Research Problems, Purposes, and Hypotheses PDF

EXAMINING RESEARCH PROBLEMS, PURPOSES, AND HYPOTHESES  Learning Outcomes At the end of the lecture the student will: Identify research topics, problems, and purposes in published quantitative and qualitative studies. Examine the research problems and purposes. Discuss the fe...

EXAMINING RESEARCH PROBLEMS, PURPOSES, AND HYPOTHESES  Learning Outcomes At the end of the lecture the student will: Identify research topics, problems, and purposes in published quantitative and qualitative studies. Examine the research problems and purposes. Discuss the feasibility of a study problem and purpose. Differentiate among the types of hypotheses Learning Outcomes At the end of the lecture the student will: Critically appraise the quality of objectives, questions, and hypotheses in studies. Differentiate the types of variables included in research reports. Identify the conceptual and operational definitions of variables in studies Outline Definition of research problem Components of research problem Significance Background Problem statement Significance and sources of research problem Feasibility of research problem Research purpose and its types Research objectives  Outline Hypothesis definition Types of hypotheses Associative versus causal Simple versus complex Nondirectional versus directional Statistical versus research Research variables definition  Outline Types of variables Independent Dependent Extraneous or Confounding Environmental Research Variables Conceptual and operational definitions of variables. Article critique in relation to research problem, questions, and hypothesis  Steps of the Quantitative Research Process 1. Research problem and purpose 2. Review of relevant literature 3. Research objectives, questions, or hypotheses, study variables 4. Study design 5. Population and sample 6. Measurement Methods 7. Data collection 8. Data analysis 9. Discussion of research outcomes What Is a Research Problem? Research problem is: An area of concern in which there is a gap in the knowledge base needed for nursing practice. Research is required to generate essential knowledge to address the practice concern, with the ultimate goal of providing evidence-based nursing care in nursing. Importance of Research Problem Research problem is important since it: Influences nursing practice Builds on previous research Promotes theory testing or development, and/or Addresses current concerns or priorities in nursing. The research problem in a study includes 1- The significance of the problem “indicates the importance of the problem to nursing” 2- A background for the problem “briefly identifies what we know about the problem area. 3- A problem statement “identifies the specific gap in the knowledge needed for practice” How? Researcher starts by moving from a broad area of interest to a more specific problem that tells exactly what will be studied. New born ( area of concern) Feeding ( research topic ) Pattern of feeding ( research problem ) Relationship between bottle feeding and weight gain ( research statement) Example The effect of menstrual symptoms on academic performance among nursing students at selected colleges in India 1- Significance: The academic performance of girls varies during their menstrual cycle, in a way that the mental status is decreased during and several days before the period. However, some research on the performance of well academically qualified women has shown that they were less likely to be negatively affected by menses 2- Background: The menstrual cycle involves many psychological changes, such as irritability, mood liability, depression and anxiety. The most prevalent physical symptoms of the menstrual cycle include breast tenderness, diarrhea, back pain, vomiting and fluid retention. In humans, the length of a menstrual cycle varies greatly among women (ranging from 21 to 35 days), with 28 days designated as the average length. Many women may feel different kinds of pain, including sharp, throbbing, dull, nauseating, burning, or shooting pain. Dysmenorrhea may precede menstruation by several days or may accompany it, and it usually subsides as menstruation tapers off. Although the majority of women experience negative effects during the menstrual period, some find that it positively influences their mood and mental status. 3. Problem Statement: Menstrual symptoms may play a major role in the academic performance of some adolescent female students. Menstruation related symptoms may have negative influences on academic learning outcomes. Research purpose As the menstrual period is known to affect the student’s academic performance, the aim of our study was to determine the effect of menstrual symptoms on academic performance among nursing students. References 1. [Widmaier Eric P, Raff Hershel, Strang Kevin T. Vander's Human Physiology: The Mechanism of Body Function. New York, NY: McGraw Hill. 2010; 12:555- 631. 2. Chantler I, Mitchell D, Fuller A. The effect of three cyclo-oxygenase inhibitors on intensity of primary dysmenorrheic pain. Clin J Pain. 2008; 24(1):39-44. 3. Parveen N, Majeed R, Zehra N, Rajar U, Munir AA. Attitude and knowledge of medical students of Isra University about dysmenorrhoea and its treatment. J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad. 2009; 21:159-162. 4. Jahromi MK, Gaeini A, Rahimi Z. Influence of a physical fitness course on menstrual cycle characteristics. Gynecol Endocrinol. 2008; 24:659-662. Example for practice “Hand hygiene opportunities in pediatric extended care facilities” Practice it now follow the same steps Refer to page No 167 in the book Sources of Research Problems Examining the Feasibility of a research problem Researcher expertise – within the area of expertise of the researchers. Money commitment/funding source – adequate financial resources. Availability of subjects, facilities, and equipment - Adequate sample size, facilities and equipment. Ethical considerations – The purpose must be ethical in a way that protects the participants’ rights. Research Purpose, Objectives, Question and Hypotheses  RESEARCH PURPOSE Is a clear, concise statement of the specific goal or focus of a study and it begins with a verb. The research purpose frequently is reflected in the title of the study, stated in the abstract, and restated after the literature review  The purpose is essential for directing the remaining steps of the research process. The purpose might be to: Identify, or describe relationships in a situation, Examine the effectiveness of an intervention or Determine the outcomes of health care. Example: “The effect of telling stories on children’s literacy skills”. 1- The best way to start is stating the general purpose of the Study: The overall purpose of this study is to examine the effect of telling stories on nursery children’s literacy skills. 2. Identify the specific purpose about every key variable: Telling stories, reading fluency, reading comprehension, vocabulary, and interest in reading are the specific variables. Research Objectives Are clear, concise, declarative statements expressed in the present tense to identify the goals of the study and sometimes referred to aims. Each objective focuses on one or two variables and might indicate the relationship among them. Objectives provide a clear roadmap for the research, help to clarify the research question “The effect of telling stories on children’s literacy skills” Purpose Is to Examine the effect of telling stories on nursery children’s literacy skills. Objectives Is to Identify how often nursery teachers tell stories in the classroom. Determine the effect of telling stories on nursery children’s reading fluency. Determine the effect of telling stories on nursery children’s reading comprehension. Research Variables Something that varies Are defined as qualities, properties, or characteristics of persons, things, or situations that change or vary Most human characteristics are variables such as weight, anxiety, smoking and fatigue Variables must be indicated in the research title, research purpose and objectives or questions Quantitative research try to examine research variables Practice Try to find variables in the following example: “The effect of nurses’ workload on hand hygiene compliance” Research Variables 1. Independent variables. 2. Dependent variables. 3. Extraneous variables.  Independent and dependent Variables The relationship between independent and dependent variables is the basis for formulating hypotheses of Predictive Correlational, Quasi- experimental and Experimental studies. Independent and dependent Variables An independent variable is an intervention that is manipulated or varied by the researcher to create an effect on the dependent variable. It is also called the treatment or experimental variables. The independent variable are expected to cause change in the dependent variable.  Independent and dependent Variables The dependent variable is the outcome or response the researcher wants to predict or explain. Changes in the dependent variable are presumed to be caused by the independent variable. Example: “The effectiveness of warm compresses on menstrual pain ” warm compresses  menstrual pain Extraneous/Confounding Variables Extraneous or confounding variables also called contaminating factors. They are variables that confound/cloud the relationship between independent and dependent variables ( The relationship is caused by a third variable). Extraneous variables need to be controlled in research design (Control through measurement) and or through statistical procedures. Examples Pervious researches supposed that urinary incontinence (UI) leads to depression. Is there other factors leading to depression? The founding/extraneous variable in the previous example is age. Levels of depression tend to be higher in older people and people with UI tend to be older than those without UI. So maybe age is the real cause of depression in people with UI. There are three explanations: following slides  Age needs to be controlled, how? Compare depression for those with and without UI. Ages of those in UI and non UI groups are comparable (similar age groups). Conceptual and operational definitions of variables Conceptual definition Abstract/theoretical meaning of a variable that usually is based on theory. Variables are conceptual defined indicating the link with the concepts in the framework Operational definition Derived from a set of procedures or progressive acts that a researcher performs to indicate the existence of a variable Variable can be measured or manipulated concretely  Example In a study of stress in students during a university semester, a conceptual definition would describe what is meant by 'stress'. An operational definition would describe how the 'stress' would be measured Conceptual Definition: Nonspecific response of the body to any demand. Operational definition Feeling of psychological strain and uneasiness produced by situations of danger and threat that continued for two weeks Research Questions Research Question is a clear concise interrogative statement that is worded in the present tense, includes one or more variables and is expressed to the guide the implementation of studies. It must be based on the research purpose Example “The feasibility of a telephone coaching program on heart failure home management for family caregivers” (Piamjariyakul et al., 2013), The research questions were: (1)Did the family caregivers completing the program and nurse interventionists implementing the coaching program evaluate the program as helpful for HF home management? (2)Were there improvements in outcomes data on caregivers' level of HF caregiving burden, confidence and preparedness in providing HF home care? (3)What were the costs of the program materials and delivery? PICO Clinical questions  PICO Clinical questions example RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS  Hypothesis 1. A hypothesis is a formal statement of the expected relationship(s) between two or more variables in a specified population. 2. A hypothesis coverts the research question into a declarative statement that predicts an expected outcome. 3. A sound hypothesis must be based on a sound scientific rationale (an existing body of theory and research findings). 4. Hypotheses are formulated before the study is actually conducted because they provide direction for the analysis, and interpretation of data. CHARACTERISTICS OF FULLY DEVELOPED HYPOTHESIS 1. It clearly identifies the variables to be manipulated or measured. 2. It specifies the population being studied. 3. It indicates the proposed outcome of the study.  TYPES OF HYPOTHESES Associative Simple Nondirectio Null versus versus versus nal versus research causal complex directional  ASSOCIATIVE VERSUS CAUSAL HYPOTHESES ASSOCIATIVE HYPOTHESES CAUSAL HYPOTHESES Identify relationship among Proposes cause –and – variables but do not indicate that effect interaction one variable causes an effect on between two or more another variable. variables which are referred to as Expressed in the following independent and formats: Variable X is related to variable Y dependent variables. and Z in a specified population. An increase in variable X is associated with an increase in variable Y in aNurse specified reported adverse population. events (medication errors, Patient falls, ulcers, Safety infections) Climate PSC Patient Satisfaction  SIMPLE VERSUS COMPLEX HYPOTHESES SIMPLE HYPOTHESES COMPLEX HYPOTHESES A simple hypothesis A complex states the relationship hypothesis states (associative or the relationship causal) between two (associative or variables. causal) among three or more variables.  DIRECTIONAL VERSUS NONDIRECTIONAL HYPOTHESES Directional Hypotheses Nondirectional Hypotheses A directional hypothesis states A nondirectional the nature (positive or negative) of the interaction hypothesis states that a between two or more relationship exists but variables. The use of terms such as does not predict the positive, negative, more, less, nature of the increase, decrease, greater, relationship. higher, or lower indicates direction of the relationship Potentially biased more objective Directional Nondirectional Most commonly used empirical.  EXAMPLE OF ASSOCIATIVE, Example Of COMPLEX AND Associative, Complex NONDIRECTIONAL And Directional HYPOTHESIS Hypothesis Dyspnea, fatigue, and sleep difficulty are related to functional performance. 4 9  NULL VERSUS RESEARCH HYPOTHESES NULL Hypotheses RESEARCH Hypotheses The null hypothesis (Ho) A research hypothesis is referred to as a statistical the alternative hypothesis, is used for statistical hypothesis (H1 or Ha) to testing and for interpreting the null hypothesis statistical outcomes. and states that a relationship exists between two or more No difference in the way nurses and variables. Nurses and physicians differ in the physicians view the role concept for way they view the role concept for nurses (null hypothesis) nurses (research hypothesis)  Characteristics of a Testable Hypothesis Testability. Null (Statistical ) vs. Theory Characteristics Base Research Hypothesi of a Testable Hypothesis Directional vs. Wording the Nondirectional hypothesis Hypotheses The statement should be worded in clear, simple, and concise terms.