OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH PROCESS

INTRODUCTION
Research is pursued for the ultimate purpose of advancing knowledge. Systematic
enquiry is a means to that end. “RESEARCH” is a term which came into English from
the old French word “CERCHIER”, meaning to search or seek and the prefix “RE”
meaning again.
It is a reflective intensive search with a view of becoming certain. Research means to
search, to find out, to discover again and again.

DEFINITION
Kerlingler defines “Scientific research as a systematic, controlled, empirical and critical
investigations of hypothetical propositions about the presumed relations among natural
phenomena”.

Research is diligent, systematic inquiry or investigation to validate and refine existing

knowledge and generate new knowledge.

NURSING RESEARCH
Refers to the use of specific systematic process in attempting to discover or confirm
facts that relate to specific problem or question about the practice of nursing.

CHARACTERISTICS OF RESEARCH
Orderly
Systematic
Empirical
Has certain applications
Based on certain theory/model
Done under controlled situations
Researchable

PURPOSES OF RESEARCH

To obtain new knowledge

To solve stated problem
To make decisions
To develop program, procedure or product
To evaluate program, procedure or product.

PURPOSES OF NURSING RESEARCH

Development of systematically derived information relevant to the practice of nursing.
Development and testing of theories in practice.
Identification of criterion measures, tools, and instruments to document the outcomes
and effectiveness of nursing practice.

NEED FOR NURSING RESEARCH

To develop refine and extend the scientific base of knowledge.
To define parameters of nursing.
To identify criteria measures tools and instruments to document the outcomes and
effectiveness of nursing practice.

SCOPE/AREAS OF NURSING RESEARCH

AREAS OF NURSING RESEARCH

Focus: - consisting of individual, family, group and /or population.

Participants: - Client both actual and potential, nurse and others participating in the care
such as family, friends, other health team members.

The Elements: - such as self care practice, primary health care, client’s ability to
participate in self care of nursing situation, technological support available, Nursing
process etc.

RESEARCHABLE PROBLEMS IN NURSING

Promotion of positive health practices.
Nursing process or clinical judgment.
Research concerning groups at risk of specific health problems.
Research concerning the description of holistic nursing situations.
Research concerning compliance with prescribed programmes of treatment.

RELATED TERMINOLOGY

PROBLEM It is a felt difficulty.

CONCEPT A concept is a complex of ideas so united to portray a large general idea.

THEORY, PRINCIPLE, LAW

A theory, principle or law is the delineation of a relationship between two facts that
may be used to explain phenomena, guide actions and predict results or actions.

OPERATIONAL DEFINITION
It is a definition that uses observable process, actions to describe concepts represented
by the terms being defined.
Learning style: It refers to the expressed preference of learning style of B.Sc. nursing
students on learning style preference inventory. The learning style is categorised as
teacher-directed learner or self-directed learner.
Acceptability: It refers to the expressed opinion of B.Sc. nursing students who are
exposed to CAI on approval and usefulness of CAI on the care of LBW neonates as
measured by a structured opinionnaire.

VARIABLE
Variable is a measurable component of an object or event that may fluctuate in quantity
or quality. It is a phenomenon or attribute that needs to be measured.
e.g. B.P. a measuring component of hypertension.

INDEPENDENT VARIABLE
Independent variable is the presumed cause. It is antecedent. Independent variable is
manipulated and is to be evaluated.
DEPENDENT VARIABLES
Dependent variables is the presumed effect. It is consequent. It is under observation to
note the effect of Independent variable It is the criteria to evaluate Independent variable

EXTRANEOUS VARIABLES
Are those that lie outside the interest or perhaps the control of the researcher?

CRITERION MEASURE
It is a quality, attribute or characteristic of a variable that may be measured to provide
scores by which subjects or things of the same class may be compared with respect to
the variable. e.g. B.P. for hypertension / hypotension, temperature for fever, rating scale
for attitude.

ASSUMPTIONS
Assumptions are statements describing a phenomena or condition that is accepted as
being true on basis of logic and reason e.g. skill in doing urine testing is observable and
measurable, B.P. recording is measurable.

Attitude is measurable on attitude scale. The opinion expressed freely in the form of
varying degrees of agreement or disagreement in respect of the propositions, reveal the
B.Sc. nursing students' attitude towards CAI.

Clinical performance of B.Sc. nursing students regarding the care of LBW neonates in
NCU can be observed and measured by clinical performance evaluation proforma.

HYPOTHESIS
It is the delineation of a relationship believed to exist between two phenomena.
H1Mean posttest (day 30 and day 90) knowledge score of B.Sc. nursing students who
were exposed to CCI will be significantly higher than their mean pretest knowledge
score as measured by structured knowledge test on the care of LBW neonates at .05
level of significance.

POPULATION
Population is a general group of category of entities (Subjects, objects, records) under
study.

SAMPLE
It is small proportion of a population selected for the study.

SAMPLING
Refers to the process of selecting a proportion of the population to represent the
population.

SAMPLE SIZE
It refers to the total number of subjects to be selected for the data collection.

DATA (DATUM)
It is a fact which is a observable and measurable phenomenon.
SOURCES OF DATA
It is an entity from which the facts needed for study are obtained by the investigator. A
source may be the study subjects, objects or records etc.

SETTING FOR STUDY

It is the place local in which the sources of data are expected to be located and in which
the data collection procedures will be carried out.

TYPES OF RESEARCH
It refers to the general purpose for doing a particular investigation, such as pursuing a
study for the purpose of describing demonstrating, applying and testing. Historical
Survey
Experimental

RESEARCH APPROACHES
Historical Approach: - is past oriented. It refer to the general patterns for organizing
procedures for collecting facts derived from study subjects from the past, where the
phenomena, the observations of which will make up the data, are no available for direct
observation but must be inferred from records.

Survey Approach: - It is present oriented. It refers to general pattern for organizing

procedures for collecting facts that are derived from study subjects of the present, are
currently occurring or observable.

Experimental Method: - is future oriented. It refers to the general patterns for

organizing procedures for collecting facts that are derived from study subjects of future
will occur and be observable in the future.

RESEARCH PLAN is the overall scheme or programme of the research.

TECHNIQUE
It is a process for making or obtaining individual observations of phenomena. It is the
process by which data are collected.

TOOLS FOR OBTAINING FACTS

It is a tool or instrument used in the process of securing observations that compose the
data for the study. E.g. a thermometer, interview schedule observation schedule,
questionnaire, rating scale etc.

TOOLS FOR RECORDING FACTS

is a form in which observations are recorded e.g. checklist, TPR sheet, video tape etc.

PRETESTING
Pretesting is the process of measuring the effectiveness of the instrument used to gather
data.

RELIABILITY
Refers to the accuracy and consistency of a measuring tool.

VALIDITY
It refers to the degree to which the tool measure what it is intended to measure.

PILOT STUDY
is the preliminary small scale trial run of the research study.

ANALYSIS
means categorizing, ordering, manipulating and summarizing of data collected to
answer the research questions.

INTERPRETATION
Takes the results of analysis, makes inferences pertinent to the research relations
studied and draw conclusions about these relations. Meaning and implications of
relations are sought from data within the research study and with other researcher’s
findings.

STEPS IN RESEARCH PROCESS

Identify problem area
Review literature
Research methodology
Analyze, interpret & present results
Disseminate findings.

DEFINE PROBLEM AREA

Formulate the problem & delimit the problem.
State objective.
Review the literature.
Formulate the framework of theory.
Identify research variables.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

EXPLAIN METHODOLOGY
Formulate hypotheses.
Determine the research design.
Delineate the target population.
Operationalize & measure the research variables.
Select the sample.
Select and develop method for collecting data.
Conduct the pilot study & make revisions.
Collect the final data.

Research Design is a framework, guide for action for the researcher.

Design Contains –
Research approach
Definition of variables.
Statement of hypothesis
Sampling technique, population, sample its size and criteria.
Data collection techniques & tools.
Data collection procedure.
 Plan of statistical analysis
Pretesting of tool.
Pilot study.

RESEARCH DESIGN
Seeking administrative permission
Physical facilities – place, equipment
Consider –
• Time for data collection
• Budget
• Personnel for data collection
• Purchase of equipment
• Campaigning if needed.
• Ethical considerations.

DATA COLLECTION TECHNIQUES

 Questioning
 Interviewing
 Observing
 Going through records

TOOLS
Questionnaire
Interview schedule
Checklist
Rating scale
Instrument etc.

CHARACTERISTICS OF TOOLS
Pertinent to problem/purpose of study
Reliable
Valid
Objective, sensitive
Practical
Economical
Should be of interest to both researcher and sample subjects.

ANALYZE & PRESENT RESULTS:

Organize the data.
Analyze the data.
Interpret the results.
Determine method of communicating results. (verbal presentation, writing research
report, publication etc.)

PROBLEMS OF CURRENT NURSING RESEARCH

Nursing research tradition – Tradition of doing things without asking why of things.
Lack of awareness and motivation.
Lack of finances/nursing research grants for enterprising nurses.
Inadequate preparation of nursing personnel to do nursing research
Inadequate qualified nurse researchers.
FUTURE OF NURSING RESEARCH
Rising consumer demand and awareness for expanded and improved health care,
restructuring of the delivery of health services, nursing research journals.
Promotion of research activity in nursing curricula organization responsible for
coordinating and encouraging research in nursing.
Indian doctoral programme in nursing.

CHARACTERISTICS OF RESEARCH PROBLEM

a. Significant to nursing/health/building body of knowledge
b. Researchable – amenable to scientific investigation.
c. Feasible – money, time, ethically
d. Administrative approval.
e. Facilities available.
f. Technically possible.
g. Meaningful.
h. Researcher should have knowledge & expertise.

NURSING EDUCATION
Curriculum Development
Teaching Strategies
Evaluation
Student Adjustments/ Problems / Perceptions/ Preferences/ Behavior Continuing
Education /Inservice Education / Adult Education

NURSING ADMINISTRATION
Activity Study
Professional Organization
Job Satisfaction and Working Conditions
Services
Job Description/ Role
Records
Supervision/ Evaluation
Recruitment
Professional Adjustment/ Attitude

CLINICAL NURSING
Community Health Nursing
Obstetrical Nursing
Psychiatric Nursing
Pediatrics Nursing
Medical Surgical Nursing
Nursing Quality/ Standard/ Process

CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
A guide for the construction of a curriculum for a baccalaureate degree of science in
nursing at the University of Calcutta for the state of west Bengal

TEACHING STRATEGIES
A guide for integration of physics and chemistry in teaching of nursing arts
The construction of a sample manual in anatomy and physiology related to nursing and
suitable for schools of nursing in India on the basis of some formulated criteria suited
to the requirements of the Indian nursing curriculum

EVALUATION
Construction of achievement test in midwifery for the fourth year students in the
hospital schools
A study of existing practices and attitudes towards internal assessment as expressed by
teachers and students of baccalaureate nursing program
A follow up study of post basic baccalaureate nursing graduates of college of nursing,
Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, from 1974-1979

STUDENTS ADJUSTMENTS /PROBLEM /PERCEPTION /PREFERENCES/

BEHAVIOUR.
To study the effectiveness of empathy training programmes for selected under graduate
students of R.A.K College of nursing New Delhi
A study of attitude of parents of school girls towards, nurses and nursing and
preferences for nursing as a career for their daughters in selected in higher secondary
schools of Srinagar Jammu and Kashmir

CONTINUING EDUCATION / INSERVICE EDUCATION / ADULT EDUCATION

Development of an in service education programme for the preparation of nurses
expected to work in a burn unit of a hospital
Study of orientation practices prevalent in selected hospital under a command for newly
commissioned nursing officers in the military nursing services
A study to identify and analyse the learning needs of selected staff nurses in a
neurological unit
Development of self instructional material for in service education of nurses expected
to work in rural dialysis unit on the basis of identified learning needs

NURSING ADMINISTRATION
A study of the activities of the nursing and non nursing personnel, in an inpatient unit
of a catholic mission hospital in New Delhi
A study of the activities of the staff nurses in an in patient orthopaedic unit of a general
hospital in Lucknow
A study of the effectiveness of the Punjab state branch –TNAI as perceived by the
nurses stationed at Patiala

JOB SATISFACTION AND WORKING CONDITIONS

An investigation to find out the levels of job satisfaction of nurses in in goverment
hospital in Calcutta
A study of the working conditions of the professional nurses in a few Christian mission
hospitals in U.P
A comparative study of job related stress and stress reactions as expressed by staff
nurses working in ICU and non ICU settings in selected hospitals of Kerala

SERVICES
A study of maternal and child health services rendered by the primary health centres,
Batla in the state of Gujarat
Cost analysis of basic university programme in nursing at college of nursing, New
Delhi

JOB DESCRIPTIONS/ ROLE

A study to find out the traits of an effective clinical instructor as viewed by the students
of college of nursing, University of Delhi
An investigation to find out the attitude of nurse educator of college of nursing in India
towards the dual role as a nurse educator and a nurse practitioner

RECORDS
The study of the health records of the BSc students’ college of nursing, University of
Delhi

SUPERVISION/ EVALUATION
A study of the supervisory activities in the clinical field in the college of nursing, Delhi
University and the student’s reaction to those activities
Developing performance evaluation tool in midwifery nursing labour room experience

RECRUITMENT
An investigation into factors effecting high school girls opting for nursing in Mizoram

PROFESSIONAL ADJUSTMENT ATTITUDE

A study of the satisfaction and dissatisfaction of the staff nurses derived from the
activities they perform
A study of the professional problems related to the working conditions of the nurses
employed in the government hospitals at Allahabad (U.P)

CLINICAL NURSING
A study of the reactions of the parents towards the service rendered by the maternity
and the child health center, Babar road, New Delhi
A comparative study of the health knowledge and practices in relation to the
communicable diseases among the girls in two schools in Delhi
A study to assess the knowledge of the multipurpose health workers and the problems
encountered by the min the management of the cold chain system for vaccine in
Universal Immunization Programme and its relation to selected factors in selected
districts of Rajasthan

OBSTETRICAL NURSING
Study of patient expectations of the nurse role in the labour room
Evaluation of the students’ performance in carrying out asepsis technique in a selected
unit of obstetrical nursing.
Effect of structured health teaching on the level of the knowledge and severity of
conditions in the mother having preeclampsia

PSYCHIATRIC NURSING /BEHAVIOURAL PROBLEMS

A preliminary evaluation of the Attitude of the psychiatric patients of outpatient
department of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi towards the
Electroconvulsive Therapy.
A study to investigate meanings of the Touch gestures used by the doctors and nurses
while interacting with the psychiatric patients in the selected psychiatric units.
A study of the coping behavior of the Family of the Mentally Ill Patients since the onset
of their illness in the selected psychiatric units of Punjab.

PEDIATRIC NURSING
Exploration into the role of pediatric nurse in low birth weight unit as perceived by
mothers and nurses
Assessment of growth pattern in selected group of rural infants in Trivandrum district
in Kerala state
The effect of socio-economic factors on the growth of babies from birth to one year in a
rural village in Tamil Nadu

MEDICAL SURGICAL NURSING

A study of the fear and anxieties of female cancer patients undergoing surgical
treatment of cancer of the breast.
A study to determine knowledge, beliefs and practices in relation to cancer prevention
in a group of women and their relationship with selected factors.
An exploratory system of the relationship between the selected factors related to burn
injury and incidence of post burn complications.

NURSING QUALITY/ STANDARD/ PROCESS

A study of nursing care as expressed by patients in two cancer wards of a government
hospitals (1966)
A study to evaluate nursing care given to selected group of patients in an army hospital
(1975)

Statement of the Problem

“A study to compare the effectiveness of Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) versus
Conventional Classroom Instruction (CCI) on the care of Low Birth Weight (LBW)
Neonates in terms of knowledge, decision-making ability, clinical performance and
attitude towards CAI of B.Sc. nursing students of selected Colleges of Nursing in Delhi
and Punjab.”

Objectives of the Study

 To develop and validate Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) on the care of LBW
neonates.
 To assess and compare the knowledge of B.Sc. nursing students regarding the
care of LBW neonates before and after the exposure to Computer Assisted
Instruction (CAI) and Conventional Classroom Instruction (CCI).
 To assess and compare the decision-making ability of B.Sc. nursing students
regarding the care of LBW neonates before and after the exposure to CAI and
Conventional Classroom Instruction (CCI).
 To assess and compare the attitude of B.Sc. nursing students towards CAI before
and after the exposure to CAI and Conventional Classroom Instruction (CCI) .
 To assess and compare the clinical performance of B.Sc. nursing students
regarding the care of LBW neonates in NCU after the exposure to CAI and CCI.
 To determine the relationship between knowledge and decision-making ability;
knowledge and attitude; knowledge and clinical performance; decision-making
ability and attitude; decision-making ability and clinical performance; attitude and
clinical performance of B.Sc. nursing students exposed to CAI and CCI.
 To compare B.Sc. nursing students exposed to CAI and CCI with different
learning style preference in terms of knowledge; decision-making ability;
clinical performance and attitude.
 To determine the relationship between acceptability of CAI and knowledge;
decision-making ability; clinical performance; attitude; learning style preference
of B.Sc. nursing students who were exposed to CAI.
 To determine the association between selected variables and knowledge; decision-
making ability; clinical performance; attitude; acceptability of CAI; learning style
preference of B.Sc. nursing students who were exposed to CAI.