Over view of research

process
Steps in the research process

 Nearly every author refers to the formulation of the

research problem as the first step and the
communication of research results as the final step in
scientific research. There are some variations in the
steps. Some authors combine several steps into one
step and this accounts for the smaller numbers of steps
identified by some sources. Abdellah and Levine
(1986) listed 12 steps. Polit and Hungler (1991)
identified 15 steps. Rose mari presents 17 steps.
Identify the problem
Determining the purpose of the study
Review the literature
Develop a theoretical/conceptual frame work
Identify the study assumptions
Acknowledge the limitations of the study
Formulate the hypothesis or research question
Define the study variables/terms
Select the research design
Identify the population
Select the sample
Conduct a pilot study
Collect the data
Organise the data for analysis
Analyze the data
Interpret the findings
Communicate the findings
Identify the problem

The first step, and one of the most important steps in

the research process. Generally, a broad topic area is
selected, and then the topic is narrowed down to a
specific one sentence statement of the problem.
Study problems can be identified from personal
experiences, from literature sources, from previous
research studies, or through the testing of theories. The
problem should be interest to the researcher and be
significant to nursing.
The problem of the study is best stated as a question.
Questions demand answers. The problem statement
should specify the population and the variables that are
being studied.
Example – is there a relationship between body image
and self esteem levels of women who have
experienced mastectomy?
Determining the purpose of the study

Purpose – why the study is being done. There must be

a sound rationale or justification for every research
study. If the purpose of a study is clearly presented and
justified, the researcher will be much more likely to
receive approval for the study and also will be more
likely to obtain subjects for the study.
 
Consider the problem statement concerning body image
and self-esteem levels of women who have undergone a
mastectomy. A research study to examine these variables
might have following purpose: to develop a better
understanding of the difficulties experienced by women
after loss of a body part that is closely associated with
their feminine identity.

Review the literature

Develop a theoretical/conceptual framework

The theoretical or conceptual framework will assist in

the selection of the study variables and in defining
them. Some research studies of a purely descriptive
nature may not require a theoretical framework. The
conceptual framework for the study is usually
determined after a thorough review of the literature.
 Identify the study assumptions
Assumptions are beliefs that are held to be true but have not
necessarily been proven. Each research study is based on
assumptions. These assumptions should be stated explicitly.
Assumptions are three types: (a) universal assumptions –
beliefs that are assumed to be true by a large percentage of
society. Example: all human being need love. (b)
assumptions based on theory or research findings – if a
study is based on a certain theory. The assumptions of that
theory become the assumption of the research study that is
based on that particular theory.
(c) assumptions that are necessary to carry out the study.
 
 Acknowledge the limitations of the study

The researcher should try to identify study limitations or

weaknesses. The researcher should openly acknowledge
the limitations of the study, as much as possible, before
the data are collected. Other limitations may occur while
the study is in progress. The limitations must be taken into
consideration when the conclusions of a study are
formulated and when recommendations are made for
future research.
Formulate the hypothesis or research question

A researcher’s expectation about the results of a

research study is expressed in a hypothesis. A
hypothesis predicts the relationship between two or
more variables. Whereas the problem statement asks a
question, the hypothesis furnishes the predicted answer
to the question. The hypothesis contains the population
and variables, just as the problem statement does.
A hypothesis must be testable and verifiable
empirically, which means that it must be capable of
being tested in the ‘real world’ by observations
gathered through the senses.
Research hypothesis
Null hypothesis
Define the study variables/terms

The variables are terms contained in the study

hypotheses or research questions need to be defined so
that their meaning is clear to the researcher and to the
reader of a research report. The definitions are usually
dictionary definitions or theoretical definitions defined
from literature sources. A variable should be
operationally defined. An operational definition
indicates how a variable will be observed or measured.
select the research design

The research design is the plan for how the study will be
conducted. It is concerned with the type of data that will
be collected and the means used to obtain these data.
Example: the researcher must decide if the study will
examine cause-and-effect relationships or only describe
existing situations. The researcher chooses the design that
is most appropriate to test the study hypothesis or answer
the research questions.
 
Research designs are categorised as qualitative and
quantitative. . .
Experimental studies and non experimental studies. . .
Identify the population

The population is the complete set of individuals or

objects that possess some common characteristic of
interest to the researcher. The researcher must specify
the broad population or group of interest to the
research study as well as the actual population that is
available for the study. The first type of population is
identified as the target population and the second type
is called as accessible population.
Target population also called the universe, is made up
of the group of people or objects to which the
researcher wishes to generalise the findings of a study.
The accessible population is that group that is actually
available for study by the researcher.
 Select the sample
Although researchers are always interested in population,
usually a subgroup of the population, called a sample, is
studied. The sample is chosen to represent the population
and is used to make generalizations about the population.

Probability samples are those chosen by a random

selection process in which each member of the population
has a chance of being selected for the study.
 Conduct a pilot study

It is advisable to conduct a pilot study before the actual

study is carried out. The researcher can determine the
feasibility of the study, test the instrument that will be
used and identify potential problems in data collection.
Similar characteristic sample are used for the study. After
the pilot study is conducted, necessary revisions should be
made. It may be advisable to carry out another pilot study
if changes have been made in the instrument or in the
research procedure.
Collect the data

The data are the pieces of information or facts that are

collected in a research study. The variable or variables
in a research study must be measured. This is carried
out through the data collection procedure.
Organise the data for analysis

After the data are collected, it is necessary to organise

the data for tabulation and evaluation.
Analyze the data
Interpret the findings

 
After the data are analyzed, the findings should be
interpreted in light of study hypothesis or research
question.
Communicate the findings

The final step of research process, and the most

important one for nursing, is the communication of the
study findings. No matter how significant the findings
may be, they are of little value to the rest of the
nursing profession if the researcher fails to disseminate
these results to other colleagues. The results of many
nursing research studies never get published or shared
with other nurses.
Research findings can be communicated through many
different mediums. The best method of reaching a
large number of nurses is through publication in
research journals such as Applied nursing research,
nursing research, research in nursing and health, and
western journal of nursing research, and in clinical
journals such as heart and lung and journal of
obstetric, gynaecologic. And neonatal nursing.