Research Problems and Research Problems and HypothesesHypotheses

““A research problem is a A research problem is a discrepancy between what one discrepancy between what one knows and ought to know to solve a knows and ought to know to solve a nursing problem”.nursing problem”.

Sources of Research Sources of Research ProblemsProblems

ExperienceExperience TechnologyTechnology New roles of the nurseNew roles of the nurse Nursing LiteratureNursing Literature TheoriesTheories

EXPERIENCEEXPERIENCE

GRIPEGRIPE PROFESSIONAL WISHESPROFESSIONAL WISHES CURIOSITYCURIOSITY NEW PERSON/EXPERIENCENEW PERSON/EXPERIENCE

TECHNOLOGYTECHNOLOGY

MonitoringMonitoring

Information technologyInformation technology

EXPANDING ROLESEXPANDING ROLES

Nurse practitionersNurse practitioners

Community and home health Community and home health nursingnursing

Advocate, teacher, counselor, Advocate, teacher, counselor, etc.etc.

LITERATURELITERATURE

Research ReportsResearch Reports

Gaps in the literatureGaps in the literature

There may be areas , as revealed There may be areas , as revealed by a dearth of available literature by a dearth of available literature on the topic that remain on the topic that remain unexploredunexplored

REPLICATIONREPLICATION

No study can stand by itself, No study can stand by itself, must be replicated for must be replicated for confidence in the resultsconfidence in the results

SUGGESTED STUDIESSUGGESTED STUDIES

Every research report Every research report suggests areas for continued suggests areas for continued studystudy

INCONSISTENCIESINCONSISTENCIES

Two studies on the same Two studies on the same variables may produce variables may produce different outcomesdifferent outcomes

THEORIESTHEORIES

Must be tested in the real Must be tested in the real world through the formulation world through the formulation of research problems and of research problems and hypotheseshypotheses

1. INTERESTING?1. INTERESTING? 2. RESEARCHABLE?2. RESEARCHABLE? 3. FEASIBLE? PRACTICABLE?3. FEASIBLE? PRACTICABLE? 4. SIGNIFICANT?4. SIGNIFICANT? 5. NURSING?5. NURSING?

CRITERIA FOR A “good” RESEARCH PROBLEM

InterestingInteresting

This is a subjective criteria, the This is a subjective criteria, the study must only be interesting to study must only be interesting to the person doing the studythe person doing the study

ResearchableResearchable

Variables should be precisely Variables should be precisely defined and measured and lead to defined and measured and lead to an answer to the questionan answer to the question

NB: “SHOULDNESS AND NB: “SHOULDNESS AND GOODNESS” questions not GOODNESS” questions not researchableresearchable

Feasible/PracticableFeasible/Practicable

Can the study be done by the Can the study be done by the researcher?researcher?• Time?Time?• Place?Place?• Money?Money?• Equipment?Equipment?• Subjects?Subjects?• Instruments to measure variables?Instruments to measure variables?

SignificantSignificant

Will the results make a difference that Will the results make a difference that matters to the profession?matters to the profession?• Make a difference in patient care?Make a difference in patient care?• Add to professional practice knowledge?Add to professional practice knowledge?• Related to more general conceptual Related to more general conceptual

issues?issues?• Is it an instance of a larger class of Is it an instance of a larger class of

events?events?• Does it help support or build theory?Does it help support or build theory?

NursingNursing

Does nursing have access to or Does nursing have access to or control over phenomenon in control over phenomenon in question--or is it reasonable to question--or is it reasonable to think that they will?think that they will?

(this is defined broadly)(this is defined broadly)

Developing and Refining Developing and Refining Research ProblemResearch Problem

Define a specific problem areaDefine a specific problem area Review the relevant literatureReview the relevant literature Examine the significance to Examine the significance to

nursingnursing Examine the feasibilityExamine the feasibility

Defining the Problem Defining the Problem AreasAreas

Begin with broad topic area and Begin with broad topic area and narrow it downnarrow it down

Focus on the dependent variableFocus on the dependent variable

A first Review of the A first Review of the LiteratureLiterature

Define the problem in the context Define the problem in the context of the state of knowledge in the of the state of knowledge in the subject areasubject area

SignificanceSignificance

Contributes to and extends the Contributes to and extends the body of scientific nursing body of scientific nursing knowledgeknowledge

FeasibilityFeasibility

This must be pragmatically This must be pragmatically examined by the researcher in examined by the researcher in light of her own available expertise light of her own available expertise and resourcesand resources

RESEARCH PROBLEMRESEARCH PROBLEM STATEMENTSSTATEMENTS

AS BRIEF AS POSSIBLEAS BRIEF AS POSSIBLE IDENTIFY KEY VARIABLESIDENTIFY KEY VARIABLES SPECIFY NATURE OF SPECIFY NATURE OF

POPULATION POPULATION SUGGEST METHODOLOGYSUGGEST METHODOLOGY NARROW/SPECIFICNARROW/SPECIFIC DECLARATIVE or INTERROGATIVEDECLARATIVE or INTERROGATIVE

DeclaritiveDeclaritive

The purpose of this study is The purpose of this study is to………………to………………

The relationship between X The relationship between X and Y will be examinedand Y will be examined

InterrogativeInterrogative

What is the relationship between X What is the relationship between X and Y?and Y?

HYPOTHESISHYPOTHESIS

tentative prediction or tentative prediction or explanation about the explanation about the relationship between relationship between variablesvariables

Emanates from the ROLEmanates from the ROL

HypothesesHypotheses

SIMPLE or COMPLEX SIMPLE or COMPLEX (multivariate)(multivariate)

DIRECTIONAL or DIRECTIONAL or NONDIRECTIONALNONDIRECTIONAL

PURPOSES of PURPOSES of HYPOTHESESHYPOTHESES

GUIDES INQUIRY BY:GUIDES INQUIRY BY: UNIFYING THEORY AND UNIFYING THEORY AND

REALITYREALITY EXTENDS KNOWLEDGEEXTENDS KNOWLEDGE GIVES DIRECTION TO GIVES DIRECTION TO

RESEARCHRESEARCH

CHARACTERISTICS of a CHARACTERISTICS of a good hypothesisgood hypothesis

SPECIFIES SPECIFIES RELATIONSHIPRELATIONSHIP

TESTABLETESTABLEJUSTIFIABLEJUSTIFIABLECONCISECONCISE

Research HypothesisResearch Hypothesis

Indicates what the actual outcome Indicates what the actual outcome of the study is expected to beof the study is expected to be

Supported when the researcher Supported when the researcher obtains a statistically significant obtains a statistically significant findingfinding

Statistical or Null Statistical or Null HypothesisHypothesis

States “There is no relationship States “There is no relationship between the dependent and between the dependent and independent variables”independent variables”

Failure to reject the null hypothesis Failure to reject the null hypothesis implies that there is insufficient implies that there is insufficient evidence to support the idea of a evidence to support the idea of a real difference in the dependent real difference in the dependent variablevariable

Type I errorType I error

The rejection of a null hypothesis The rejection of a null hypothesis that is actually true--or saying a that is actually true--or saying a treatment works when it does not.treatment works when it does not.

Type II errorType II error

The acceptance of a null The acceptance of a null hypothesis that is actually false, or hypothesis that is actually false, or saying a treatment doesn’t work saying a treatment doesn’t work when it really does.when it really does.

Level of Significance=pLevel of Significance=p

Set by the researcher in Set by the researcher in consideration of the seriousness of consideration of the seriousness of the consequences of making a the consequences of making a mistake in mistake in acceptingaccepting a “false” a “false” research hypothesisresearch hypothesis

LEVEL OF LEVEL OF SIGNIFICANCESIGNIFICANCE

.05---FIVE CHANCES IN 100 OF .05---FIVE CHANCES IN 100 OF MAKING A MISTAKE IN MAKING A MISTAKE IN ACCEPTING RESEARCH ACCEPTING RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS (when it is HYPOTHESIS (when it is actually “false”)actually “false”)

(TYPE I ERROR MORE LIKELY)(TYPE I ERROR MORE LIKELY)

LEVEL OF LEVEL OF SIGNIFICANCESIGNIFICANCE

.01---ONE CHANCE IN 100 OF .01---ONE CHANCE IN 100 OF MAKING A MISTAKE IN MAKING A MISTAKE IN ACCEPTING THE RESEARCH ACCEPTING THE RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS (when it is HYPOTHESIS (when it is actually “false”)actually “false”)

LEVEL OF LEVEL OF SIGNIFICANCESIGNIFICANCE

.001--ONE CHANCE IN 1000 OF .001--ONE CHANCE IN 1000 OF MAKING A MISTAKE IN MAKING A MISTAKE IN ACCEPTING RESEARCH ACCEPTING RESEARCH HYPOTHESISHYPOTHESIS

(TYPE II ERROR MORE LIKELY)(TYPE II ERROR MORE LIKELY)