Qualitative design and one with quantitative design
select one research report with a qualitative design and one with quantitative design and answer the following questions regarding the following categories:
1. Discuss what is meant by the term Qualitative Research
o Briefly, describe the characteristics of qualitative research and identify nursing issues/phenomena that lend themselves to a qualitative research approach.
o Compare and contrast three different qualitative research methodologies.
o Briefly, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of qualitative research evidence for informing nursing practice.
o Communicate how this research design used in research.
2. The study, sampling, data collection, analysis, rigor, findings and limitations
o Identify the purpose of the study.
o Briefly, describe the design of the study and explain why you think it is either appropriate or inappropriate to meet the purpose.
o Identify ethical issues related to the study and how they were/were not addressed.
o Identify the sampling method and recruitment strategy that was used.
o Discuss whether sampling and recruitment were appropriate to the aims of the research.
Sample Solution
Qualitative vs. Quantitative Research Reports in Nursing
Qualitative Research:
- Characteristics: Qualitative research explores experiences, meanings, and phenomena through descriptive data like interviews, observations, and documents. It aims to understand the "why" and "how" of human experiences in a particular context. Nursing issues well-suited for qualitative research include:
- Patient experiences with illness or treatment.
- Nurse-patient interactions and communication.
- Cultural influences on healthcare delivery.
- Methodologies:
- Phenomenology: Focuses on lived experiences of a phenomenon (e.g., living with chronic pain).
- Ethnography: Studies a culture or group over an extended period (e.g., cultural beliefs about childbirth).
- Grounded Theory: Develops theories based on data collected from participants (e.g., nurses' experiences with moral distress).
- Strengths: Provides rich, detailed data and insights not captured by numbers. Useful for exploring new or under-researched areas.
- Weaknesses: Subjective data can be influenced by researcher bias. May not be generalizable to a larger population.
- Characteristics: Quantitative research relies on numerical data and statistical analysis to test hypotheses and measure relationships. It aims to understand the "what" and "how much" of a phenomenon. Examples in nursing include:
- Effectiveness of a new pain medication.
- Relationship between nurse staffing levels and patient outcomes.
- Search online databases: Look for databases like CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature) or PubMed. Use keywords related to your topic and filter by "qualitative research" or "quantitative research".
- Review nursing journals: Many nursing journals publish both qualitative and quantitative studies. Look for articles with titles that suggest exploration of experiences or testing of hypotheses.
- Qualitative Research Report:
- Purpose: What was the study trying to understand?
- Design: What qualitative methodology was used (phenomenology, ethnography, etc.)? Was it appropriate for the purpose?
- Ethical Issues: How were participant confidentiality and informed consent addressed?
- Sampling: How were participants selected (e.g., purposive sampling)? Was it appropriate for the research question?
- Data Collection: What methods were used to collect data (e.g., interviews, focus groups)?
- Quantitative Research Report:
- Purpose: What was the study trying to investigate?
- Design: What type of quantitative design was used (e.g., randomized controlled trial, survey)? Was it appropriate for the research question?
- Sampling: How were participants selected (e.g., random sampling)? Was it appropriate for generalizability?
- Data Collection: What tools were used to collect data (e.g., surveys, questionnaires)?