Research Methods for Nurses and Midwives: Theory and Practice
Student Resources
Web activities
These activities include brainstorming activities, further reading, weblinks to external sites, and enable you to examine and relect upon the methods of both real-world studies and the methods chosen by fictional nursing and midwifery students introduced in chapter one.
Activity 5.1: Choosing Topics for Phenomenological, Ethnographic, Grounded Theory, and Action Research Topics
Identify a topic from practice that you think would be appropriate for a phenomenological study. Why would phenomenology be an appropriate research method to investigate this topic?
Identify a topic from practice that you think would be appropriate for an ethnographic study. Why would ethnography be an appropriate research method to investigate this topic?
Identify a topic from practice that you think would be appropriate for a grounded theory study. Why would grounded theory be an appropriate research method to investigate this topic?
Identify a topic from practice that you think would be appropriate for an action research study. Why would action research be an appropriate method to investigate this topic?
Activity 5.2: Identifying Possible Research Topics in Practice
Chose a broad topic, problem or issue that relates to your practice, examples could include breastfeeding, wound care or administration of medicines. Using a mind map, identify all of the issues relating to your chosen topic that could be explored in a research study. Then identify the most appropriate research method to address each issue. Try to identify at least one aspect of the topic for each of the research methods that we have outlined in Chapters 4 and 5: randomised controlled trial, cohort study, case-control study, survey, phenomenology, ethnography, grounded theory and action research.
Activity 5.3: Methodological ‘Camps’
As we have seen in Chapters 4 and 5, some researchers are firmly positioned in one methodological ‘camp’ and consider the opposing methodology too flawed to be used. Table 1 below outlines other, in some cases more contentious, views regarding qualitative and quantitative methodologies.
Table 1 More contentious views regarding the characteristics of quantitative and qualitative methodologies.
Quantitative |
Qualitative
|
Easy to do
|
Difficult to do |
Quantity
|
Quality |
Top down approach
|
Bottom up approach |
Hard
|
Soft |
Masculine
|
Feminine |
Serious
|
Trivial |
Evidence
|
Opinion |
Scientific
|
Not scientific |
Systematic
|
Disorganized, haphazard |
Artificial
|
Natural |
Rigid
|
Responsive |
Hypothesis driven
|
Person centred |
Quick
|
Time consuming |
Preconceived ideas can lead to bias
|
Subjectivity can lead to bias |
The research is a planned journey following a designated route and has a specific, predetermined destination |
The research is an evolving journey, there may be a desired destination at the outset, but there may be an unexpected endpoint
|
Highly regarded
|
Growing level of regard |
Review the table and provide an argument and counter argument for the suggested characteristics of qualitative and quantitative methodologies.
Activity 5.4: Comparing Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches
The following two papers explore the same topic; sources of knowledge using different approaches, one qualitative, the other quantitative. Read and compare both papers:
Bringsvor, H.B. Bentsen, S.B. and Berland, A. (2014) Sources of knowledge used by intensive care nurses in Norway: An exploratory study. Intensive and Critical Care Nursing 30(3): 159–166.
Yadav, B.L. and Fealy, G.M. (2012) Irish psychiatric nurses’ self-reported sources of knowledge for practice. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing 19(1): 40–46.
The studies were undertaken in different countries and relate to a different practice speciality. Nevertheless, as you read the papers think about the ways in which the studies were conducted and the research findings. Do you think one study is more useful and meaningful than the other? If you think this is the case, explain your rationale.
Activity 5.5: Different Views on Qualitative Research
The class of 2016 have been discussing their views of qualitative research.
Amy and Charles are drawn towards qualitative research. Charles likes the flexible and evolving approach and feels this responsive nature is particularly suited to research involving human participants. Amy likes the fact that the qualitative approach provides insight into the experiences and beliefs of participants in a way that quantitative research cannot.
How do the group members’ opinions compare with your thoughts and feelings about qualitative research?