C ON C E P T A N A LY S I S

CONCEPT ANALYSIS
PROCEDURES / STEPS
6. Identify Additional Cases
• The basic purpose of these cases is to help decide what counts as a defining attribute for the concept of
interest and what does not.
Types of Cases
a. Borderline Cases
b. Related Cases
c. Contrary Cases
d. Invented Cases
e. Illegitimate Cases
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7. Identify:
a. Antecedents – events or incidents that must occur prior to occurrence of the
concept.
b. Consequences – events or incidents that occur as a result to the occurrence of the
concept.
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8. Define Empirical Referents

• Classes or categories of natural phenomena that by their existence or presence demonstrate the
occurrence of the concept.
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9. Advantages and Limitations

a. Advantages
• Renders very precise theoretical and operational definitions for use in theory and research.
• Clarifies those terms that have become catchphrases and have lost their meanings.
• It is utility for tool development and nursing language development.
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PROCEDURES / STEPS

9. Advantages and Limitations

b. Limitations
• The tendency to moralize the concept.
• The feeling of being absolutely in over your head.
• The feeling that concept analysis is too easy.
• The compulsion to analyze everything.
• The need to protect oneself from others’ criticism.
• The feeling that verbal facility equals thinking.
• The attempt to add superfluous defining attributes.
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PROCEDURES / STEPS

10. Utilizing Results of the Concept

• Provides operational definitions with theoretical base.
• Provides understanding of the underlying attributes of the concept.
• Facilitates instrumental development in research.
• Provides assistance in the development of nursing language.
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11. Response to Criticism of this Method

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12. Summary
• The process of concept analysis employs the process of analysis to extract the defining attributes of a
concept. There are no rules for accomplishing the analysis. Selection of the concept and the theorist’s
familiarity of the literature will have some impact on where the theories begins. The steps in concept
analysis includes selecting the concept, determining the aims of analysis, identifying all uses of the
concept, determining the defining attributes of the concept, identifying model cases, examining
additional cases, identifying antecedence and consequences, and determining empirical referents.
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PROCEDURES / STEPS

12. Summary
• Concept analysis provides precise and rigorous constructed theoretical and operational definitions for
use in theory and research.
THA N K Y O U !