This document discusses formulating research problems, questions, and hypotheses. It describes the general steps in the research process and how to identify a research problem. Well-formed research questions and hypotheses should include the variables being studied, the population, and be testable. Research questions can be exploratory, while hypotheses predict relationships between variables. Studies can be categorized as Level I, II, or III depending on the current knowledge about the topic and whether relationships between variables are being explored or tested. Formulating clear research questions and hypotheses is an important preliminary step in the research process.

1. Formulating ResearchFormulating Research
Problems, QuestionsProblems, Questions
and Hypothesesand Hypotheses
SathiSh Rajamani m.ScSathiSh Rajamani m.Sc
(n)(n)
0968811545409688115454

2. 201/28/15
Learning Objectives
 Describe the general
steps in the research
process
 Describe process of
identifying a research
problem
 Define research
questions, directional
and non-directional
hypotheses
 Describe the difference
between Level I, II, and
III studies
 Describe the use of
research questions vs.
hypotheses in a
research study

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Research Defined
 Research is an organized and
systematic way to find answers to
questions
 Research is a creative process

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Why is research important to the
profession of nursing?
 Nursing research provides a scientific
knowledge base for practice.
 Knowledge obtained from sound
research is transformed into clinical
practice, leading to nursing practice
that is evidence-based.

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Research and Nursing
 “The nurse must be a knowledgeable
consumer of research, one who can
critique research and use existing
standards to determine the merit and
readiness for research use in clinical
practice” (ANA, 1997; AACN, 1998b).
 LB-W & H p. 7

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Developing & Refining a
Research Problem
 Research study should include:
A specific problem area
Review of relevant literature
Significance to nursing
Feasibility

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Research Topics
 Nursing research topics include
studies of patient populations, or an
individual’s response to health
problems, or potential health problems.

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The Research Idea
 Professional experience
 Burning questions
Yours
Others
 Literature
 Professional meetings
 Discussions

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Research Topics
 Observations
 Behaviors
 Concepts
 Theories
 Testing of assessment and intervention
strategies

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Criteria for developing a good
research question: FINER
 Feasibility
 Interesting
 Novel
 Ethical
 Relevant
 Cummings et al. 2001

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FINER
 Feasible
 Subjects
 Resources
 Manageable
 Data available?
 Interesting
 Novel
 In relation to previous
findings
 Confirm or refute?
 New setting, new
population
 Ethical
 Social or scientific value
 Safe
 Relevant
 Advance scientific
knowledge?
 Influence clinical practice?
 Impact health policy?
 Guide future research?

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Narrowing the research topic
 Idea → brainstorming
 Literature review
 Identify the variables for study
 Formulate research problems and
questions/hypotheses
 LB-W & H p. 51 – see fig. 3-1

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A Research Question Must
Identify
1. The variables under study
2. The population being studied
3. The testability of the question

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Variables in research
 Have 2 or more properties or qualities
 Age, sex, weight, height
 Is one variable related to another?
 “ Is X related to Y? What is the effect of X on Y?” etc.

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Variables in research
 Independent
variable:
 has a presumed effect
on the dependent
variable (outcome)
 May or may not be
manipulated
 Dependent variable:
 Something that varies
with a change in the
independent variable
 Outcome variable

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Population
 The population to be
studied must be
specified in the
research question

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Testability
 Research problem must imply that the
problem is measurable/testable
 Example of a poorly phrased research
question
“Should postoperative patients control how
much pain medication they receive?”
 How would you revise the question?

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Characteristics to Consider
 Research questions
Cannot be answered by yes/no
 Should ask:
What happens when?
What’s going on here?
How does this happen?
Why does one thing work better than
another?

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Examples
 What is the relationship between
effectiveness of pain management
strategies and quality of life?
 How do older adults adapt to living
with early stage dementia?

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Purpose Statement
 The purpose of the study encompasses
the aims or goals the investigator
wants to accomplish
 Purpose ≠ Question

21. LB-W & H p. 58 Box 3-2 2101/28/15

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Research Questions
 Research studies do not always
contain hypotheses
 Exploratory and descriptive studies
may pose research questions instead

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What is a researchable
question?
 Helps solve a problem, add to theory,
or improve nursing practice
 Needs to be usable, current, and clear
 Provides answers that will explain,
describe, identify, predict or qualify

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Guidelines for writing research
questions
 Start with a simple question
Has one stem and one topic
 Action-oriented
 The way you ask a question determines
how you will answer it

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Writing the research question
 Examples:
What are the health beliefs of the Amish?
What is the relationship between preoperative
teaching and postoperative pain?
Why does increased assertiveness in nurses
lead to lower nosocomial infection rates?

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Hypothesis
 Statement about the relationship
between 2 or more variables
 Converts the question into a statement
that predicts an expected outcome
 A unit or subset of the research
problem

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Characteristics of hypotheses
 Declarative statement that identifies the
predicted relationship between 2 or
more variables
 Testability
 Based on sound scientific
theory/rationale

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Hypotheses
 Hypotheses may not always be
explicitly stated
 Wording must include:
The variables
The population being studied
The predicted outcome of the hypothesis

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Directional vs. Non-Directional
Hypotheses
 Directional hypothesis
Specifies the direction of the relationship
between independent and dependent
variables
 Non-directional hypothesis
Shows the existence of a relationship
between variables but no direction is specified

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Examples
 Directional hypothesis
 Cardiac patients who receive support from former
patients have less anxiety and higher self-efficacy
than other patients
 Non-directional hypothesis
 There is a difference in anxiety and self-efficacy
between cardiac patients who receive support from
former patients and those who do not

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Research vs. Statistical
Hypotheses
 Research hypothesis = scientific hypothesis
 Statement about the expected relationship of the
variables
 Can be directional or nondirectional
 Statistical hypothesis = null hypothesis
 States there is no relationship between the variables
 L-B, W & H p. 66-67

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Example: Statistical Hypothesis
 Oxygen inhalation by nasal cannula of
up to 6L/min does not affectdoes not affect oral
temperature measurement taken with
an electronic thermometer.
Variables?
 other examples?

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Levels of Questions
 Level I
 Little to no literature is
available on the topic and
the purpose is to describe
what is found as it exists
naturally
 Level II
 There is knowledge about
the topic but relationships
among the variables are
not well known
 Level III
 There is a great deal of
knowledge about the topic
and the purpose of the
study is to test the theory
through direct manipulation
of the variables

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Level I Questions
 Lead to exploration and result in a
complete description of the topic
 Examples:
What are the characteristics of suicidal
patients?
What are the spiritual needs of transplant
patients?

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Level II Questions
 Build on the results of
Level I studies
 Look for relationships
between the variables
 Examples:
 What is the relationship
between relaxation and
pain in postoperative
patients?
 What is the relationship
among nutrition, birth
weight of the newborn, and
age of the mother?

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Level III Questions
 Builds on the results of previous
research
 Lead to experimental designs
 Examples:
Why does patient satisfaction increase with
positive attitudes toward self-care?
Why does increased vitamin C decrease skin
fragility in elderly people?

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Summary of Level I, II, and III
Questions
 Level I questions have only one
variable and one population
 Level II requires a minimum of 2
variables in one population
 At level III there must be 2 variables
that specify a cause and effect

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Examples
 What are the body positions into which
nurses place LBW intubated infants?
 What is the relationship between body
positions and heart rate in the LBW
intubated infants?
 Why does supine body positioning
decrease heart rate in the intubated
LBW infant?

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Summary Points
 Preliminary steps in the
research process
include forming a
research problem,
questions and
hypotheses
 A hypothesis attempts
to answer the question
posed by the research
question
 Research questions
illustrate a relationship
between variables,
identify independent
and dependent
variables, include a
population, and imply
that a problem is
testable

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Your questions?