of a qualitative article
Describe the purpose statement of a qualitative article
Identifies central phenomenon
Indicates the research design
o i.e. phenomenology or ethnography
Indicates the group, community, setting of interest
Suggests, through use of verbs, the nature of the inquiry
o I.e. to describe, to discover, to explore
What type of study would have the words to test, compare, or evaluate in the purpose statement?
Quantitative study
What type of study would have the words to describe, discover, or explore in the purpose statement?
Qualitative study
What is the purpose of a literature review during the first step of the research process?
o Become familiar with the current state of knowledge on the topic
o Identify gaps in the literature
o Develop or refine research questions
o Identify strengths and weaknesses of studies through critical appraisal
How does a literature review help us to define the gap?
Determine what is known and what needs to be known
Problem statement helps to define this
Identifies
What questions are unanswered?
What unresolved problems exist?
Name some databases commonly used in literature reviews?
CINAHL, MEDLINE, ERIC, APA Psycinfo, SocioINDEX
What is the process of critically reading a paper during the literature review?
MEMORY: Prior to Comprehension, Always Skim
Preliminary
Skim the article to become familiar with content
Comprehensive
Understand the purpose or intent of the research
Analysis
Understand the parts/components of the research study
Synthesis
Understand the whole article and each step of the research process in a study
Describe an empirical research article
o Based on observed and measured phenomenon
o Derives knowledge from actual experience rather than from theory or belief
o Can be qualitative or quantitative
What type of article is based on observed and measured phenomenon and derives knowledge from actual experience rather than a theory/belief?
Empirical research article