The document discusses health research, including definitions, purposes, objectives, categories, and importance. It defines research as the systematic collection, analysis and interpretation of data to answer questions or solve problems. The purposes of research are to validate and generate new knowledge about nursing practice, education, administration and informatics. Research objectives include general exploration, describing populations, and determining cause-and-effect relationships. The categories of research design are exploratory, descriptive and causal. Research is important as it adds knowledge, improves practice, informs policy debates, and builds student research skills.

1. Dr. Farid Ghrayeb

2. 3-2
What is Health Research:?
ØDefinition: Research is the systematic collection,
analysis and interpretation of data to answer a
certain question or solve a problem.
ØIt is crucial to follow cascading ‫ةللاتتم‬ scientific
steps when conducting one’s research.

3. 3-3
Purpose of Research
It is a scientific process that:
•validate and refine existing knowledge and/or
•generate new knowledge about issues of importance to the
nursing profession including:
- nursing practice,
- education,
- administration, and
- informatics to improve clinical practice.
‫تل‬ ‫قق‬ ‫نم‬ ‫ةحق‬ ‫صو‬ ‫قق‬ ‫نم‬ ‫ةفر‬ ‫ئاقق‬ ‫ل‬ ‫تو‬ ‫توايديل‬ ‫را‬ ‫توا‬ ‫وحي‬ ‫وئ‬ ‫تاي‬ ‫توث‬ ‫قتي‬ ‫توا‬ ‫وأثر‬ ‫أيي‬ ‫نم‬ ‫يثش‬ ‫وي‬
‫ا‬ ‫لح‬ ‫تويي‬

4. 3-4
Objectives of Research
The three objectives of research are:
§ to conduct a general exploration of the issue,
§ to describe a population, and
§ to attribute cause and affect relationships
among two or more variables

5. 3-5
categories of Research
categories of research design are:
1. exploratory,
2. descriptive and
3. causal.

6. 3-6
Importance of Research
§ Reason 1: Research Adds Knowledge About Educational
Issues
n Addresses gaps in knowledge
n Expands knowledge
n Adds voices of individuals to knowledge
§ Reason 2: Research Helps Improve Practice
n Educators gain new ideas
n Educators gain new insight into methods
n Educators gain new insight into students
§ Reason 3: Research Informs Policy Debates
n Research helps people weigh different perspectives on issues
n Research helps people make informed decisions regarding policy
§ Reason 4: Research Builds Student Research Skills
n Organizational skills, analytical skills, writing skills, presentation skills

7. 3-7
Research Spiral or Process:
Selection of Research Area

8. 3-8
Research Spiral or Process:
Selection of Research Area
n Selection of this broad entity of research is
based on the following:
n researcher’s:
n Specialty
n Interest
n Scientific background
n Experience
n Actual need for research in this area
n Available resources (interest of funding body)

9. 3-9
Research Spiral or Process:
Selection of Research Area
The priority of a topic for research depends on:
n The characteristics of the problem (topic):
n Impact on health:
n Magnitude
n Seriousness
n Preventability
n Curability
n Available interventions
n Proposed solutions
n The characteristics of the proposed study:
n Feasibility
n Cost-effectiveness
n Applicability of the results

10. 3-10
Research Spiral:
Reviewing the Literature
Development of the literature review requires four stages:
n Problem formulation—which topic or field is being
examined and what are its component issues?
n Literature search—finding materials relevant to the subject
being explored
n Data evaluation—determining which literature makes a
significant contribution to the understanding of the topic
n Analysis and interpretation—discussing the findings and
conclusions of pertinent literature

11. 3-11
Research Spiral:
Sources of Literature
Journal articles:
n these are good sources, especially for up-to-date
information. They are frequently used in literature
reviews because they offer a relatively concise, up-to-
date format for research.
n Depending on the publication, these materials may be
refereed materials.

12. 3-12
Research Spiral:
Sources of Literature
Books:
§ Remember that books tend to be less up-to-date, as it
takes longer for a book to be published than for a
journal article.
§ They are still likely to be useful for including in your
literature review as they offer a good starting point
from which to find more detailed and up-to-date
sources of information.

13. 3-13
Research Spiral:
Sources of Literature
Conference proceedings:
§ These can be useful in providing the latest research,
or research that has not been published.
§ They are also helpful in providing information about
people in different research areas, and so can be
helpful in tracking down other work by the same
researchers.

14. 3-14
Research Spiral:
Sources of Literature
Government/corporate reports:
n Many government departments and corporations
commission carry out research.
n Their published findings can provide a useful source
of information, depending on your field of study.

15. 3-15
Research Spiral:
Sources of Literature
Theses and dissertations: these can be useful sources of
information. However there are disadvantages:
n they can be difficult to obtain since they are not
published, but are generally only available from the
library or interlibrary systems
n the student who carried out the research may not be
an experienced researcher and therefore you might
have to treat their findings with more caution than
published research.

16. 3-16
Research Spiral:
Sources of Literature
Internet: the fastest-growing source of information is on
the Internet.
n bear in mind that anyone can post information on the
Internet so the quality may not be reliable
n the information you find may be intended for a
general audience and so not be suitable for inclusion
in your literature review (information for a general
audience is usually less detailed)

17. 3-17
Research Spiral:
Reviewing the Literature
Relevant literature refers to those sources that are pertinent or highly
important in providing the in-depth knowledge needed to study a selected
problem. This background enables the researcher to build on the work of
others and to avoid unnecessary and redundant work.
• It prevents you from duplicating work that has been done before.
• It helps you to find out what others have learned and reported on the
problem you want to study. This may assist you in refining your statement
of the problem.
• Bring clarity and focus to your research problem
• Improve your methodology
• Broaden your knowledge
• interpretation your findings
• i.e., To generate a picture of what is known about a particular situation and
the knowledge gaps that exist in it, researchers conduct a review of relevant
literature.

18. 3-18
Research Spiral:
Specify a Purpose for the Research
§ Identify the purpose statement
§ Narrow the purpose statement to research
Ø Quantitative: Research Questions and or hypothesis
Ø Qualitative: Central Phenomenon and sub-questions

19. 3-19
Research Spiral:
Collecting Data
o Determine the data collection method
o Select the individuals to study
o Design data collection instruments and outline
procedures
o Obtain permissions
o Gather information

20. 3-20
Research Spiral:
Analyzing and Interpreting Data
§ Breaking down the data
§ Representing the data
§ Explaining the data

21. 3-21
Research Spiral:
Reporting and Evaluating Research
q Determine the audience for the report
q Structure the report
q Write the report sensitively and
accurately

22. 3-22
Major Types of Research
§ Descriptive research
§ Analytical research
§ Applied research
§ Basic research
§ Correlational research
§ Ethnographic research
§ Experimental research
§ Exploratory research
§ Grounded theory research
§ Historical research
§ Phenomenological research

23. 3-23
Descriptive Research
§ Descriptive research refers to research that provides an accurate
portrayal of characteristics ‫راوتم‬ ‫ت‬ ‫تي‬ ‫ل‬ ‫ةيصاخ‬ of a particular
individual, situation, or group. Descriptive research, also known
as statistical research.
§ Purpose is the description of the state of affairs as it exists in
present
§ These studies are a means of discovering new meaning,
§ describing what exists, determining the frequency with which
something occurs, and categorizing information.
For example,
• finding the most frequent disease that affects the children of a town.
The reader of the research will know what to do to prevent that
disease thus, more people will live a healthy life.

24. 3-24
Descriptive Research
Advantages:
§ The people individual studied are unaware so they act naturally or
as they usually do in everyday situation;
§ It is less expensive and time consuming than quantitative
experiments;
§ Collects a large amount of notes for detailed studying;
§ As it is used to describe and not make any conclusions it is to start
the research with it;
Disadvantages
• Descriptive research requires more skills.
• Does not identify cause behind a phenomenon
• Response rate is low in this research.
• Results of this research can change over the period of time.

25. 3-25
Analytical Research
§ Involves in-depth study and evaluation of available
information in an attempt to explain complex
phenomenon
§ The researcher has to use facts or information already
available and analyze these to make a critical evaluation
of the material
Subdivisions of Analytical Research
ü Historical Research
ü Philosophical Research
ü Research synthesis (meta analysis i.e. analysis of the
review already published)

26. 3-26
Applied / Action Research
1. To solve a current problem faced by the manager in
the work setting. Such research is called applied
research.
§ For example, Apple’s iPod sales increased by 200%
from 2001 to 2008. but the sales decreased by 6% in
2009. What is the reason for this decrease?
§ The question is: what will apple do about this problem?

27. 3-27
Pure/Basic/Fundamental research
§ To generate a body of knowledge about how to solve problems
that could be occurred in organizations. This is called basic
research or fundamental research. It is also known as pure
research.
§ For example, University professors engage in basic research
in an effort to understand and generate more knowledge about
various aspects of businesses, such as:
- How to improve the effectiveness of information
systems.
- How to integrate technology into the overall
strategic objectives of an organization.
- How to increase the productivity of the employees.
- How to increase the effectiveness of small businesses.
§ These findings later become useful for application in business
situations.

28. 3-28
Distinction Between Applied and Basic Research
q The main distinction between applied and basic
business research is:
ü Applied research is specifically aimed at solving a
currently experienced problem.
ü Basic research has a broader objective of generating
knowledge and understanding of phenomena and
problems that occur in various organizational settings.
Ø Both types of research follow the same steps of
systematic inquiry to arrive at solutions to problems.

29. 3-29
CORRELATIONAL RESEARCH
Correlational research refers to the systematic
investigation or statistical study of relationships among two
or more variables, without necessarily determining cause and
effect.
It Seeks to establish a relation/association/correlation between two or
more variables that do not readily lend themselves to experimental
manipulation.
For example, to test the hypothesis “ Listening to music lowers
blood pressure levels” there are 2 ways of conducting research
• Experimental – group samples and make one group listen to music
and then compare the blood pressure levels
• Survey – ask people how they feel ? How often they listen? And

30. 3-30
CORRELATIONAL RESEARCH
Advantages:
1. Can collect much information from many subjects at one time.
2. Can study a wide range of variables and their interrelations.
3. Study variables that are not easily produced in the laboratory.
Disadvantages:
§ Correlation does not indicate causation( cause and effect).
§ Problems with self-report method .

31. 3-31
ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCH
Ethnographic research refer to the investigation of a culture
through an in-depth study of the members of the culture; it involves
the systematic collection, description, and analysis of data for
development of theories of cultural behavior.
§ It studies people, ethnic groups and other ethnic formations, their
ethno genesis, composition, resettlement, social welfare
characteristics, as well as their material and spiritual culture.
§ Data collection is often done through participant observation,
interviews, questionnaires, etc.
§ The purpose of ethnographic research is to attempt to understand
what is happening naturally in the setting and to interpret the data
gathered to see what implications could be formed from the data.

32. 3-32
EXPLORATORY RESEARCH
Exploratory research is a type of research conducted for a
problem that has not been clearly defined. Exploratory
research helps determine the best research design, data
collection method and selection of subjects.
ü The results of exploratory research are not usually useful for
decision-making by themselves, but they can provide significant
insight into a given situation.
ü Exploratory research is not typically generalizable to the
population at large.

33. 3-33
GROUNDED THEORY RESEARCH
Grounded theory research is a research approach designed to
discover what problems exist in a given social environment and how
the persons involved handle them; it involves formulation, testing,
and reformulation of propositions until a theory is developed.
Ø Grounded theory is a research method that operates almost in a reverse fashion
from traditional research and at first may appear to be in contradiction to the
scientific method.

34. 3-34
HISTORICAL RESEARCH
Historical research is research involving analysis of events that
occurred in the remote or recent past.
Application
ü Historical research can show patterns that occurred in the past and over time
which can help us to see where we came from and what kinds of solutions we
have used in the past.
ü Understanding this can add perspective on how we examine current events and
educational practices.
The steps involved in the conduct of historical research
Here are the five steps:
1. Identification of the research topic and formulation of the research problem or
question.
2. Data collection or literature review
3. Evaluation of materials
4. Data synthesis
5. Report preparation or preparation of the narrative exposition

35. 3-35
PHENOMENLOGICAL RESEARCH
Phenomenological research an inductive, descriptive research
approach developed from phenomenological philosophy; its aim is to
describe an experience as it is actually lived by the person.
• Phenomenology is concerned with the study of experience from
the perspective of the individual, ‘bracketing’ taken-forgranted
assumptions and usual ways of perceiving.
• They are based in a paradigm of personal knowledge and
subjectivity, and emphasize the importance of personal perspective
and interpretation.
• As such they are powerful for understanding subjective
experience, gaining insights into people’s motivations and actions,
and cutting through the clutter of taken-for-granted assumptions
and conventional wisdom.

36. 3-36
On a broader perspective, all researches
can be classified into two groups:
ü Quantitative Research
ü Qualitative Research

37. 3-37
Quantitative Research
Quantitative research refers to the systematic empirical
investigation of any phenomena via statistical, mathematical or
computational techniques. The objective of quantitative research is to
develop and employ mathematical models, theories and/or
hypotheses pertaining ‫لم‬ ‫ةتللت‬ to phenomena

38. 3-38
Quantitative Research
Advantages
§ Quantitative research allows the researcher to measure and analyze data.
§ The researcher is more objective about the findings of the research.
§ Quantitative research can be used to test hypotheses in experiments because of
its ability to measure data using statistics.
Disadvantages
ü The main disadvantage of quantitative research is the context of the study or
experiment is ignored.
ü Quantitative research does not study things in a natural setting or discuss the
meaning things have for different people.
ü A large sample of the population must be studied for more accurate results

39. 3-39
Qualitative Research
§ Qualitative research is research dealing with phenomena
that are difficult or impossible to quantify mathematically,
such as beliefs, meanings, attributes, and symbols.
§ Qualitative researchers aim to gather an in-depth
understanding of human behavior and the reasons that
govern such behavior. The qualitative method investigates
the why and how of decision making, not just what,
where, when.

40. 3-40
Advantages
• It enables more complex aspects of a persons experience to be studied
• Fewer restriction or assumptions are placed on the data to be collected.
• Not everything can be quantified, or quantified easily, Individuals can be studied in
more depth
• Good for exploratory research and hypothesis generation
• The participants are able to provide data in their own words and in their own way
Disadvantages
ü It is more difficult to determine the validity and reliability of
linguistic data
ü there is more subjectivity involved in analyzing the data.
ü “Data overload” – open-ended questions can sometimes create lots
of data, which can take along time to analyze!
ü Time consuming

41. 3-41
How do you get a topic?
n Reading
n Academic Experience
n Daily Experience/Patients
n Exposure to Field Situations/Clinical experience
n Consultations
n Brainstorming
n Research
n Intuition ‫ةدم‬، ‫اد‬،‫ة‬
Build your area of expertise from multiple sources.

42. 3-42
n
‫تما‬ ‫تو‬
:
‫ا‬،‫ات‬ ، ‫لا‬ ‫د‬ ‫ةتلي‬
n Prediction: A forecast about what may happen.
n
:‫تويقرحي‬
‫ةتللبتخةا‬ ‫تع‬ ‫ةا‬ ‫م‬ ‫اتتب‬ ‫د‬ ‫ةتلي‬
n Hypothesis: Prediction about the relationship
between variables.
n
:‫ي‬ ‫اق‬ ‫تو‬
.‫ةترخبتم‬ ‫ن‬ ،‫اتلل‬ ‫ةليع‬ ‫اف‬ ‫ةل‬.
n Experiment: A fair test driven by a hypothesis.
n
:‫تواالمي‬
‫ةا‬،‫ةتلهاد‬
n Observation: What is seen
‫ا‬ ‫ناحيي‬
Terms to Know

43. 3-43
n
:‫ل‬ ‫ت‬ ‫تات‬
‫ةل‬ ‫ةتلت‬ ‫ةا‬،‫ةعة‬ ‫ةبد‬ ‫ةع‬ ‫ةعلتم‬ ‫ن‬ ،‫ةتلتلل‬ ‫ةتلليلاد‬
.‫دا‬،‫فو‬
n Inference: A conclusion based on evidence about
events that have already occurred.
n Manipulated Variable: The factor in the experiment
that is changed by the scientist (independent variables).
n
‫غحقتا‬ ‫توا‬
:
‫اةو‬ ‫ةت‬ ‫ت‬ ‫ةع‬ ‫ةبتخدا‬ ‫ةل‬ ‫ةتلت‬ ‫م‬ ‫ةتلبخ‬ ‫صةةت‬
.(‫ةتلمللت‬ ‫)ةتتاةت‬
n Responding Variable: The factor in the experiment that
changes as a result of the manipulated variable.
n
:‫احمي‬ ‫تواي‬ ‫غحقتا‬ ‫توا‬
‫للتبم‬ ‫م‬ ‫ةتلبخ‬ ‫ت‬ ‫ةبتخا‬ ‫ةتلت‬ ‫ةتتصةةت‬ ‫دت‬
.‫اةو‬ ‫ةت‬ ‫ت‬ ‫ةع‬ ‫ةبتخدا‬ ‫ةل‬ ‫ةتلت‬ ‫تصةةت‬ ‫ت‬
‫ا‬ ‫ناحيي‬
Terms to Know

44. 3-44
Control:
n Using “rules” to decrease error and increase probability
that study findings are an accurate reflection of reality
n Ensure results that reflect true relationship among
variables
n Reduction of the influence of unwanted “extraneous”
variables
n These occur in all research studies (and in everyday life!).
n They may interfere with the hypothesized relationships between
variables.
n The influence of extraneous variables can be decreased through
sample selection and the use of defined research settings.
‫ا‬ ‫ناحيي‬
Terms to Know

45. 3-45
Control in Quantitative Research
Type of
Quantitative Research
Researcher
Control
Research
Setting
Descriptive Uncontrolled Natural or partially
controlled
Correlational Uncontrolled or partially
controlled
Natural or partially controlled
Quasi-experimental Partially controlled Partially controlled
Experimental Highly controlled Laboratory

46. 3-46
Causation vs. Correlation
n Correlation – association between
independent and dependent variables
n Causation – relationship between
independent and dependent variables such that
a change in an independent variable
(predictor) will change the dependent variable
(outcome) in a known way

47. 3-47
n SAMPLING
n Who/what do you want to study?
n Choosing subjects who are “representative”
of the study population
Cont….

48. 3-48
Cont….
Variables in research:
n Measurable characteristic that varies among subjects
n Research is conducted because this variance occurs.
Independent Variable:
§ (presumed cause)– has
a presumed effect on
the dependent variable,
§ May or may not be
manipulated.
Independent Variable:
- Cause
- Action
- Intervention
Dependent Variable:
§ (presumed effect)–
Something that varies with
a change in the independent
variable.
§ (Outcome variable).
Dependent Variable:
- Effect, outcome
- Reaction
- Response

49. 3-49
Practice
Identify variables for
the following experiments.
You can do it!

50. 3-50
Testable Question #1
n Does changing the temperature of a ball
affect the height the ball will bounce?
Hot
Cold

51. 3-51
Manipulated
Variable
Responding
Variable
Identify Variables #1
Cold Hot
n Does changing the temperature
of a ball affect the height the ball
will bounce?

52. 3-52
n Does changing the color of light
affect the growth rate of plants?
Testable Question #2

53. 3-53
Manipulated
Variable
Responding
Variable
Identify Variables #2
n Does changing the color of light
affect the growth rate of plants?

54. 3-54
n How does the size of a parachute
affect the time it takes a
hippo to fall 10 feet?
Testable Question #3

55. 3-55
Manipulated
Variable
Responding
Variable
Identify Variables #3
n How does the size of a parachute
affect the time it takes a hippo to
fall 10 feet?

56. 3-56
Cont..
Dependent vs. Independent
Ø What is the effect of number of cigarette
smoked and the incident of lung cancer
among third and 4th year nursing school
students
Ø Dependent: incident of lung cancer
Ø Independent: number of cigarette

57. 3-57
Cont..
n Is there a relationship between the level of
education and the Number of hours of
exercise per week
Ø Dependent: level of education
Ø Independent: Number of hours of exercise
per week

58. 3-58
Cont..
n Which is more affected by the number of
working hours per shift in the ICU, turn over
rate or number of incident reports.
Ø Independent: number of working hours
Ø Dependent/s: numbers of incident reports and
turn over rate

59. 3-59
Cont..
Data:
n Pieces of information obtained in a study. Data
are the actual “values” of the study variables
n Quantitative - numeric value
n Qualitative - narrative descriptions

60. 3-60
Cont….
SETTING
n Location of the study - can affect results
n Natural Setting: Uncontrolled, real life situation
n Partially Controlled: Manipulated or modified in
some way
n Highly Controlled: Artificial environment for sole
purpose of doing research. Decreases effects of
outside influences

61. 3-61
Cont….
RIGOR: ‫تويلي‬
Why is Rigor Important?
n Striving for excellence in research involves:
n adherence to detail
n Precise measurement tools, a representative
sample, and a tightly controlled study design
n Logical reasoning is essential.
n Precision, accuracy, detail, and order required

62. 3-62
Types of research approach:

63. 3-63
Quantitative (Deductive) Research
§ Formal, objective, systematic process using:
§ measurement
§ hypothesis testing
§ data analysis
§ It is traditional approaches such as experiments and surveys.
§ From the general to the specific. This approach involves starting
with a theoretical framework, formulating hypotheses, gathering
data and analyzing it to test the hypotheses.
§ Example: assume that separation anxiety occurs in hospitalized child,
then we might predict that the child in hospital who his parents not
room in would manifest symptoms of stress.

64. 3-64
Qualitative (Inductive) Research
n Is the “collection of in-depth, non-numeric data
(data derived from words), traditionally collected
face-to-face in an unstructured manner.”
n Evaluate subjective life experiences and give
meaning to them.
n Focuses on understanding phenomena from an
individual’s perspective without trying to
manipulate them.
n Approaches: observation, in-depth interviews,
case studies, narrative analysis.

65. 3-65
Deductive vs. Inductive
Deduction
Induction

66. 3-66
Comparison between Quantitative &
Qualitative Research
Qualitative Research
To gain a qualitative
understanding of the
underlying reasons and
motivations
Small number of non-
representative cases
Unstructured
Non-statistical
Develop an initial
understanding
Objective
Sample
Data Collection
Data Analysis
Outcome
Quantitative Research
To quantify the data and
generalize the results from the
sample to the population of
interest
Large number of representative
cases
Structured
Statistical
Recommend a final course of
action

67. 3-67
Steps in Quantitative Research

68. 3-68
1
6
5
4
3
2
8 7

69. 3-69
D. Final Report Writing
Main components of a research report:
1. Title or cover page
2. Abstract
3. Introduction
4. Objectives
5. Methodology
6. Literature Review
7. Research results (findings)
8. Discussion
9. Conclusions
10. Recommendations
11. References
12. Annexes or appendices (data collection tools, tables)

70. 3-70