Microsoft PowerPoint - Part 4_ Development of a Research Problem and Question.ppt

Nursing Research Series

Essentials of Science: Methods, Appraisal and Utilization

©Kaiser Permanente Northern and Southern California Nursing Research

Nursing Research Series

Essentials of Science:

Methods, Appraisal and Utilization

©Kaiser Permanente Southern California Nursing Research

Development of a Research

Problem and Question

Nursing Research Series

Part 4 of 20

©Kaiser Permanente Southern California Nursing Research

Objectives

By the completion of this module, the participant

will be able to:

• Identify the difference between a problem and a

purpose statement

• Identify a researchable question

• Draft a problem and purpose statement

Nursing Research Series

Essentials of Science: Methods, Appraisal and Utilization

©Kaiser Permanente Northern and Southern California Nursing Research

Introduction

• The purpose of research is to answer questions,

whether they come from curiosity or a practical

need.

• A Research Problem and Question are:

– Building blocks of study

– They are the foundation

– Clarify the study

• Not a linear process

Development of Research

Problem Statement

• Research Problem statements are

statements of the difference between what

is known and what needs to be known

about the topic and addressed by the

research process.

• The discrepancy, whether it is a small

crack or a large gap, defines the area(s) of

concern and focuses the research

methods.

• A situation that lends itself to being

addressed through application of the

research process.

• An unsatisfactory situation that we want to

confront-or something we don’t know about

that matters to us.

• A situation in need of a solution or

improvement.

Development of Research

Problem Statement

Nursing Research Series

Essentials of Science: Methods, Appraisal and Utilization

©Kaiser Permanente Northern and Southern California Nursing Research

• Whereas a research topic is simply a broad

area of interest, a research problem is a

statement about what is problematic about

the topic of interest in a specific population.

• Most problem statements are explicitly

stated, however some may be inferred.

Development of Research

Problem Statement

Developing Research Problems:

3 Tasks

• Finding

• Refining

• Evaluating = Researchability

Finding Research Problems

• Most nurses use more than one source

– clinical practice

– literature

– colleagues

– students

– funding priorities (both private and

public)

Nursing Research Series

Essentials of Science: Methods, Appraisal and Utilization

©Kaiser Permanente Northern and Southern California Nursing Research

Refining Research Problems

• A fluid and “narrowing” process involving:

– Asking questions

• What is wrong with ________?”

• How often does ________ occur?”

• What factors are related to ________?”

• How effective is ________?”

– Reviewing the literature

– Talking with others

Evaluating=

Researchability

• Significance + Feasibility =Researchability

– Significance is the “who cares?” factor

– Feasibility directly impacts your success

factor

Feasibility

• Resource checklist:

– Time

– Subjects

– Equipment & facilities

– Research expertise

– Cooperation of others (sponsors, cheerleaders…)

– Money

– Personal interest

– Ethics

Nursing Research Series

Essentials of Science: Methods, Appraisal and Utilization

©Kaiser Permanente Northern and Southern California Nursing Research

• The problem statement, explicitly stated or

inferred, is usually located at the beginning of

the research report or proposal. This could

be in the introduction or the review of the

literature.

• Problem statements can be several

sentences long and are written as questions

or statements.

• Well written statement contain clear, concise,

well-defined components.

Development of Research

Problem Statement

An example of problem statement:

• “Most research examining Advanced Practice

Nurse (APN) effectiveness in primary care has

focused on comparing physician and APN

practices rather than examining specific patient

outcomes”

Development of Research

Problem Statement

Development of a Research

Purpose Statement

• A Purpose statement is a declaration of

intent

• Indicates the general goal of the study and

often describe the direction of inquiry

• They contain clear, concise, well-defined key

variables to be studied, their possible

interrelationships and the nature of the

population to be studied

Nursing Research Series

Essentials of Science: Methods, Appraisal and Utilization

©Kaiser Permanente Northern and Southern California Nursing Research

• Purpose statements are written as declarative,

objective statements.

• They are easily identified in a research proposal

because of the words:

– Aim

– Goal

– Intent

– Objective

– Purpose

Development of a Research

Purpose Statement

An example of purpose statement:

• “The goal of this quasi-experimental study was

to examine the effect of a nursing intervention

of guided health imagery on smoking cessation

in an adult population”

Development of Research

Purpose Statement

Purpose Statement Verbs

• When developing a purpose statement, a

researcher should use unbiased verbs such as:

– Compare

– Describe

– Develop

– Discover

– Explore

– Test

– Understand

• Example: The purpose of this study is to explore

the effects of music therapy on blood pressure

in adult ICU patients.

Nursing Research Series

Essentials of Science: Methods, Appraisal and Utilization

©Kaiser Permanente Northern and Southern California Nursing Research

• The researcher should avoid biased verbs such

as:

– Demonstrate

– Prove

– Show

• Example: The purpose of this study it is prove

that music therapy improves blood pressure in

adult ICU patients.

Purpose Statement Verbs

Problem vs. Purpose

Statements

Setting of the study

Population to be

included

Variables to be studied

Concepts that are part

of the problem

Design of the Study

Description of the gap in

knowledge

Purpose Statement

Problem Statement

Problem vs. Purpose

Statements

• Research Problem Statements are declarations

of disparity

(why)

(why) and research purpose

statements are declarations of intent

(what)

• Although Research problem and purpose

statements clarify and support each other, they

represent different levels of moving from a

general focus or interest to the development of

a specific Research Question.

Nursing Research Series

Essentials of Science: Methods, Appraisal and Utilization

Developing a Research Question

• The Research Question is the final step prior to

the beginning of a research design

• A Research Question outlines the primary

components that will be studied and guides the

design and methodology of the study:

– purpose

– aims

– design

– data collection plan

– data analysis plan

Developing a Research Question

• Determine what specific questions the study

should answer

• Indicate what the researcher wants to know

about the problem

• Identify specific aspects of the problem being

considered in the study

• May be written as

– one large overarching question

– multiple questions focusing on

research variables

• Are interrogative statements

• Worded in the present

Developing a Research Question

Nursing Research Series

Essentials of Science: Methods, Appraisal and Utilization

PICO(T)

• PICOT acronym used to describe the four elements of a good

clinical question

P = Patient population

I = Intervention or Issue of Interest

C = Comparison with other Intervention/Issue

O = Outcome of Interest

T = Time (often added to create a timeframe)

"In hospitalized adults (P), how does a rapid response team (I)

compared with no rapid response team (C) affect the number

of cardiac arrests (O) and unplanned admissions to the ICU

(O) during a three-month period (T)?"

An example of research question:

• “What is the effectiveness of individual or group

education sessions on diabetic testing

compliance compared with usual care”

Development of Research Question

In Summary

• Research Problem Statements are declarations of

discrepancy (why)

• Research Purpose Statements are declarations of

intent (what)

• A carefully designed Research Question will lead

to:

– Sampling strategies (Who is the patient

population

– An intervention protocol (What treatment is

being tested)

– Outcomes that are being measured (how will

effect be demonstrated)

Nursing Research Series

Essentials of Science: Methods, Appraisal and Utilization

References to Consider

• Burns, N. & Grove, S.K (2007). Understanding Nursing Research,

building an Evidence-Based Practice 4

th

Edition. St. Louis,

Missouri: Saunders.

• Harris, M. & Taylor, G. (2008). Medical Statistics Made Easy, 2

nd

Edition. Oxfordshire: Scion Publishing

• Polit, D. & Beck, C. (2004). Nursing Research: Principles and

Methods, 7

th

edition. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

For more information please contact:

Nursing.Resear[email protected]

http://nursingpathways.kp.org/scal/research/index.html