Chapter 3: The Development of Nursing and Midwifery Knowledge

Quizzes give you the chance to test your knowledge through multiple choice questions, short answers, matching activities and other revision tools.

1. Identify five potential sources of nursing and midwifery knowledge.

Answer:

Tradition, personal knowledge / experience, intuition, other disciplines, research.

2. Define research paradigm.

Answer:

A framework that encompasses ideas and beliefs about reality, the ways in which knowledge is acquired and the way in which research should be carried out.

3. Define the research paradigm of positivism

Answer:

A school of thought which advocates that reality is objective and measurable.

4. Define the research paradigm of interpretivism

Answer:

A school of thought which believes that reality is subjective and that there is no universal truth.

5. By what other name is interpretivism sometimes known?

Answer:

Naturalism

6. Define the research paradigm of pragmatism

Answer:

A school of thought which takes a practical approach to research advocating the use of mixed methods.

7. In addition to positivism, interpretivism and pragmatism, name other research paradigms.

Answer:

Feminism, post-positivism

8. Which paradigm dominated health care research during the first half of the twentieth century?

Answer:

Positivism

9. Define ontology.

Answer:

Beliefs about the nature of being and the characteristics of reality

10. Define epistemology.

Answer:

Beliefs about the nature of knowledge and how knowledge is acquired

11. Match the following ontological statements and research paradigms

Statements

Paradigms

One singular reality, controlled by universal laws which apply irrespective of time and place. Reality is not haphazard. Reality is objective.

Pragmatism

Multiple realities in which individuals construct their own understanding so there are many different interpretations. There is no universal truth. Reality is subjective.

Positivism

Varying points of view about reality, it can therefore be regarded as being singular or multiple.

Interpretivism

Answer:

  1. One singular reality, controlled by universal laws which apply irrespective of time and place. Reality is not haphazard. Reality is objective. Positivism
  2. Multiple realities in which individuals construct their own understanding so there are many different interpretations. There is no universal truth. Reality is subjective. Interpretivism
  3. Varying points of view about reality, it can therefore be regarded as being singular or multiple. Pragmatism

12. Match the following epistemological statements and research paradigms

Statements

Paradigms

Knowledge is generated through shared understanding between individuals. The researcher’s beliefs will influence the research. The researcher is ‘inside’ the research.

Pragmatism

The generation of knowledge is not influenced by the researcher. The researcher can therefore be independent, objective and value free. The researcher is ‘outside’ the research.

Positivism

Knowledge can be generated both objectively and subjectively.

Interpretivism

Answer:

  1. Knowledge is generated through shared understanding between individuals. The researcher’s beliefs will influence the research. The researcher is ‘inside’ the research. Interpretivism
  2. The generation of knowledge is not influenced by the researcher. The researcher can therefore be independent, objective and value free. The researcher is ‘outside’ the research. Positivism
  3. Knowledge can be generated both objectively and subjectively. Pragmatism