Research Exam #1 Definitions

Chapters 1-3, 5-8

Empirical Data

Documented evidence (data) gathered through direct observation rather than a researcher’s subjective belief.

Nursing Research

A systematic process of investigating problems to gain knowledge about improving care that nurses provide.

Nursing Science

The body of knowledge that is unique to the discipline of nursing.

Qualitative Research

An approach for generating knowledge using methods of inquiry that emphasize subjectivity and meaning of an experience for the individual.

Quantitative Research

An approach for generating knowledge based on determining how much of a given behavior, characteristic, or phenomenon is present.

Replication

The ability of researchers to repeat a study using the same variables and methods or slight variations of them.

Research Consumer

A reader of nursing research who objective is applying findings to nursing practice or using the findings to conduct further research.

Research Team

A group that collaborates to conduct a research project, from determining the initial research question through communicating the results.

Rigor

Striving for excellence in research, which involves discipline, scrupulous adherence to detail, and strict accuracy.

Scientific Inquiry

The process of critically analyzing data that have been gathered systematically about a phenomenon.

Scientific Method

A systematic research process that involves the following steps:

• Selecting and defining the problem

• Formulating research questions or hypotheses (or both)

• Collecting data, analyzing data, and reporting results

Triangulation

Combining elements of quantitative and qualitative methods to collect data.

Ways of Knowing

An assortment of methods used to acquire new knowledge, including tradition, authority, trial and error, and intuition.

Evidence-Based Practice

Problem-solving approach to the delivery of health care that integrates the best evidence from well-designed studies with patients’ preferences and values and the clinician’s expertise, which includes internal evidence gathered from patient data.

Quality Improvement

Systematic and continuous actions that lead to measurable improvement in health-care services and health status of targeted patient groups.

Research

Systematic investigation, including research development, testing, and evaluation designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge.

Scholarship of Application

Rigor and use of disciplinary expertise with results that can be shared with and/or evaluated by peers.

Scholarship of Discovery

First domain of Boyer’s model referring to pursuit of scientific inquiry and search of new knowledge.

Scholarship of Integration

Synthesis of information across disciplines that makes connections and shapes a more coherent and integrated use of knowledge.

Scholarship of Teaching

Systematic study of teaching and learning processes.

Anonymity

A condition in which the identity of subjects remains unknown, even to the researcher, to protect subjects participating in a study and to promote objective results.

Confidentiality

Protecting data that are gathered or learned from patients by not disclosing information without those patients’ permission.

Applied Research

A type of study designed to gather knowledge that has direct clinical application.

Basic / Philosophical Research

A type of study designed to develop the knowledge base and extend theory without direct focus on clinical application.

Correlational Research

A type of non-experimental study designed to examine the relationship between and among variables.

Cross-Sectional Research

A study that collects data at a particular point in time and does not require follow up.

Descriptive Research

A type of non-experimental study designed to provide a knowledge base when little is known about a phenomenon; used to describe variables rather than to test a predicted relationship.

Nonexperimental Research

A descriptive study that does not exhibit a great amount of control over variables.

Experimental Research

A study in which researchers manipulate and control one or more variables and observe the effects on one or more other variables.

Prospective Cohort

Focusing on a group of subjects that share a common characteristics.

Prospective Research

A study that examines data collected in the present.

Retrospective Research

A study that examines data collected in the past.

Human Rights

The protection of subjects participating in a research study; includes right to privacy, right to self-determination, right to freedom from injury, right to anonymity and confidentiality, and right to fair treatment.

Risk-Benefit Ratio

The relationship between potential harm to subjects and potential positive outcomes of participating in a research study; an evaluation used by subjects to make voluntary informed consent.

Longitudinal Research

A study that follows a cohort of subjects and collects data over time.

Vulnerable Research Participants

Those persons who are incapable of protecting their own interests and unable to provide meaningful informed consent.

Electronic Database

Collection of bibliographic files that can be accessed by the computer through an online search.

Empirical Literature

Databased literature that presents reports of completed research; also called scientific literature.

Literature Review

A critical summary of the most important scholarly literature on a particular topic. Scholarly literature can refer to research-based publications and conceptual or theoretical literature.

Operational Definitions

Explanations of concepts or variables in terms of how they are defined for a particular study.

Primary Source

Source reported by the person(s) who conducted the research or developed the theory; refers to original data or firsthand facts.

Problem Statement

A statement of the topic under study, outlining all relevant variables within the study, providing justification for the choice of topic, and guiding selection of the research design.

Purpose Statement

A statement that describes why the study was created.

Referred Journal

A journal that determines acceptance of manuscripts based on reccomendations of peer reviewers.

Scoping Review

Examines the extent and amount of research activity around a particular topic.

Secondary Source

Source reported by person(s) other than the individual(s) who conducted the research or developed the theory; usually represents a comment, summary, or critique of another’s work.

Replication

The duplication of research procedures in a second study to determine whether earlier results can be repeated.

Scientific Literature

Published Literature reporting the results of original research.

Theoretical Literature

Conceptual articles presenting reports of theories, some of which underline research studies, and other non-research-related material.

Borrowed Theories

Theories taken from other disciplines and applied to nursing questions and research problems.

Concept

Symbolic statement describing a phenomenon or a class of phenomena.

Conceptual Model

A set of abstract and general concepts that are assembled to address phenomenon of interest.

Constructs

Higher-level concepts that are derived from theories and that represent non-observable behaviors.

Deductive Approach

An approach to reasoning that generates theory by beginning with known facts, moving from general to the specific. It is an approach used to test predictions and validate existing relationships.

Grand Theories

Theories that are complex and broad in scope. These theories attempt to explain broad areas and include numerous concepts that are not well defined and that have ambiguous and unclear relationships.

Inductive Approach

An approach to reasoning that involves collecting observations that lead to conclusions or hypotheses. This approach moves from specific observations to general statements that can be tested through research.

Metaparadigm

The primary or central phenomena that are of interest to a particular discipline.

Theoretical Framework

Collection of concepts, definitions, and statements that come together to form a structured review of a specific phenomenon.

Theory

An organized and systematic set of interrelated statements (concepts) that specify the nature of relationships between two or more variables, with the purpose of understanding a problem or the nature of things.

Nursing Theory

A specific and concrete set of concepts and propositions that accounts for or characterizes phenomena of interest to the discipline of nursing.

Middle-Range Theories

Theories that look at a piece of reality and contain clearly defined variables in which the nature and direction of relationships are specified.

Practice Theories

Theories that are more specific than middle-range theories and that produce specific directions or guidelines for pratice.

Complex Hypothesis

A statement explaining and/or predicting relationships between two or more independent and dependent variables.

Extraneous Variable

A variable that is not controlled in a study, threatening the internal validity of the study.

Dependent Variable

A variable that is observed for changes or to assess the possible effect of a treatment or manipulation; may be effect or outcome of an experimental procedure; also referred to as a criterion or outcome variable. Usually symbolized by the letter Y

Hypothesis

A statement about the relationship between the variables that are being investigated.

Independent Variable

A variable that is manipulated and controlled by the researcher; also called a predictor variable. Usually symbolized by the letter X.

Directional Hypothesis

A hypothesis that makes a specific prediction about the direction of the relationship between two variables.

Nondirectional Hypothesis

A hypothesis that does not stipulate in advance the direction of the relationship between two variables.

Null Hypothesis

A hypothesis stating that no relationship or difference exists between two variables. Also called statistical hypothesis.

Research Hypothesis

A hypothesis stating a relationship or difference between two variables. Also called alternate hypothesis.

Research Question

A concise, interrogative statement written in the present tense and including one or more variables.

Simple Hypothesis

A statement explaining and/or predicting a relationship between one IV and one DV.

Variable

A measurable characteristic that varies among the subjects being studied.

Accessible Population

A population that is readily available to the researcher and that represents the target population as closely as possible.

Nonprobability Sampling

Type of sampling in which a sample is not selected using random sampling.

Cluster Sampling

Type of sampling in which the researcher selects groups of subjects rather than individual subjects; also called multistage sampling.

Convenience Sampling

Type of nonprobability sampling in which the researcher selects subjects or elements readily available; also called accidental sampling.

Population

Entire set of subjects, objects, events, or elements being studied; also called target population.

Probability Sampling

Type of sampling in which every subject is randomly selected and has an equal chance of being chosen.

Purposive Sampling

Type of nonprobability sampling in which the researcher selects only subjects who satisfy specific characteristics; also called judgmental or theoretical sampling.

External Validity

Extent to which results of a study can be generalized from the study sample to other populations and settings.

Network Sampling

Type of nonprobability sampling that takes advantage of social networks.

Quota Sampling

Type of nonprobability sampling in which quotas are filled.

Random Assignment

Allocation of subjects to either an experimental or control group.

Random Selection

Type of selection in which each subject has an equal, independent chance of being selected.

Snowball Sampling

Type of nonprobability sampling that relies on subjects with similar characteristics.

Sample

A subset of a population.

Stratified Random Sampling

Type of random sampling in which the population is divided into subpopulations (strata) based on one or more variables, and a simple random sample is drawn from each stratum.

Sampling

The process of selecting a subset from a larger population.

Systematic Sampling

Type of sampling in which every kth member of the population is selected into the sample.

Sampling Frame

A list of all elements in a population.

Sampling Bias

Selecting subjects for a study who do not represent the target population, permitting limited ability for results to be generalized.

Simple Random Sampling

Method of selecting objects in which every subject has an equal chance of being chosen for a sample.

Target Population

Population for which study outcomes are intended. Although the intended (target) population is usually evident, having access to members of this population (accessibility) can be difficult.