CA

• Steps of the Research Process:
• Introduction:

  • Review of literature
  • Theoretical framework/conceptual paradigm
  • Statement of the Problem
  • Hypothesis
  • Significance of the study
• Method:

  • Design
  • Setting
  • Participants
  • Measures
  • Analysis
  • Research Procedure
• Results
• Discussions:

  • Summary, Findings & Recommendations
• Design:

  • Research design is the plan or structure for conducting a study
  • Purposes of Research Design:
  • Provide answers to research questions
  • Control variance or inconsistencies
• Types of Research Designs:

  • According to Purpose:
  • Basic Research: extends knowledge in a discipline or refines a theory
  • Applied Research: focuses on finding solutions to existing problems
  • According to Methodology:
  • Quantitative Research: collection and analysis of numeric information
  • Qualitative Research: understanding human experience through subjective, narrative materials
• Experimental Design:

  • Looks for cause and effect outcomes
  • Variables, Ethics, Feasibility, Hawthorne effect should be addressed
  • Advantages:
  • Establishes causal relationships
  • Provides controlled environment
  • Creates situations not found naturally
• Types of Experimental Designs:

  • Posttest-only design
  • Pretest-posttest design
  • Crossover design
• Quasi-Experimental Design:

  • Manipulates variables to determine effects
  • Uses intact, naturally formed groups
  • Lacks randomization or control group
• Non-Experimental/Observational Design:

  • Observational research without intervention
  • Secondary Analysis: examines data from another study
  • Meta-analysis: establishes bias and confounding variables
• Descriptive Design:

  • Examines characteristics of one sample population
  • Used for theory development, practice problems, or clinical decision-making
  • Observes, describes, and documents aspects of a situation
• Comparative Design:

  • Looks at differences in 2 or more groups
  • Involves no manipulation of the independent variable
  • Compares rates or characteristics between groups
• Correlational design examines the relationships between 2 or more variables within a situation without knowing the reason for the relationship
• Correlational design is the most commonly used descriptive design
• It is retrospective, meaning it compares a variable occurring in the past with one occurring currently
• Prospective correlational design/cohort is usually considered stronger than retrospective because the researcher may be able to control or rule out explanations for some outcomes
• Predictive design involves the independent variable occurring prior to the dependent variable
• Descriptive correlational studies seek to describe relationships among variables without inferring causal connections
• Quantitative or statistical research involves the collection and analysis of numeric information
• Non-quantitative or qualitative research emphasizes understanding of the human experience through subjective, narrative materials
• Grounded theory seeks to describe and understand key social psychological processes that occur in a social setting
• Phenomenology focuses on the lived experiences of humans to gain insight into their life experiences
• Ethnography provides a framework for studying the meanings, patterns, and lifeways of a culture in a holistic fashion
• Case study involves an in-depth examination of individuals or groups of people
• Phenomenology is an approach to understanding people's everyday life experiences
• Descriptive phenomenology insists on the careful portrayal of ordinary conscious experience of everyday life
• Interpretive phenomenology stresses interpreting and understanding human experience
• Qualitative research can be cross-sectional or longitudinal to observe the evolution of a phenomenon
• Triangulation combines qualitative and quantitative methods to supplement or validate data
• Saturation occurs in data collection or analysis when there is repetition or redundancy in the themes or patterns in the data
• Data collection methods for qualitative research include case study, ethnography, grounded theory, and phenomenology
• Research can be conducted in various locales such as health care facilities, homes, or classrooms
• Sampling is the process of selecting a portion of the population to represent the entire population
• Inclusion criteria are characteristics that must be met to participate in the study, while exclusion criteria make individuals ineligible for the sample
• Probability sampling involves random selection, while nonprobability sampling involves nonrandom selection
• Types of probability sampling include simple random sampling, stratified random sampling, cluster sampling, and systematic sampling
• Types of nonprobability sampling include convenience sampling, quota sampling, purposive sampling, snowball sampling, and theoretical sampling
• Measures refer to research instruments designed for data gathering
• Research instruments should be valid and reliable to objectively answer the purpose of the study