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Research Problems and Designs

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Introduction and the Literature Review

In Unit 2, we looked at the steps of the research process. In this unit, we begin with an in-depth analysis of the first step that defines and describes the research problem.

The first part of the research report is the Introduction and Literature Review. The importance of the pursuit of a particular topic is often justified in this section of the report, and the research problem is highlighted. This justification may also appear in the literature review or along with the research purpose. Approaches for justification include describing the

· seriousness of the problem;

· number of persons affected by the condition under study; and

· gap in the research literature.

The Literature Review is a summary of what is known about the topic; it is gathered through an examination of literature pertaining to the topic. The content is usually arranged by the variables and the population identified in the purpose of the study. A well-written review of the literature demonstrates how the evidence, related to the purpose of the study, fits together. In addition, a review of the literature might provide a critique of the research designs previously used to study the identified topic. These design issues can be another part of the justification for the study when a researcher proposes a study that strengthens the method for studying the topic. All literature cited in the review must also be listed in the References section.

Examine the quality of the sources that the researcher utilized for the review. Are they current, and are they published in well-respected sources? Are the sources mostly primary sources that are original articles written by the author, or are they secondary sources that paraphrase or interpret the primary sources?

This leads us to a question about peer review.

Peer Review

1. What does it mean when a journal or resource is peer reviewed? Why is it important that research-based evidence is peer reviewed?

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Research Problem

The inspiration for identifying a research problem is all around us. As we reflect on our practice, we find ourselves asking questions that lead us to ideas for research problems.

· Why are we doing this?

· Should we be doing this?

· How could we do this better?

Development of the research problem usually evolves in a  deductive  manner, which means that the researcher’s thinking moves from conceptual to operational, from broad to narrow, and from general to specific.

Evolution of a Research Problem
Describes the intent of what will be studied to address the research problem  Operational Narrow Specific	Area of Interest	Pertains to any aspect of nursing that is of importance to the researcher
	Knowledge Gap	Identifies the difference between what is known and what needs to be known about the area of interest
	Research Problem	Explains why there is a need for research to close the knowledge gap
	Research Purpose	Describes the intent of what will be studied to address the research problem
	Research Question	Outlines the components of the study and their possible relationships

At times, the researcher’s thought process is more inductive, in that specific questions arise first, and these lead the researcher to focus on the larger issues that arise from the questions.

The researcher may present a theoretical framework or conceptual framework as part of the literature review or as a separate section in the research report. A theory is a tentative statement of the relationship between variables, and it comprises the backbone of the research study. It provides direction for one or more aspects of the study, such as which variables to study or the design for an experimental intervention. Theories are used in different ways in different types of research designs, such as the designs below.

· A qualitative design of grounded theory generates a theory or model.

· A qualitative or quantitative design may clarify and enlarge an existing theory.

· A quantitative, experimental design may test a theory.

Most nursing research studies are not planned using an explicitly identified theory or conceptual framework. Nursing has some theories of its own, but it borrows theories from other disciplines as well.

Research Purposes

The research purpose statement is the most common method used to indicate the focus or topic of a research study. The research purpose statement is written as a declarative sentence that names the population and variables in the study. One place that the purpose statement is almost always found is at the end of the review of the literature, right before the start of the Methods section. The purpose statement may also be found in the abstract and at the end of the first few introductory paragraphs. In some research articles, the purpose statement may be found in two or all three of these locations.

A Nurse's Story

"I work for a pharmaceutical company in drug safety. It was like pulling teeth to get everyone to discuss why we should harmonize and streamline our processes, but recently, it's easier to get everyone to the table. We've been assigned specific tasks to research and report back. We obtain research from journal articles, peer experience in other companies, and benchmarking with other drug safety departments. We come to an agreement (majority rules) to present to our department team for consideration."

Chamberlain student

Research Questions

Another method for stating the research focus is the research question. The research question is written as an interrogative statement that includes the population and variables. One or more research questions may be posed in order to clarify the specific aims or predictions of the study. The research question is the final stage before the researcher decides on the design of the study. The question must be well constructed, because it forms the foundation for the rest of the research study.

The research question for a quantitative study may include such components as populations, interventions, comparisons, and outcomes. Does this sound familiar? Yes, the researcher may use the PICO format to develop a research question that is very similar to the clinical question formulated to search for evidence. Indeed, this is why you use PICO formatting to write searchable clinical questions. PICO formatting increases your likelihood of locating results from quantitative research.

The research question for a qualitative study does not lend itself to PICO formatting because interventions and comparisons are not sought. The population and the outcome may be identified, but instead of the intervention and comparison, variables of interest (VI) are selected as key terms.

Extraneous variables (EV) are those that you are not looking for when you search, but they exist in all studies and may impact the research. These variables are not included in the search terms, but you may discover them during a literature review as the researcher describes what influenced the findings.

Research Designs

The research design flows from the research question and outlines the plan for the study that will answer the research question. The design identifies the major components of the study. It is important to remember that there is not one single, best design for a research study. An experimental design may produce a stronger level of evidence, but it may be a poor fit for the purpose of the study. Examples of research designs and the questions that they address are below.

  Transcript

There are multiple ways to classify designs, and these may be combined in different ways.

· A research design may be quantitative, qualitative, or mixed method (mixed method means that both qualitative and quantitative elements are present). Quantitative designs deal with measurements, and may test theories to find relationships or gauge the effect of interventions on outcomes. These designs can be cross-sectional, longitudinal, prospective, or retrospective, depending on the time factor. They may be descriptive, correlational, quasiexperimental, or experimental, depending upon the control factor.

Qualitative designs are chosen in order to understand the meaning of phenomena and may form the basis of theories. Like quantitative designs, they can be cross-sectional, longitudinal, prospective, or retrospective, depending upon the time factor. The control factor determines if the study is focused on phenomenology, ethnography, grounded theory, or history.

· Phenomenology develops understanding of experiences through the perception of those living them.

· Ethnography involves the researcher becoming immersed in the culture to describe the phenomena.

· Grounded theory seeks connections or links between ideas and concepts and is grounded in the subject’s reality.

· Historical research looks for connections or links by exploring the past.

Mixed method designs include elements of both quantitative and qualitative approaches.

· Designs may be experimental or nonexperimental. An experimental design involves the researcher manipulating variables to determine cause and effect. Experimental designs are quantitative because the results are measured. A nonexperimental design does not manipulate variables. All qualitative studies use a nonexperimental design because qualitative research does not investigate cause and effect. Some quantitative studies are nonexperimental in design, as well. They may seek to discover relationships among variables but do not manipulate them to bring about an effect.

· Designs may be exploratory or confirmatory. An exploratory study is usually qualitative or mixed method; it seeks to describe a phenomenon and looks for new knowledge. A confirmatory study determines if there are relationships among variables and substantiates knowledge already published; it is, therefore, quantitative.

Last week, you were introduced to the interactive research report. Open it again and practice finding the sections that have been described in this lesson.

Interactive Research Report

The following research report contains descriptions of the various components that comprise most reports. The purpose of this interactive report is to help you learn where to find specific information. Roll your mouse over the words and sections in red and purple to reveal the descriptions.

Interactive Research Report

Click  to view the text version.

Conclusion

The first step of the research process begins by defining the research problem and question and determining the best design to answer that question. Typically, this is a deductive process—moving from broad thinking about an area of interest to a specific, researchable question. It mirrors the PICO process used to write searchable clinical questions. This lesson provided definitions of many terms and explained how they may relate to each other. In the coming weeks, your understanding of these relationships will deepen as we discuss research methods and analyses.

Take the Check Your Knowledge quiz below to see how well you understand the concepts offered in your text and this lesson

Practice Quiz

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Select the answer(s) that best match(es) the question.

Question 1 of 9

An article describing an example of empirical literature is

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A) a middle-range theory in nursing.

B) the result of a descriptive study.

C) a grand theory in nursing.

D) a concept analysis.

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References

Houser, J. (2015). Nursing research: Reading, using, and creating evidence (3rd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartle