Research methodology explains the activity of research that pursuit, how it progress, estimate process

and represents the success. The methodological decision covers the important insinuations for validity
and credibility of the study findings. Methodology of the study indicates the general pattern for
organizing the procedure for the empirical study together with the method of obtaining valid and
reliable data for an investigation. The methodology of research indicates the valid and reliable data for
the problem under investigation. Methodology adopted for this research is to estimate the level of ego
integrity of male & female geriatric population living in Indore. Prior planning is needed for all research
and is more important for quantitative studies because typically the study design and methods must be
finalized prior the study can progress. Methodology includes research design, research approach,
variables, description of setting, population, sample and sampling techniques, development and
description of research tool, pilot study and procedure for data collection and plan for data analysis.
(Polit and Hungler, 1999) And also focus on the certain methodology selected by the investigator to
perform the study. The above techniques were used to systemize this study and to collect and scrutinize
the data in an organized fashion. The research design of a study shows the basic structure that
investigators adopt to develop evidence that is accurate and explainable. The design includes some vital
methodological conclusion that the investigator makes, particularly in quantitative studies.

RESEARCH DESIGN – DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH DESIGN Target population All Geriatric people (60 -
80years) in M.P Accessible population Geriatric populations living in Indore, M.P. Setting Indore,
MadhyaPradesh Sampling technique Simple random sampling Sample size 300 male & 300 female
Method of data collection Interview schedule to asses socio-demographic variable Rating scale to asses
level of ego integrity Variable – I Level of ego integrity towards male Variable Variable – II Level of ego
integrity towards female Analysis Descriptive information Data Interpretation Research Finding

POPULATION A population is the entire set of cases in which a study is interested. It is the full set of
individual or of objects having some common characteristics. In this study the population was all
Geriatric people (60 - 80years). Population is distinguishing as target and accessible population. TARGET
POPULATION The target population is the aggregate of cases about which the researcher would like to
generalize. The target population for this study was the Geriatric populations living in M.P ACCESSIBLE
POPULATION The aggregate of cases that conform to eligibility criteria and that are accessible as
subjects for the study. The accessible population for this study was the Geriatric populations living in the
selected geographical areas of Indore city, M.P

SAMPLE Sample is a subset of population. An element is the most fundamental unit from which data is
collected. In nursing research subjects are usually humans. In this study the samples are male and
female geriatric people who were fulfilling inclusion and exclusion criteria. SAMPLE SIZE In this study
sample size was 300 male and 300 female geriatric populations living in Indore city. Geriatric people:
men & women who are between the age of 60 – 80 years. SAMPLING TECHNIQUE Sampling defines the
pursuit of selecting the part of the population to represent the whole population. The sampling
technique used in the study was Simple random sampling technique. A simple random sampling is a
subset of individuals (a sample) selected from a bigger set (a population). Each person is selected on
random basis and by chance, such that individual sample has the same chance of being chosen at any
stage during the above said process. The lottery method--individual unit of the population is found by a
number disc or slip or any other means. They are mixed and then the appropriate number of samples is
selected. The Indore municipal cooperation has divided the Indore city into 69 wards. Those wards,
which were deployed for commercial activities, were not included for this study. Left over wards, out of
which with the probability sampling the investigator chose 9 wards, (the chosen wards are)  7  14 
21  28  35  42  49  56  63

ETHICAL ISSUES

Ethical issues in research a ‘how to...’ guide Help with Involve Communities ‘How to…’ guide
Introduction Ethics when applied to social research is concerned with the creation of a trusting
relationship between those who are researched and the researcher. To ensure that trust is established it
is essential that communication is carefully planned and managed, that risks are minimised and benefits
are maximised. In developing a trusting relationship, researchers adhere to a number of ethical
principles which they apply to their work - namely beneficence; autonomy; non-maleficence; justice;
veracity; and privacy. Beneficence (doing good) Research should only be carried out if some sort of
benefit or good can be derived from it, (i.e. contribution to knowledge or improved service/treatment).
Therefore the question of whether or not a research project is worth undertaking should always be
uppermost in the mind of the researcher. If no benefit can be derived then the project is unethical.
Autonomy (self-rule) Researchers have an obligation to disclose information at a level that participants
can understand so that they can either refuse or agree to participate. In essence, autonomy is
concerned with the concept of informed consent whereby people who agree to take part in a study
know what they are agreeing to and authorise the researcher to collect information without any form of
coercion. Non-maleficence (do no harm) The principle of non-maleficence places an obligation on
researchers not to harm others or expose people to unnecessary risks. Harm can come in many forms,
from blows to self-esteem to ‘looking bad’ to others, to loss of funding or earnings, to boredom,
frustration, or time wasting. It is good practice to assume that every research project will involve some
form of harm and to consider in advance how best to deal with it. Justice (Fairness) This principle implies
that everyone should be treated fairly and equally. Veracity (truth telling) This principle concerns truth
telling whereby the researcher is required to provide comprehensive and accurate information in a
manner that enhances understanding. For example, if the researcher says that a questionnaire will take
10 minutes to complete then the questionnaire should take 10 minutes and not 15 minutes. Researchers
should always be honest with participants and keep any promises made. Privacy Privacy concerns the
respect for limited access to another person, be it physically, emotionally or cognitively. For example,
although participants grant access to their thoughts and feelings when they agree to participate, they do
not agree to unlimited access. Therefore they have always got the right to decline to talk about certain
issues or to answer specific questions.

Ethical issues in research a ‘how to...’ guide Help with Involve Communities ‘How to…’ guide
Confidentiality is an extension of privacy but relates specifically to the agreements made between the
researcher and participants about what can and cannot be done with information collected over a
course of a project. In most cases this will be determined and subjected to the legal constraints outlined
in the Data Protection Act 1998. Frequently asked questions This section of the guide attempts to
answer some of the frequently asked questions about research ethics. If you have any additional queries
please get in touch. What is meant by informed consent? Informed consent is best understood by
looking at what it means to be informed and to give consent. Being informed means that participants
are told everything that might or will occur during a study in a way in which they can understand. Giving
consent implies that a) the agreement to participate is voluntary, free from coercion and undue
influence and b) that the person providing the consent is competent to make a rational and mature
judgement about taking part. If the criteria of being informed and giving consent are met then informed
consent is said to be given. Does consent have to be in writing? It is good practice to have consent in
writing. In practice, however, this is not always possible especially when undertaking focus groups. The
convention here is to go through the consent procedure with the group and record on tape any
objections. To prevent breaches of confidentially, consent forms with personal identifiable information
attached should be stored in a locked container away other from information about the project. What
information should be included on a consent form? There are no hard and fast rules here; however as a
rough guide the following sorts of things should be included:  a heading stating the title, the
organisation carrying out the research and the name of the researcher.  a statement of agreement to
participate.  a statement that indicates the length of time an activity is likely to take.  a statement that
indicates what will happen to the information collected.  a statement about confidentiality and
anonymity.  confirmation that there is no obligation to take part and that participants have the right to
withdraw or not answer questions.  signatures and date. Optional statements that can be included:  a
statement that the purpose of any recording equipment used has been explain.  a statement that a
leaflet has been provided, that the information has been read and understood.  a statement that
indicates that permission has been granted to re-contact participants about the project.  a statement
that indicates whether permission has been granted for their name to be added to a database etc.
Ethical issues in research a ‘how to...’ guide Help with Involve Communities ‘How to…’ guide Are there
any special issues I need to consider when undertaking research with young people? Yes, the issue of
informed consent and how to ensure it has lead to various professional, academic and service guidelines
on how to undertake research with young people. We have pulled together some of the key issues you
need to be aware of in a separate guideline. See ‘Research with children and young people’ for further
details. Do I need to get ethical approval for my research? This question very much depends on the
subject area and who you are actually consulting with. You generally don’t need ethical approval if you
adhere to the community engagement framework and your research is being undertaken within the
council for the purpose of improving service provision. However, if you are undertaking collaborative
work with one our partner agencies, i.e. NHS, you may need to apply for ethical review. The Central
Office for Research Ethics Committees (COREC) produces guidance on who should apply for ethical
review, (see http://corec.org.uk/?s=ethical+review). The best advice here is 'if in doubt ask'.
EXAMPLES

Populations
Definition - a complete set of elements (persons or objects) that possess some
common characteristic defined by the sampling criteria established by the
researcher

Composed of two groups - target population & accessible population

Target population (universe)

The entire group of people or objects to which the researcher

wishes to generalize the study findings

Meet set of criteria of interest to researcher

Examples

All institutionalized elderly with Alzheimer's

All people with AIDS

All low birth weight infants

All school-age children with asthma

All pregnant teens

Accessible population

the portion of the population to which the researcher has

reasonable access; may be a subset of the target population

May be limited to region, state, city, county, or institution

Examples

All institutionalized elderly with Alzheimer's in St. Louis

county nursing homes

All people with AIDS in the metropolitan St. Louis area

All low birth weight infants admitted to the neonatal

ICUs in St. Louis city & county
 All school-age children with asthma treated in pediatric
asthma clinics in university-affiliated medical centers in
the Midwest

All pregnant teens in the state of Missouri

Samples
Terminology used to describe samples and sampling methods

Sample = the selected elements (people or objects) chosen for

participation in a study; people are referred to as subjects or
participants

Sampling = the process of selecting a group of people, events,

behaviors, or other elements with which to conduct a study

Sampling frame = a list of all the elements in the population from

which the sample is drawn

Could be extremely large if population is national or

international in nature

Frame is needed so that everyone in the population is identified

so they will have an equal opportunity for selection as a subject
(element)

Examples

A list of all institutionalized elderly with Alzheimer's in

St. Louis county nursing homes affiliated with BJC

A list of all people with AIDS in the metropolitan St.

Louis area who are members of the St. Louis Effort for
AIDS

A list of all low birth weight infants admitted to the

neonatal ICUs in St. Louis city & county in 1998

A list of all school-age children with asthma treated in

pediatric asthma clinics in university-affiliated medical
centers in the Midwest

A list of all pregnant teens in the Henderson school

district
Randomization = each individual in the population has an equal
opportunity to be selected for the sample

Representativeness = sample must be as much like the population in as

many ways as possible

Sample reflects the characteristics of the population, so those

sample findings can be generalized to the population

Most effective way to achieve representativeness is through

randomization; random selection or random assignment

Parameter = a numerical value or measure of a characteristic of the

population; remember P for parameter & population

Statistic = numerical value or measure of a characteristic of the

sample; remember S for sample & statistic

Precision = the accuracy with which the population parameters have

been estimated; remember that population parameters often are based on
the sample statistics