UNDERSTANDING THE
NATURE OF RESEARCH
BENJAMIN C. ABREGADO, RN, MAN, MAED
Instructor
Research
• The word research means “to search again” or “to
examine carefully.”
• More specifically, research is a systematic inquiry or
study that validates and refines existing knowledge and
develops new knowledge (Cosejo, 2020).
Research
• It is a process in looking at solution of a
given problem which can be used as basis
for:
a. Policy formulation
b. Policy enhancement or improvements
Characteristics of a Good
Research
1. Good research follows a systematic
approach to capture accurate data.
Researchers need to practice ethics and a
code of conduct while making
observations or drawing conclusions.
2. The analysis is based on logical
reasoning and involves both
inductive and deductive methods.
3. A good research can be repeated to
verify findings in another setting, thus
strengthen and reinforcing validity of
findings eliminating the possibility of
spurious conclusions
4. Accuracy is one of the most
critical aspects of research. The
information must be accurate and
correct.
5. Theory development and testing is a
systematic process of enquiry in any
discipline. Only a good research aims
to develop or test a theory.
6. The purpose of a good research is
to generate empirical evidences,
which can be used to improve the
professional practices.
7. A good research is conducted
by collection of data directly from
subjects by different methods.
8. A good research is conducted
following the selection of an appropriate
methodology. Unsuitable methodology
will result in wrong findings and
contributes to a weak research.
9. Generalizations of research findings
is possible if the study is conducted on
a sample which has characteristics
similar to the population of the study.
10. A good research employs suitable
tools in data collection. Methods and
tools of data collection varies
depending on the nature & type of
research.
Two Types of Research
Why is this important?
How can I use this?
Basic and Applied Research is further divided into
three types of research bearing some characteristics
feature as follows:
a. Quantitative Research
b. Qualitative Research
c. Mixed Research
A. Quantitative Research
Quantitative Research
• It is numerical, non-descriptive, applies
statistics or mathematics, and uses
numbers.
• It examines relationships among variables
• Determines the effectiveness of treatments
Quantitative Research
• It investigates the what, where, and
when of decision-making.
• The results are often presented in
tables and graphs.
Descriptive Research
•It is the exploration and description of phenomena in
real-life situations.
•Through descriptive studies, researchers discovers
new meaning, describe what exists, determine the
frequency with which something occurs, and
categorize information.
Descriptive Research
Example:
• Registered Nurses’ Continuing Educational Needs in Research
from Three Different Health Care Institutes in Singapore
•Oral care practices of intensive care nurses: A
descriptive study
•Self-Efficacy among Patients Undergoing Dialysis Therapy
Correlational Research
•Looks at the relationship between two or
more variables
•Determines the degree or strength and
type of relationship
Correlational Research
Correlational Research
Example:
•Linking patient satisfaction with nursing care: the
case of care rationing
•Hospital Patient Safety Culture and Computer SelfEfficacy among Nurses in a Hospital Setting
Experimental Research
•It allows the researcher to control the situation. In so
doing, it allows the researcher to answer the question,
"What causes something to occur?"
•This kind of research also allows the researcher to
identify cause and effect relationships between
variables.
Experimental Research
Three main characteristics of experimental studies:
1. Controlled manipulation of one variable (independent variable)
2. Exposure of some of the subjects to the treatment
(experimental group) and no exposure of the remaining subjects
(control group)
3. Random assignment of subjects to either the control and
experimental group
Experimental Research
Example:
•Efficacy of nurse-led interventions on dialysis-related
diet and fluid non-adherence and morbidities: protocol
for a randomized controlled trial
Quasi-Experimental Research
•Quasi means “Resembling”
•Categories fall short in some way of the criteria for the
true experimental group.
•Have some sort of control and experimental group, but
these groups are NOT RANDOMLY SELECTED.
Important Concepts in the Quantitative Research
Process
Rigor
Control
Sampling
Variables
Why is Rigor Important in Nursing Research?
•It requires discipline, adherence to detail, and
strict accuracy.
•Precise measurement tools, a representative
sample, and a tightly controlled study design
•Precision, accuracy, detail, and order required
What Measures of Control are Utilized?
•Measures of control are utilized to decrease the
possibility of error in a research study
•Different levels of control depending on study:
◦Quasi-experimental studies partially controlled regarding
selection of subjects
◦Experimental studies highly controlled because of precision of
sample selection
Control in Quantitative Research
Type of
Quantitative
Research
Researcher
Control
Research
Setting
Descriptive
Uncontrolled
Correlational
Uncontrolled or
partially controlled
Partially controlled
Natural or partially
controlled
Natural or partially
controlled
Partially controlled
Highly controlled
Laboratory
Quasiexperimental
Experimental
What are Sampling and Sampling Methods?
•Process of selecting subjects who are
representative of the population
•Random sampling
◦Each member has an equal chance of being selected.
◦Has the most control
•Non-Random sampling
◦Whoever is available
Sampling
Procedure and
Sample
POPULATION

It is the LARGER group
from which individuals are
selected to participate in the
study.
SAMPLING FRAME

It's a group of components
that a researcher can use to
select a sample from the
population
SAMPLE

It is the FRACTIONAL PART of
the
population
selected
for
investigation/study.

It is the SUBSET of the population
from which data are collected.
What is SAMPLING?
SAMPLING

It is the process of selecting a
number of individuals for a study
in such a way that the individuals
represent the larger group from
which they were selected.
Advantages and disadvantages of using a sample:
Advantages
Disadvantages
 Reduce the cost of the study
 Some biases in selecting the
and make data collection much
sample due to some external
easier and faster
factors out of the researcher’s
control or the researchers
themselves
 Easy manipulation and control  Require the researcher to know
of data
about statistics in order to
analyze and collect the data
 Easily avoid errors and analyze
correctly.
data with smaller numbers.
Sampling Methods are divided into two categories:
In Probability sampling, every member of the
population has a known chance of participating in
the study
In Non-probability sampling, on the other hand,
sampling group members are selected on nonrandom manner, therefore not each population
member has a chance to participate in the study
Types of Probability Sampling
Four main techniques used for a probability
sample:
Simple random sampling
 Systematic sampling
 Stratified random sampling
 Cluster sampling

Simple random sampling
● As the name suggests is a completely random
method of selecting the sample. This sampling
method is as easy as assigning numbers to the
individuals (sample) and then randomly
choosing from those numbers through an
automated
process
(Random
Number
Table/Generator).
● Or we can do it manually through the use of
fishbowl draw or lottery method.
Simple random sampling
Simple random sampling
Stratified Random sampling
● It involves a method where a larger population
can be divided into smaller groups or strata,
that usually don’t overlap but represent the entire
population together. While sampling these, groups
can be organized and then draw a sample from
each group separately.
● A common method is to arrange or classify by
sex, age, ethnicity, and other profile variables.
● ATTITUDES AND ACCEPTANCE OF COVID-19
VACCINES AMONG SELECTED RESIDENTS OF
CAUAYAN CITY
Barangay
(Strata)
Population
(N)
Sample
(n)
District 1
25,000
120
Minante 1
15,000
72
San Fermin
40,000
191
N=80,000
n=383
● Ex: District 1: 383/80,000 x 25,000=119.7 or 120
Systematic Sampling
●
It is when you choose every “nth”
individual to be a part of the sample.
For example, you can choose every 3rd
person to be in the sample.
Systematic Sampling
● sampling interval (k) = N (total population units)/n
(sample size)
STEPS:
1. Arrange the entire population (N) in a classified
sequence.
2. Select the sample size (n)
3. Calculate sampling interval (k) = N/n
4. Select a random number (r) between 1 to k
(including k)
5. Add the sampling interval (k) to the chosen
random number to add the next member to a sample
and repeat this procedure to add remaining members
of the sample.
Systematic Sampling
●
Example
●
k=N/n, k=100/20=5
r=3
●
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Systematic Sampling
●
Given that there are 1050 patients
and you need 282 of them as your
sample size. Then you picked
number 3 as your random number,
what numbers will represent your
respondents?
Cluster random sampling
● It is a way to randomly select participants when
they are geographically spread out. Cluster
sampling usually analyzes a particular population
in which the sample consists of more than few
elements, for example, city, family, university etc.
● The clusters are then selected by dividing the
greater population into various smaller sections.
61
Non-Probability Sampling
• Non-probability sampling is defined as
a sampling technique in which the
researcher selects samples based on
the subjective judgment of the
researcher rather than random
selection.
Types of Non-Probability Sampling
Four main techniques used for a nonprobability sample:
Convenience
 Judgemental/Purposive
 Snowball
 Quota

Convenience Sampling
● It is a non-probability sampling technique used to
create sample as per ease of access, readiness to
be a part of the sample, availability at a given
time slot or any other practical specifications of a
particular element.
● Convenience
sampling
involves
selecting
haphazardly those cases that are easiest to obtain
for your sample, such as the person interviewed at
random in a shopping center for a television
program.
Judgmental Sampling
●
●
In the judgmental sampling, also called
purposive sampling, the sample members
are chosen only on the basis of the
researcher’s
knowledge
and
judgment/based on the set selection
criteria.
It enables you to select cases that will best
enable you to answer your research
question(s) and to meet your objectives.
Snowball Sampling
● Snowball sampling method is purely based on
referrals and that is how a researcher is able to
generate a sample. Therefore this method is also
called the chain-referral sampling method.
● This sampling technique can go on and on, just
like a snowball increasing in size (in this case the
sample size) till the time a researcher has
enough data to analyze, to draw conclusive
results that can help an organization make
informed decisions.
Quota Sampling
● Selection of members in this sampling technique happens
on basis of a pre-set standard. In this case, as a sample
is formed on basis of specific attributes, the created
sample will have the same attributes that are found in the
total population. It is an extremely quick method of
collecting samples.
● Quota sampling is therefore a type of stratified sample in
which selection of cases within strata is entirely nonrandom.
Steps in
Quantitative
Research
B. Qualitative Research
Qualitative Research
• It is non-numerical, descriptive/narrative, applies
to reason, and uses words/pictures.
• Its aim is to get the meaning, and feeling and
describe the situation.
• Qualitative data cannot be graphed.
Qualitative Research
• It is exploratory.
• It investigates the why and how of decisionmaking.
Approaches to Qualitative Research
•The four common approaches to qualitative research used in
Nursing are the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Phenomenological
Grounded Theory
Ethnographic
Historical
1. Phenomenological Research
•It is a type of qualitative research that
describes the experiences as they are lived.
•The goal of the qualitative phenomenological
research is to describe a “LIVED EXPERIENCE”
of a phenomenon.
1. Phenomenological Research
Example:
•The Lived Experience of Patients Receiving Hemodialysis Treatment for
End-Stage Renal Disease
•Nurses' Experiences in Understanding the Comfort of Children at the Endof-Life
•Nurses experience about their palliative approach and their use of mobile
palliative care teams in medical and surgical care units in France
2. Grounded Theory Research
•It is a research method concerned with
the generation of theory, which is
‘grounded’ in data that has been
systematically collected and analyzed.
2. Grounded Theory Research
3. Ethnographic Research
3. Ethnographic Research
4. Historical Research
Steps in
Qualitative
Research
Narrative
Mixed Research
Mixed Research
• It involves the mixing of quantitative and
qualitative
methods
or
paradigm
characteristics.
• The nature of data is a mixture of variables,
words, and images.
Mixed Research