TRENDS AND ISSUES IN NURSING
NUR487
Overview of research process
I. Basic Research Terminology
Dr. Nazik Zakari
Dr. Hanan A. Ezzat
Dr. Olfat Salem
Nursing Administration & Education Dept.
HOW TO DEFINE ???
• Concept:
"A general idea referring to a behavior or
characteristic of an individual, group, or
nation".
For example, pain, patient care, coping,
happiness, cleanliness, dignity…etc.
HOW TO DEFINE ???
Construct:
"A concept specified in such a way
that it is observable in the real world, in
order to facilitate testing of the idea".
For example, position, in real world has
many different meanings in gynecology,
in surgery and in management.
Example of the relationship between
"concept" and "construct":
• Weight
a concept.
• Weight By electronic scale.
In the morning.
Before breakfast.
Without clothes.
a construct
HOW TO DEFINE ???
Variable:
"A concept that is observable,
measurable, and has a dimension that
can vary".
For example, temperature is a variable
that is observable, measurable, and
varies from high to low.
HOW TO DEFINE ???
Conceptual definition:
"The definition or description of the
study variables that is drawn from the
theoretical or conceptual framework".
HOW TO DEFINE ???
Operational definition:
"The definition or description of a study
variable that specifies how it will be
observed and measured in the study."
HOW TO DEFINE ???
• Assumption:
"A statement of principles whose
correctness has not been proven, but
is taken for granted on the basis of
logical reasoning".
"health is a priority for all people"
HOW TO DEFINE ???
• Hypothesis:
"A statement of predicted or expected
relationships between the variables of
the research (dep. & indep. variables)".
Hypothesis lead to empirical studies that
are seeking to confirm or disconfirm
these predictions.
HOW TO DEFINE ???
Data:
"Pieces of information that are
collected as they pertain to the
study".
HOW TO DEFINE ???
Limitations:
"Weaknesses in a research“
Uncontrolled extraneous variables,
that limit the generalizability of the
findings.
HOW TO DEFINE ???
Pilot study:
"A small scale trial done in
preparation of a major research".
HOW TO DEFINE ???
Validity:
“Degree or extent to which the tool or
instrument measures what it is supposed
to measure".
For example, a ruler measures the height
not the weight, while the scale measures
the weight not the height.
HOW TO DEFINE ???
Reliability:
“Degree or extent of consistency or
dependability with which a study
tool measures the variable over
time, by different persons".
HOW TO DEFINE ???
Population:
“Group of people who are going to be
studied, and to whom should the study
result apply".
For example, bed-side nurses are the
population in a research studying the
factors affecting the nurse's workload.
HOW TO DEFINE ???
Sample:
"Are those persons – in the populationfrom whom data will be actually
collected, and from whom
generalizations about the population
will be made".
Any Questions
???
Types of Variables
1.
2.
3.
4.
Dichotomous variables.
Attribute variable .
Active variables.
Dependent and independent
variables .
5. Extraneous variable
Types of Variables
1. Dichotomous variables.
Variables that vary in only two
values.
For example:
Male Vs female.
Alive Vs dead.
Day Vs night.
Types of Variables
2. Attribute variable:
A pre-existing characteristic or
attribute such as age, sex …etc.
which the researcher simply
observes and measures.
Types of Variables
3. Active variables
Variables that do not pre-exist, so,
the researcher has to create them.
For example:
If the researcher is testing the effectiveness
of 4 drugs on blood pressure, here, all the
four drugs are considered a variable that
varies among individuals. Where different
ones are taking different drugs: a, b, c or d.
Types of Variables
4. Dependent and independent variables
•
Independent variable: “Variable
that is believed to cause or
influence the dependent variable".
•
Dependent variable: “Variable that
is influenced by the independent
variable".
Example of Dependent/Independent
Variables
Does
Smoking
Cause
Lung cancer ?
Does
Nursing care
Cause
Rapid recovery ?
Does
Drug (a)
Cause
Improvement ?
Cause
Effect
Independent variable
Dependent variable
Types of Variables
5. Extraneous variable
Variable that confound the
relationship between the dependent
and independent variables, thus it
needs to be controlled.
E.g., "air pollution" is an extraneous
variable interferes with studying the
relationship between smoking
"independent variable" and lung
cancer "dependent variable".