Table of Contents
Preface vii
Chapter 1 How to Write a Researchable Question 1
Research Topics 3
What Is a Researchable Question? 5
Asking Research Questions 7
Examining Components of a Research Question 10
Be Interested in Your Idea 21
Bibliography 23
Chapter 2 From Question to Problem 25
Finding the Level of Knowledge About a Topic 26
How to Search the Literature on Your Topic 32
Level of Theory and Level of Question 34
Developing the Research Problem from the Literature Review 36
Beginning with an Observation 41
Bibliography 47
Chapter 3 The Full and Final Research Problem 49
Elements of a Research Problem 50
The Psychology of Argument 55
Strongest Argument Last 57
Substantiate What You Say 58
Bibliography 60
Chapter 4 Critical Review of the Literature 63
Content of a Critique 66
What to Critique 66
How to Do a Critique 67
Guidelines for Critique of Published Research 75
Where Does the Critique Belong? 76
Bibliography 77
Chapter 5 Stating the Purpose of the Study 79
Level I The Purpose Written as a Declarative Statement 80
Level II The Purpose Written as a Question 82
Level III The Purpose Written as a Hypothesis 85
Examining the Components of a Hypothesis 90
The Significance of the Statement of Purpose 91
Stating the Purpose of the Study: A Summary 91
Bibliography 93
Chapter 6 Defining Your Terms 95
Types of Variables 100
Defining the Independent Variable 101
How Variables Are Measured 103
Terms That Need Definition 110
Writing Operational Definitions: A Review 110
Bibliography 112
Chapter 7 The Research Design: Blueprint for Action 113
Designing Your Study from the Question 115
Characteristics of Research Designs 116
Issues of Control 120
Descriptive Designs 121
Experimental Designs 131
Controlling Unwanted Influences 137
Level of Study and Degree of Control 145
Bibliography 147
Chapter 8 Selecting the Sample 151
Types of Samples 155
Sample Size 164
Level of Study and Sample Selection 166
Bibliography 169
Chapter 9 Selecting a Method to Answer the Question 171
Observation 173
Questionnaires and interviews 181
Available Data 192
Physiological Measures 194
Bibliography 195
Chapter 10 Reliability and Validity of Measurement 197
Errors in Data Collection Procedures 198
Validity 203
Reliability 209
Reliability and Validity Issues in Field Research Using Participant Observation 215
Reliability and Validity in the Research Plan 219
Self-Test 220
Bibliography 222
Chapter 11 Ethics in Nursing Research 225
Problems Involving Ethics 228
Informed Consent 233
Balancing Potential Benefit Against Actual Cost 235
Maintaining Anonymity and Confidentiality 237
Federal Guidelines on the Submission of Proposals for Review 238
Ethical Principles Underlying Protection of Human Subjects 240
Bibliography 243
Chapter 12 Planning for Analysis of Data 247
Descriptive Analysis 248
Inferential Analysis 261
Choosing a Statistical Test: What Does Your Hypothesis Ask? 264
The Answer Is in the Question 268
Bibliography 272
Chapter 13 Writing the Research Proposal 275
The Introductory Section: Research Problem 277
Form of the Final Research Problem 278
Statement of the Purpose of the Study 286
Definition of Terms 286
The Research Design 287
The Sample 288
Methods and Instruments 291
Reliability and Validity 291
Data Analysis 292
Ethics 293
In Summary 294
Variations in the Proposed Format 294
The Finished Proposal 297
Bibliography 299
Appendix A Appendix Contents: Sample Research Proposals 301
Appendix B The Experience of Nurse-Midwives in Ghana with the Use of the WHO Partograph 303
Appendix C The Incidence of Acute Stress Disorder Among Parents of Premature Infants Admitted into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit 329
Appendix D Nausea and Vomiting Following Posterior Fossa Surgery: Determination of Incidence, Risk, and Protective Factors in Children 375
Appendix E The Impact of Older Maternal Age at First Birth on the Risk of Spontaneous Preterm Birth in Northern and Central Alberta 409
Appendix F Maintaining Catheter Patency Using Recombinant Tissue Plasminogen Activator 453
Appendix G Standardized Telephone Triage Practice: Impact of Protocol Implementation on Reported job Stress and Satisfaction by Nurses in a Pediatric Oncology Outpatient Setting 477
Index 503
