Basic Steps

for
Scientific Research
B. Sunil S. De Silva
RN, BScN(OUSL), MScN(RES)(Australia)
Head/ Senior Lecturer,
Department of Health Sciences,
The Open University of Sri Lanka
What is research?
 Research – search again or to examine
carefully.
 Research is systematic inquiry that uses
disciplined methods to answer questions
or solve problems (Polit & Beck, 2006).
 The ultimate goal of research is to
develop, refine, & expand a base of
knowledge.

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Evolution of nursing research
Past Present Future

 Start from F. Nightingale (1820 – 1910).

 She is also considered as;
 The originator & founder
of modern nursing &
nursing education.

 First nurse researcher.

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Major areas of nursing research

 Nursing Characteristics
 Patient Characteristics
 Nursing Administration
 Nursing Education
 Clinical Practice

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Purposes of Scientific Research

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Research Process

 Conceptual phase -
Think it out

 Empirical phase - Go
& Do it

 Interpretive phase -
See what it all means

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Ethical Issues in Nursing Research

 Nurses study humans in nursing

research.

 Ethics refers to ‘the quality of research

procedures with respect to their
adherence to professional, legal, & social
responsibilities to the research subjects.’

 Need to protect & respect human rights.

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Sources of Research Problem
 Experience & interests – lead to clinical
research
 Existing research – published research
 Theory development – stem from
scientific interest
 External sources – pattern or trend
occurring in health care
 Social issues – Domestic violence

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Good Research Question…
 It can be answered by collecting observable
evidence of empirical / experimental data.

 Two or more facts have to be involved

(Relationships).

 Logical & consistent progression from what

is already known about the topic.

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Significant problem?

 The information gained from the research

should contribute to the body of
knowledge in nursing in a meaningful
way.
 Is the problem an important one?
 Will it benefit to nurses, patients or the health
care community?
 Will the results lead to practical application?

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Questions can not be researched…
(Researchability)
 Involving ethical reasons.
 Withhold or test the medication

 Questions that begin with ‘should’.

 Should all nurses need BScN?

 Yes/No questions
 Do all new mothers want to breast feeds their
babies?
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Feasible Problem (Feasibility)
 Feasibility involves several factors which
the researcher needs to consider before
beginning the research;
 Time
 Availability of subjects
 Cooperation of others
 Facilities & equipment
 Financial support
 Ethical considerations

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 Review of the Literature

 Lit. review help;

 to find out what has already been done on

your topic.

 clarify & defining your problem.

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 Research Design
Quantitative research
experimental Nonexperimental
1. True experimental • Will have the least amount of
- must have three control over extraneous
criteria; control, manipulation variables in the study.
& randomization
• Describe the relationship
between variables & unable
to determine cause & effect.
2. Quasi-experimental • Correlation study
• Descriptive study
• Qualitative designs are nonexperimental & used new area of
knowledge which is little is known.
• Time, setting, & reasoning must be considered when determining the
strength of the design.

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Population and Sample
 Sampling is a very important step in the
research process.

 Systematically selecting a sample will

ensure that all possible members of a
population are represented in the study.

 Selecting a good sampling method will

influence for accurate & meaningful
information.

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Basic Sampling Concepts
Population
 A population is an entire set of elements
(person, event or behavior…)
 Target population is the entire population
in which the researcher is interested.
 Accessible population is accessible to the
researcher for the study.

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Basic Sampling Concepts…
Samples & Sampling Criteria
 Sample consists of a subset of the
elements/people.
 Sampling involves selecting a group of elements
to conduct a study.
 Sampling criteria list the essential
characteristics for membership in the target
population.
 Sample need to represent target population to
generalize the findings.

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Data Collection

 Physiological Measurement – weight, BP…

 Observational Measurement – researchers’

observations

 Self-Report Measurement – interviews,

questionnaires, & scales.

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Data Analysis, Discussion & Conclusions
 Data analysis depends on the type of
research design & the purpose of the
analysis.
 Discussion & Conclusions…
 Interpretation of findings
 Limitation of the study
 Implication & generalizability
 Recommendations
 Dissemination the findings to build body of
knowledge in nursing.
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