1. PHASES OF THE
RESEARCH PROCESS
Preparation of the Research
Proposal

2.  CONCEPTUAL PHASE
 DESIGN & PLANNING PHASE
 EMPIRICAL & ANALYTIC
PHASE
 DISSEMINATION PHASE

3. Research begins with a problem:
an unanswered question in the
mind of the researcher
Research is a
Cyclical Process
Research looks for facts directed by the
hypotheses and guided by the problem. The
facts are collected and organized.
Research sees the goal in a
clear statement of the problem
Research subdivides the problem into appropriate
sub-problems. Each sub-problem seeks guidance
through an appropriate hypothesis
Research interprets the meaning of the facts
which leads to a resolution of the problem,
thus confirming or rejecting the hypotheses
and providing an answer to the question which
began the research cycle
Research posts tentative solutions to the
problem(s) through appropriate hypotheses. These
hypotheses direct the researcher to the facts

4. WHAT?
 INTRODUCTION
 Background &
Rationale
 Statement of the
Problem
 Significance of the
Study
 Scope and
Delimitations
 LITERATURE
REVIEW
 Review of Related
Literature
 Review of Related
Studies
 Theoretical/Conceptual
Framework
 Assumptions/
Hypotheses
 The Variables and

5. CONCEPTUAL PHASE
The Research Problem
 Is a question concerning the
relationship existing between sets of
events/variables
 Is based on any situation that needs
answering
 Developing a researchable project
implies that not just any problem is
researchable, and that it must be
developed

6. Researchable vs.
Non-researchable Problem
 Is God good?
 Are children happier when taught by a
teacher of the same gender?
 Does high school achievement influence
the academic achievement of university
students?
 What is the best way to teach grammar?
 What would schools be like today if World
War II had not occurred?

7. Sources of Problems
 Experience
 These are the problems identified in your
surroundings
 Nursing Literature
 Ideas for research projects often come
from reading the nursing literature
especially reports of the results of nursing
studies

8. Sources of Problems
 Theory
 Like the middle range theories that remains
to be proven
 Ideas from External Sources
 Like some priority areas for development
(the program thrust of the government –
DOH – for research to improve the health
care delivery system)

9. Characteristics of a Research
Problem
 MANAGEABLE
 OBJECTIVE
 FEASIBLE
 SIGNIFICANT
 GENERALIZES
 USEFUL

10. Guidelines for Asking
Questions
 Simplicity – there are two components
to every question. The stem & the topic
 Action-oriented – this demands some
activity on the researcher to provide the
answer. The type of question you ask
about the topic is the basis for the
design of the research plan

11. Guidelines for Asking
Questions
 Ask an active question – this will
provide the direction of the study
 Example:

Mastectomy has an effect on women.

What are the reactions of women to
mastectomy?

12. Statement of the Problem
 The problem statement should identify
the key study variables which should be
amenable to observation or
measurement, and the nature of the
population of interest

13. Forms of Problem Statement
 Declarative
 Example: The purpose of the study is to
investigate the relationship between the
dependency level of renal transplant
patients and their rate of recovery.
 Interrogative
 Example: What is the relationship between
the dependency level of renal transplant
patients and their nature of recovery?

14. Exercises
 Age has an effect on convalescence.
 What is the relationship between age and
convalescence?
 How does age affect convalescence?
 Black women have smaller babies than
white women.
 What is the difference in the birth size of
babies of black and white women?
 What is the association between ethnicity
and the birth size of their babies?

15. Exercises
 Ice water increases heart rate.
 Smoking increases the probability of
lung cancer.
 Note:
 Questions that begin with “should”, “could”, or “do” are stoppers. They elicit
opinions not facts.
 Rule of Thumb:
 The problem should not be so narrow that it would only allow a single
question be asked, nor so broad that it becomes unmanageable.1

16. Problem Set
 The study aims to determine the difference
between men and women in functional
disability and psycho-social adjustment to
burn injury.
 This study seeks to determine the
preferences of reproductive mothers on the
different artificial family planning methods.
 The primary objective of the study is to
identify the factors leading to the smoking
behaviors of adolescents.

17. Matching Research Purpose and
Level of Research Questions
PURPOS
E
LEVEL
OF
INQUIRY
EXAMPLE
Stem Topic
Description
I What is or
What are
● the eating problems of
retarded children?
● the characteristics of suicidal
parents?
● the spiritual needs of
patients?
Exploration
II
What is the
● between relaxation and pain
in post-op patients?

18. Matching Research Purpose and
Level of Research Questions
PURPOS
E
LEVEL
OF
INQUIRY
EXAMPLE
Stem Topic
Explanation
III
Why
● does patient satisfaction
increases with positive
attitudes toward self-care?
● is a decrease in dietary
iodine associated with goiter
development?
Prediction &
IV
● does relaxation control pain
sensation in post-op patients?
● does prenatal nutrition affect

19. Criteria for Evaluating /
Prioritizing a Research Problem
CRITERIA INDICATORS
Relevance 1 = not relevant
2 = relevant
3 = very relevant
Avoidance of
Duplication
1 = sufficient information already available
2 = some information available but major issues not covered
3 = no sound info available on which to base problem-solving
Feasibility 1 = study not feasible considering available resources
2 = study feasible considering available resources
3 = study very feasible considering available resources
Political Acceptability 1 = topic not acceptable to high level policy makers
2 = topic more or less acceptable to policy makers
3 = topic fully acceptable to policy makers

20. Criteria for Evaluating /
Prioritizing a Research Problem
CRITERIA INDICATORS
Applicability 1 = no chance of recommendations being implemented
2 = some chance of recommendations being implemented
3 = good chance of recommendations being implemented
Urgency 1 = information not urgently needed
2 = information could be used immediately but a delay of some
months would be acceptable
3 = data very urgently needed for decision-making
Ethical Acceptability 1 = major ethical problems
2 = minor ethical problems
3 = no ethical problems

21. CONCEPTUAL PHASE
Literature Review
 Purpose of Literature Review
 Sources of Research Ideas
 Orientation to what is already known
 Provision of Conceptual Concept
 Information on Research Approach

22. Types of Information for
Review
 Research Findings
 Theory
 Methodological Information
 Opinions and Viewpoints
 Anecdotes and Clinical Descriptions

23. Sources of Literature Review
 Primary Source
 Is a description of an investigation written
by the person who conducted it
 Secondary Source
 Is a description of a study prepared by
someone other than the original researcher

24. Sources
 Bibliographical aids for Nursing
Research Problems
 Indexes; abstracts
 Electronic databases
 CINAHL – Cumulative Index to Nursing &
Allied Health Literature
 MEDLINE – Medical Literature Online
 HERDIN – Health Research Database
Information Network

25. Sources
 Books
 Journals
 Nursing Research Journals
 Research Bulletins

26. Preparing & Writing A
Literature Review
 Identify potential references
 Locate/Retrieve references
 Screen references for relevance
 Discard irrelevant references
 Read relevant references & take notes
 Identify new references
 Organize references
 Analyze & Integrate
 Write review
Steps:
1. Abstracting & Recording notes
2. Organizing the review
3. Content of the written review

27. Criteria of a Good Review of
Related Literature
 Does the review seem thorough – does it include all
or most of the major studies on the topic? Does it
include recent research? Are studies from other
related disciplines included, if appropriate?
 Does the review rely on appropriate materials (e.g.
mainly on research reports, using primary sources)?
 Is the review merely a summary of existing work, or
does it critically appraise and compare key studies?
Does the review identify important gaps in the
literature?
 Is the review well-organized? Is the development of
ideas clear?

28. Criteria of a Good Review of
Related Literature
 Does the review use appropriate language,
suggesting the tentativeness of prior findings? Is the
review objective? Does the author paraphrase, or is
there an over-reliance on quotes from original
sources?
 If the review is part of the research report for a new
study does the review support the need for the
study? If it is a critical integrative review designed to
summarize evidence for clinical practice, does the
review draw appropriate conclusions about practice
implications?

29. CONCEPTUAL PHASE
Theoretical & Conceptual
Frameworks
 The Framework for a study is simply an
explanation based on the review of
literature, of how variables are expected
to relate to each other and why.

30. CONCEPTUAL PHASE
Theoretical & Conceptual
Frameworks
 The CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK is an
explanation based on literature and
research about the variables or when the
literature does not contain a particular
theory that explains the relationship
among variables.

31. CONCEPTUAL PHASE
Theoretical & Conceptual
Frameworks
 The THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK is a
framework where the variables have been
studied before and have been found to be
related to one another. It provides
explanation for the action of variables, or a
proposed explanation given by another
author to explain the findings of his or her
study of the same variables.

32. LEVEL
Independent
Variable
Intervening
Variable
Dependent
Variable
Theoretical
Communication Characteristics Learning
Conceptual
Mass Media
Exposure
Age
Sex
Education
Religion
Political
Knowledge
Operational
Number of hours
spent in listening to
political radio
programs
Sex
Education
Religion
Score in a test
on political
knowledge

33. CONCEPTUAL PHASE
The Hypothesis &
Assumptions
 Hypothesis is
 Considered the most specific statement of
a problem or objective
 An educated or intelligent guess or
prediction about the existence, attribute or
relationship between variables
(characteristics or phenomena) covered by
a study

34. Types of Hypothesis
 Null Hypothesis is a denial of an existence,
an attribute, a relationship, a difference or an
effect.
 Alternate Hypothesis tentatively affirms the
existence of a phenomenon that the group of
people has such and such characteristics,
that there is a relationship between variables
or a significant difference between variables.

35. Uses of Hypothesis
 They provide guide and direction to the
research
 They indicate the major independent
and dependent variables being
considered
 They suggest the type of data that must
be collected

36. Uses of Hypothesis
 They also suggest the type of analysis
that must be made
 They indicate the type of statistical
measures appropriate to various tests
to be conducted

37. Assumptions
 Are statements of facts related to the
research problem which are presumed
to be true on the basis of observations
and experience although not actually
verified
 Provides foundation from which the
study will proceed
 Provides basis for validation of
variables of interest of study
 Do not require testing nor confirmation

38. Statement of Research
Hypothesis
 Directional – one direction or one-tailed
test
 Example 1. There is a significant
relationship between the amount of
nutritional intake and the degree of
complications among pregnant women.
 Example 2. Children raised in vegetarian
diet have better growth patterns than those
children who are not raised in vegetarian
diet.

39. Statement of Research
Hypothesis
 Non-directional – two directions or two-
tailed test
 Example 1. There is a significant
relationship between the skills competency
of nursing students and the amount of
practice and supervision provided.
 Example 2. There is a significant
relationship between the type of
preoperative support given to surgical
patients and their perception of pain and
requests for analgesics.

40. Type of Statement Hypothesis
 Simple Hypothesis expressed an
expected relationship between one
independent variable & one dependent
variable.
 Example 1: Older nurses are less likely to
express approval of the expanded role of
nurses than younger nurses.
 Example 2: The greater the sleep
deprivation, the higher the anxiety level of
intensive care patients

41. Type of Statement Hypothesis
 Complex Hypothesis refers to the
prediction of a relationship between two
or more independent variables and/or
two or more dependent variables.
Sometimes referred to as Multivariate
Hypothesis because they involve
multiple variables
 Example: There is a relationship between
tactile & auditory stimulation and heart rate
response in premature infants.

42. Relationship of Variables
 Direct Relationship – there is a positive
relationship. As A increases B
increases
 Example: The more intelligent the person
is, the more adaptable he is to new
situations.

43. Relationship of Variables
 Inverse Relationship – as A increases
B decreases
 Example: The more intelligent the person
is, the lesser time he takes to comprehend.

44. Relationship of Variables
 Unrelated – A and B are not related.
 Example: The taller the person, the more
intelligent he is.

45. SUMMARY
HYPOTHESI
S
TYPES
VARIABLES
Independent Dependent
Statement of
the Research
Hypothesis
Directional One One
Non-
directional
One Two or more
Type of
Statement
Simple One One
Complex
One
Two or more
Two or more
Two or more
One
Two or more

46. SUMMARY
HYPOTHESI
S
TYPES
VARIABLES
Independent Dependent
Relationship of
Variables Direct
Inverse

47. CONCEPTUAL PHASE
Definition of Terms
 Two Major Types
 Conceptual Definition is what the term
variables means in relation to the
purpose of the study.
 Operational Definition is how you intend to
study that definition or how you intend to
measure the variable.

48. Conceptual Definition
 Example: The purpose of the study is to
explore and describe successful dieting
programs.
 Dieting Programs A fee-for-service
regimen established to assist person to
lose weight.
 Successful A dieting program that has a
high percentage of clients who were able
to achieve their goal weight and keep that
weight off for one year or more.

49. Operational Definition
 Example: The purpose of the study is to
explore and describe successful dieting
programs.
 Dieting Programs A fee-for-service regimen
established to assist persons in losing weight, as
listed in the Yellow Pages of the Pacific Telephone
Directory of the Northwestern San Fernando
Valley.
 Successful A dieting program that has a high
percentage of clients who were able to achieve
their goal weight and keep that weight off for one
year or more as measured by the successful
dieters questionnaire sent to all program
participants in th previous year.

50. Operational Definition
 Successful Dieting Programs A fee-for-service
regimen, established to assist persons in losing
weight, that has a high percentage of clients who
were able to achieve their goal weight and keep
that weight off for one year or more as measured
by the successful dieters questionnaire sent to all
program participants from programs listed in the
Yellow Pages of the Pacific Telephone Directory of
the Northwestern San Fernando Valley.