Week 4 - Research Questions, Problems, Hypotheses Flashcards
Research Problem
An enigmatic, perplexing, or troubling condition
Often come from clinical practice, but can come from other areas - something is going on and we want to know why
Broad (Ex: HTN is an issue)
Problem Statement
A statement articulating the research problem and making an ARGUKMENT to conduct a new study
Mod. Broad/Narrowing in( ex: Breathing studied for other things, but not this so this is why we are trying it this way and why you should try it )
Statement of Purpose
Summary of an overall goal
GOAL - of the study - includes objective of study and purpose of this study
Narrow (Ex: In this study I hope to show decrease in HTN in Broome county)
When it comes to research, problems, and hypotheses…
start general and get more specific
Problem Statement should do what
highlight gaps in the literature that justify your study
The problems and lack of something in the research that is missing - but keep it nursing focused
“What is the relationship between variables in this population?” - Is this a Research Q, Statement of Purpose, or Hypothesis?
Research Question - the enigmatic condition
“This study intends to examine the relationship between X and Y in this population” - Is this a Research Q, Statement of purpose, or Hypothesis?
Statement of Purpose
“We believe that there is a relationship between X and Y in this population” - Is this a Research Q, Statement of Purpose, or Hypothesis?
Hypothesis
PICO
Population
Intervention (IV)
Control (DV)
Outcome
From Statement of Purpose we go to what 2 things?
Research Questions & Hypotheses
Research Questions
The specific queries the research wants to answer in addressing the research problem
“What is the relationship between the IV and DV in this population”
Hypotheses
The researcher’s predictions about relationships among variables
The answer to the research questions (in a way) - what the research predicts is going to happen
Hypotheses determines what
the design and statistical testing used to answer the research questions as well
Quantitative studies usually involve concepts…
that are well developed and for which methods of measurement have been (or can be) developed
*Large amounts of background research and very involved
Qualitative studies are undertaken because…
a researcher wants to develop a rich, context-bound understanding of a poorly understood phenomenon
Do Qualitative or Quantitative studies use Hypotheses?
Hypotheses are most closely related to quantitative research studies since the whole purpose is hypotheses testing
Qualitative studies don’t have hypotheses so we usually start with question involving phenomenon and population and that’s it
Sources of Research Problems
Clinical Experience
Nursing Literature
Global Issues
Political issues
Theory
Suggestion from external sources (e.g., priority statements of national organizations or funders)
Knowledge Based Triggers v Problem Based Triggers
Research Questions should be broad enough …
for central concern but narrow enough to study to serve as a guide to study design
Components of a Problem Statement
- ID the problem (What is wrong with the current situation)
- Background (What is the nature or context of the problem)
- Scope (how big is the problem and how many people are affected)
- Consequences (what are the consequences of not fixing the problem)
- Knowledge Gaps (what information about the problem is lacking)
- Proposed Sol’n (how will the study contribute to the problems solution)
IBS CKP
What are the 2 ways we speak of scope in a problem statement
- In terms of Money (Cost of healthcare, increased days of hospitalization, hospital readmissions, cost of pharmaceuticals, costs to healthcare system)
- In terms of Experience (Days of life loss, Days of work loss, Development of comorbidities, Med Amounts compared to those w/out the disease)
Quantitative Study Statement of Purpose
ID key study variables
ID possible relationships among variables
Indicates the population of interest
Suggests, through use of verbs, the nature of the inquiry (e.g., to test…, to compare…, to evaluate…)
Statement of Purpose is often where in the paper
it is often the last sentence before the method section
Qualitative Study Statement of Purposes
ID the central phenomenon
Suggests the research tradition (e.g., grounded theory, ethnography)
Indicates the group, community, or setting of interest
Suggests, through use of verbs, the nature of the inquiry (e.g., to describe…, to discover…, to explore…)
Looks for increase in knowledge about particular phenomenon in a particular population
Phenomenological Studies suggest…
the research tradition (experience)
Research questions are sometimes direct…
rewordings of statements of purpose, worded as questions
Words two variables and population
Research questions are sometimes used to…
clarify or lend specificity to the purpose statement
Research questions in quantitative studies, typically …
pose queries about the relationships among variables
Research Questions are unique…
to nursing