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 quantitative 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
Describe primary sources identified during a literature review
o Written by person who developed the theory or conducted the research
o Articles and books by original authors
Describe secondary sources identified during a literature review
o Scholarly material written by someone other than the individual who conducted the research or developed the theory
o Provide a view of the phenomenon from another’s perspective
What research articles are written by the person who developed the theory or conducted the research?
Primary sources
What research articles are based on the scholarly material of another individual who conducted the research or developed the theory?
Secondary sources
What is the introductory summary of a paper called?
Abstract
What is an abstract?
An introductory summary of about 100-200 words
Brief description of the study placed at the beginning of the article
o A brief summary of the article or report usually prepared by the authors
o Includes descriptive information about the study including a brief summary of results
What questions does an abstract answer?
o What were the research questions?
o What methods were used to address these questions?
o What were the findings?
o What are the implications for nursing practice?
What is contained in a good abstract?
o Mentions the problem being addressed
o States the central purpose or focus
o Briefly states information about the sample, population, or subjects
o Reviews key results that relate to the study
What are the 2 formats of an abstract?
Traditional style
Single paragraph, 200 words
New style
More detailed with specific headings and multiple sections
What is a researchable question? What does it help us determine? Why is it so important to a project to have a good research question?
- The specific query(ies) the researcher wants to answer in addressing the research problem
- A specific, clearly defined question we are going to answer through research
- Provides answers that explain, describe, identify, substantiate, predict, or qualify
- Relevant to current issues
- Success of a study depends on the ability to translate the problem into a research question
- Determines scope and direction of the study and that the study components stay focused
- All elements in a research plan depend on the question (s)
In what ways does a well formulated research question guide the researcher?
Determining the objectives of the study
Research aims or objectives
Planning the correct methodology
Collecting and analyzing the data
Making inferences
What are the research aims/objectives?
The specific accomplishments to be achieved by conducting the study
What are important elements of research question development?
MEMORY - element of OAR
Originality
o What is already known about this topic?
o Which debate does it add to?
Applicability - Relevance
o What is the importance or relevance of the topic for stakeholders?
Rigour
o Is the question aligned with the methods?
o Do the research tools generate appropriate data to answer the question?
What question do we ask ourself to ensure that our research question has the element of relevance?
o What is the importance or relevance of the topic for stakeholders?