QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

1. Phenomenological Studies
a. “Lived experience”
b. Examines human experiences through descriptions provided by the people
involved
c. Bracketing
•
The researcher releases expectations and biases prior to doing the
research.
d. End purpose
•
To determine themes and patterns of behavior, etc.
2. Ethnographic Studies
a. Collection and analysis of data about cultural groups.
b. End purpose
•
To develop cultural theories.
c. Method
•
Participant observation and interviews with “key informants”
3. Grounded Theory Studies
a. Data are collected and analyzed and then a theory is developed that is
grounded on the data.
b. Method
•
Purposeful sampling, done in field or naturalistic setting.
c. Concerned with generation rather than testing the hypothesis.
4. Historical Studies
a. Identification, location, evaluation, and synthesis of data of the past
b. End purpose
•
To relate the past to the present and the future.
c. Sources of data for historical research
1. Documents
a. Oral history, written research, diaries, eyewitness
accounts, pictorial services.
2. Relics and artifacts
a. Physical evidence.
d. Classification of sources can be:
1. Primary
a. An account of the event from the person himself.
2. Secondary
a. Summarized or retold by another.
e. Evaluation or Critism of the data
1. External
a. Authentically or genuineness of the source
2. Internal
a. Accuracy of the data in the source.
5. Case study
•
In-depth examination of people

QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
Steps:

1. Identify the problem

a. Broad topic, narrowed down
b. May be the most difficult and will take the most amount of time
c. Sources of study problems

i. Personal experiences
ii. Literature sources
iii. Previous research
iv. Testing of theories
d. Characteristics of a good problem statement
i.
Stated as a question
ii.
Specifies the population and the variables
1. One-variable studies
•
Also called Univariate.
•
Eg. What is the primary motivation of student nurses in
preparing the Licensure examination?
2. Two-variable studies
•
Also Bivariate.
•

Can be cause and effect in experimental studies. But in a correlational study, the two variables are not “cause and
effect” but may be two variables that are compared or contrasted.

3. Multiple-variable studies.
•
Also called Multivariate
•
Eg. Why do nursing students fail on NLE?
iii.
Emphirically testable
•
Hearing, sight, taste, touch, smell.
1. Ethicai and value issues, “right or wrong”, are not empirically
testable but can be measured based on their effect to a subject .
•

Eg. Should patients be allowed an unlimited number of

visitors during their stay in the hospital?” can be measured
if “Is there a difference in the comfort level of hospitalized
patients who receive an unlimited number of visitors
compared to those limited to two visitors compared to those
limited to two visitors per day?”

2. Avoid words like “cause” and “effect”.

e. Is there a significant difference in the average weight of school age children
who eat fast food twice a week than those who eat fast food once a week?
f. Problem Statement Format:

i.
Correlational statement: Is there a correlation between X and Y in
 the population?

ii.

Comparative statement: Is there a difference in Y between people

in the population with X characteristics and those who do not have
X characteristics.

iii.

Experimental study: Is there a difference in Y between group A

who received X treatment and group B who did not receive X
treatment.

g. Research problem considerations:

i.
Ethical issues
ii.
Significance to nursing
iii.
Personal motivation
iv.
Researcher qualifications
v.
Feasibility of the study
1. Time
2. Cost
3. Equipment and Supplies
4. Administrative support
5. Peer support
6. Availability of Subjects
2. Determine the purpose of the study
a. Define why the study ids being made (often mistakenly interchanged with
problem statement).
b. Must state the significance and use of the study results in order to get
approval.

c. Eg. To develop a better understanding of the significance of consumption of fast food in the growing number of cases
of obesity and overweight among school aged children.

3. Review of Related Literature

a. Purpose
i.
To determine what knowledge already exist on the topic to be
studied.
ii.
To develop a conceptual and theoretical framework for the study.
iii.
To help the researcher plan the study methods (eg. Instrument and
tools).
b. Primary vs. Secondary sources
i.
Written by the original researcher

(eg. The Thesis itself, or the article written by the researcher).

Seen in Nursing Journals.
ii.
Secondary source

Summary of the research as written by someone other than the
researcher.
c. Review of related literature must be done on a continuous basis so as to ensure
that researcher’s informations are up to date.
4. Develop a Theoretical/Conceptual Framework