Demystifying nursing research terminology. Part 1
Intended for healthcare professionals
General Previous     Next

Demystifying nursing research terminology. Part 1

Claire Welford HRB nursing research fellow, School of Nursing and Midwifery, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
Kathy Murphy Head of school, School of Nursing and Midwifery, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
Dympna Casey Senior lecturer, School of Nursing and Midwifery, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland

Aim This article aims to provide clear explanations of the research approaches available for nursing research.

Background There are numerous research approaches available to the nurse researcher. There is also some ambiguity in the literature in relation to research terminology and this often leads to confusion about which approach to adopt.

Data sources A review of the available and most up-to-date literature.

Discussion The most commonly adopted approaches in nursing research are described and discussed.

Conclusion This article explains the research paradigms and the rationales for choosing particular paradigms while part two will provide an explanation of the methodological options available to the researcher. A table is included that summarises the key information related to each paradigm.

Implications for practice/research These articles will be particularly useful for the novice researcher or for the doctoral student.

Nurse Researcher. 18, 4, 38-43. doi: 10.7748/nr2011.07.18.4.38.c8635

Peer review

This article has been subject to double blind peer review

Accepted: 29 October 2010

Want to read more?

RCNi-Plus
Already have access? Log in

or

3-month trial offer for £5.25/month

Subscribe today and save 50% on your first three months
RCNi Plus users have full access to the following benefits:
  • Unlimited access to all 10 RCNi Journals
  • RCNi Learning featuring over 175 modules to easily earn CPD time
  • NMC-compliant RCNi Revalidation Portfolio to stay on track with your progress
  • Personalised newsletters tailored to your interests
  • A customisable dashboard with over 200 topics
Subscribe

Alternatively, you can purchase access to this article for the next seven days. Buy now


Are you a student? Our student subscription has content especially for you.
Find out more