Research Notes 5

Research Problem = researches made before that is published in

Nursing Research Problems: journals
 Nursing practice = Look into conclusion & recommendations part of
 Nursing education previous researchers
 Nursing service  Collaboration with faculty & nurse researchers
= asking questions from nurses themselves if they
“The way you ask a question will irrevocably determine the encounter certain problems in their duty/area
way you will answer the question.” – Brink & Brown, 1994  Research priorities identified by funding agencies &
 This statement explains why its imp for researchers specialty groups (NUHRA & RUHRA)
to establish a good res questions because it is a = always established by certain organizations
wrong notion to just say “Mag research ko” = just like Velez & its Research Agenda
 Have a research question then determine the
research design to get your needed answers National Unified Health Research Agenda 2017-2022
(NUHRA) Research Priorities
Research question National Unified Health Research Agenda 2017-2022
= an explicit query about a problem or issue that can be = created with joint cooperation of DOST, DOH, NEDA, and
challenged, examined, and analyzed other leading agencies in govt and non-gov to help identify
= yields useful new information research priorities
= an area in which there is a GAP in nursing’s knowledge base = summarizes the areas of research that all of us can
 Asa dapit ang naay loophole na wala pa nato na promote, work together, fund, and support
answer/totally explore ani na part sa nursing? How = renews in year 2023
do we discover the gap in nursing knowledge?
= not just like any other question because you have certain 6 NUHRA Research Priorities
parameters to satisfy for this 1. Responsive health systems
2. Research to enhance & extend healthy lives
When you will read the related literature, you are to check on 3. Holistic approaches to health & wellness
recommendations of the previous researchers. No research 4. Health resiliency
covers all questions because that is impossible. Research is 5. Global competitiveness & innovation in health
like a puzzle. 6. Research in equity & health

3 Types of Gap in Nursing Research Why do we need to establish research priorities?

*Gaps that could call for a research question  Serves as a guide of research all over the country to
1. Gap related to nursing practice know which areas are relevant to the Philippines
= Example: “What is the most cost-effective  Gives guidance among funding agencies/sponsors
approach if u want to apply music therapy to for them to have basis for researchers to sponsor on
depressed px?”  Doing research needs a lot of investments: time,
2. Gap that is focused on understanding a process money, equipment so we need to make priorities
= We want to know the best process of looking into
how to go about a particular situation DOST, CHED, DOH
= Example: “How will you identify the cause of = has yearly budget for research funding; however, in the
Covid? How will you isolate it?" Philippines, gamay ra mu avail, our research productivity rate
3. Gap related to theory generation is way TOO LOW compared to other countries; dili uso diri
= considered to be the most complicated one mag masteral
= entails generating A NEW THEORY
= needs a higher level of educational qualification Regional Unified Health Research Agenda (RUHRA)
= When you pursue your doctorate degree you will = defines the research priorities of a region, taking into
be required to make your own theory just like this consideration its peculiarities and local context
 Very dugay kay you have to prove your = based on NUHRA & distinct needs of particular region
assumptions to support your theory = formulated in cooperation w/ regional DOST, DOH, CHED

Sources of Research Problem Evaluation of the Research Problem

 Researcher’s own interests, curiosity 1. Significance of the Problem
 Clinical practice = Is the problem important to nursing and its clients?
= Example: How to improve delivery of care = Will patient care benefit from the evidence?
 Professional journals in one’s of one’s area of = Will the findings challenge (or lend support to) untested
expertise assumptions?
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= Not anyone can res on anything. Research qualification is = Clear questions yield clear answers; Fuzzy
vvvv important. questions yield fuzzy answers; Fuzzy answers will not
be usable nor ethical.
2. Researchability of the Problem 5. Provide DIRECTION to the Research Report
= not all questions are not researchable; sometimes the = must not be a “sitter” type of question
answer is already there so you cannot yield new info = You will know unsay sunod buhaton sa succeeding
= Questions of a moral or ethical nature cannot be chapters kay mkabaw ka kani na res ques iyahang
researched structure it calls for quantitative approach therefore
 Could be right for others & wrong for some. Mag design should be quantitive realm
tuyok2 rka. Di ka makaabot sa imong data saturation.
= should be measurable Refining the Research Problem Area
= How to know if its researchable: Can it give u a new useful  Discussion with peers
info? = What do u think classmate/maam, is this too broad
or can we narrow it down pa?
3. Feasibility of Addressing the Problem  Literature review
= Always consider the ff: = From research publication journals’ conclusion and
o Time recommendation’s part
o Availability of Study Participants  Replication research
= Will you be able to tap your res participants? Like = involves repeating a research study to determine
victims of sexual abuse? Do you have means even if whether its findings are reproducible
student pka?  If it is reliable, you will be yielding more/less
o Organizational or Administrative Support same result even if diff time & diff res
= Will u be able to get ample financial participants
support/guidance from your instructor and the = at your present moment/setting
organization you want to research on? = can extend generalizability if the replication study’s
population differs from that of the original research
4. Facilities & Equipment  Example: Try to see if US research can yield
= some researches need machines which is mahal the same results if it is applied in PH
research.
5. Money = True skeptics may undertake a replication merely to
= You have to cover the ff: challenge the findings or interpretations of original
o Literature costs researchers
= research articles na kailangan fee to access it  Does not mean gubot; it is a good way to
o Personnel costs see if results & methodology is strong
= compensation u give to staff esp. if it is all over the enough done by original researcher and if
world its relevant to present situation
o Participant costs
= compensation not INCENTIVE 4 Types of Replication Studies
= transpo allowance, payment for loss of wage, etc Exact Replication
o Supplies = identical to the original
o Equipment = conducted solely to confirm the original’s study results
o Lab Fees = U will do same as orig, at the same time with the same ppl;
o Transportation Cost not feasible/unobtainable; not pwede sa atong world
o Printing & duplication
Concurrent or Internal Replication
= rare in nursing
6. Researcher Experience
= closely related to exact replication; it uses a different site &
= Bag-o pani sha or experienced na na researcher?
different subjects but data collection occurs at the same time
in both studies
7. Ethical Considerations
= Example: Studying Velez & CNU students at the same time
= Always consider ethics in making your res problem
Approximate or Operational Replication
Characteristics of a Good Nursing Research Question
= different researchers conduct the original research and the
1. Usable
replication follows the original design & methods as closely as
2. Ethical = true, factual, valid, reliable
possible
3. Must be a NOW question = must be relevant
= aim to follow as closely as possible
4. Clear
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 Example: Study sa US na gnhan iconduct sa = general objectives

phils. The US study was conducted 10 yrs = identifies the key concepts (variables) and the study group
ago & is focused on adolescents. Ang kwaon or population
karon presently sa PH na study kay
adolescent but karun na time. So there's a Purpose Statement in Quantitative Study
difference na. But its more or less following = identifies the key study variables & their possible
the same design kay adolescent age grp ra interrelationships as well as the population of interest (PICO
ghapon. elements)

Systematic or Constructive Replication “To explore or to examine”

= conducted “under distinctly new conditions” = non-experimental design
= its goal is to extension of the findings of the original study,
most frequently to different settings or to clients with “To test or to evaluate”
different disease processes = an intervention; experimental design
= Very much expected in nursing; ang orig researcher mura
rag basis but not necessarily the same dapat ang inclusion “To compare”
criteria, naa lay gkuha na theoretical background or even the
process of how they go abt the data collection Avoid using the verbs: to prove, to demonstrate or to show
in a problem statement as these suggests a bias. Verbs in a
Terms Relating to Research Problems purpose statement should CONNOTE OBJECTIVITY.
Research Topic
= a broad focus of interest that researchers would want to Purpose Statement in Qualitative Study
study = indicates the Nature of Inquiry; the key concept or
phenomenon; and the group, community, or setting under
Research Problem (Problem Statement) study
= an enigmatic or troubling condition
= needs to be SOLVED or to contribute to its solution by To explore or to describe
gathering relevant data = an investigation of a little-researched topic
= By form, it should include 2 precise/concise paragraphs = phenomenology or ethnography
= will include:
 Problem Identification To understand, discover or generate
 Background = grounded theory study
 Scope
 Consequences of the problem Research Question
 Knowledge gaps = the specific queries researchers want to answer in
 Possible solution to the problem addressing the research problem
= articulates the nature, context, and significance of a
problem to be studied Research Questions in Quantitative Studies
General question template:
6 Components of a Quantitative Problem Statement: “In (population), what is the relationship between
1. Problem Identification: What is wrong with the (Independent variable or IV) and (Dependent variable or
current situation? DV)?”
2. Background: What is the nature of the problem, or
the context of the situation, that readers need to Variations:
understand? Therapy/treatment/intervention:
3. Scope of the problem: How big a problem is it, and = In (population), what is the effect of (IV: intervention vs an
how many people are affected? alternative) on (DV)?
4. Consequences of the problem: What is the cost of Prognosis:
NOT fixing the problem? = In (population), does (IV: disease or illness vs. its absence)
5. Knowledge gaps: What information about the affect or increase the risk of (DV)?
problem is lacking? Etiology/Harm:
6. Proposed solution: How will the new study = In (population), does (IV: exposure vs nonexposure) cause
contribute to the solution of the problem? or increase of (DV)?

Statement of purpose (Purpose statement)

= a summary of an overall goal; may use the words aim or
objective
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Descriptive Quantitative Research Questions

Examples: Types of Hypothesis
 What is the frequency with which nurses use humor 1. Simple hypothesis
as a complementary therapy with hospitalized cancer 2. Complex Hypotheses
patients? 3. Directional Hypotheses
= Best method of obtaining data: Observation 4. Nondirectional Hypotheses
 If you are looking into behavior mag tally ka 5. Research Hypotheses
ana, so you do direct observation if u want 6. Null Hypotheses
the best quality of data. However, this may
be considered unethical due to deception. Simple hypothesis
 What are the characteristics of nurse who use humor = single independent variable & single dependent variable
as a complementary therapy with hospitalized cancer = Examples:
patients? o The stress level of fathers is related to the stress
= Best method of obtaining data: A standardized tool levels of mothers.
 Doing observation will take too long. Have a o There will be a significant relationship between the
tool instead, but don’t just ask the nurse, mental health and academic performance of
also the px who knows the nurses, or the students (p< .05 level).
nurse's coworkers. o There will be a significant relationship between the
stress levels and treatment seeking behaviors in
Your research question determines your method. Ayaw infertile women (p<.05 level).
pataka butang res question nya pataka sa data gathering
procedures. Complex Hypotheses
= multiple independent or dependent variable
Hypothesis
= states predicted relationships between 2 or more variables Directional Hypotheses
—that is, the anticipated association between independent = specifies the expected direction of the relationship between
and dependent variables variables
= UNIQUE only in quantitative studies, as these are HUNCHES = Example:
of the researchers o Older patients are more likely to fall than younger
= never proved or disproved kay you are just looking at patients.
relationships bet. Variables, not cause & effect o The risk of falling increases with the age of
= They are: the patient.
 Accepted or rejected
 Supported or not supported by data Nondirectional Hypotheses
= predicted answers to research questions by researcher = Do not stipulate the direction of the hypotheses
= sometimes emerge from a theory = Example:
= stimulate critical thinking o There is a relationship between a patient’s age and
the likelihood of falling.
Example of Hypothesis: o Older patients differ from younger ones with respect
Research question: “Does sexual abuse in childhood affect to their risk for falling.
the development of irritable bowel syndrome in women?”  Second statement does not directly say that
older px has higher chance of falling than
Hypothesis: Women (P) who were sexually abused in younger ones, otherwise its directional na.
childhood (I) have a higher incidence of IBS (O) than women
who were not abused (C). Research Hypotheses
= statements of expected relationships between variables
Characteristics of a Testable Hypothesis:
o States EXPECTED RELATIONSHIP between IV and DV Null Hypotheses
within a population = aka Statistical Hypotheses
o If a hypothesis lacks the phrase such as more than, = state that there is no relationship between IV and DV
less than, different from, related to or something
similar, IT IS NOT TESTABLE. Buzz Words in Qualitative Studies
Grounded theory
= Processes; Social structures; Social interactions
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Phenomenological studies
= Experience; Lived experience; Meaning; Essence

Ethnographic studies
= Culture; Roles; Lifeways; Cultural behavior

Formulation of Research Parts

Research Topic Side effects of
chemotherapy
Research Problem Nausea & vomiting are
(Problem Statement) common side effects among
patients on chemotherapy,
and interventions to date
have been only moderately
successful in reducing these
effects. New interventions
that can reduce or prevent
these side effects need to
be identified.
Statement of purpose The purpose of the study is
to compare the
effectiveness of patient-
controlled versus nurse-
administered antiemetic
therapy for controlling
nausea and vomiting in
patients on chemotherapy.
Research Question What is the relative
effectiveness of patient-
controlled antiemetic
therapy versus nurse-
controlled antiemetic
therapy with regard to (1)
medication consumption
and (2) control of nausea
and vomiting in patients on
chemotherapy?
Hypotheses Subjects receiving
antiemetic therapy by a
patient-controlled pump
will (1) be less nauseous, (2)
vomit less, and (3) consume
less medication than
subjects receiving nurse-
administered therapy.
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Quantitative Research Question’s Components

Quantitative Research Question, Purposes,

and Probable Designs

Qualitative Research Question’s Components

Research Notes 5

Qualitative Research Question, Purposes,

and Probable Designs
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