Polit and Beck Essentials of Nursing Research

Polit and Beck Essentials of Nursing Research Assumption - ANS a principle that is believed to be true without verification Cause-probing research - ANS studies designed to illuminate the underlying causes of phenomena Clinical nursing research - ANS research designed to guide nursing practice Constructivist paradigm - ANS an alternative paradigm (also called naturalistic paradigm) to the positivist paradigm that holds that there are multiple interpretations of reality, and that the goal of research is to understand how individuals construct reality within their context; associated with qualitative research Empirical evidence - ANS evidence rooted in objective reality and gathered one's senses as the basis for generating knowledge Evidence-based practice - ANS a practice that involves making clinical decisions on the best available evidence, with an emphasis on evidence from disciplined research Generalizability - ANS the degree to which the research methods justify the inference that the findings are true for a broader group than study participants Paradigm - ANS a way of looking at natural phenomena that encompasses a set of philosophical assumptions and that guides one's approach to inquiry; a world view Positivist paradigm - ANS the paradigm underlying the traditional scientific approach, which assumes that there is an orderly reality that can be objectively studied Qualitative research - ANS the investigation of the phenomena, typically in an in depth and holistic fashion, through the collection of rich narrative materials using a flexible research design Quantitative research - ANS the investigation of phenomena that lend themselves to precise measurement and quantification, often involving a rigorous and controlled design Research methods - ANS the techniques used to structure a study and to gather and analyze information in a systematic fashion Scientific method - ANS a set of orderly, systematic, controlled procedures for acquiring dependable, empirical--and typically quantitative--information Systematic review - ANS a rigorous synthesis of research findings on a particular research question, using systematic sampling and data collection procedures and a formal protocol Clinical practice guidelines - ANS practice guidelines that are evidence based, combining a synthesis and appraisal of research evidence with specific recommendations for clinical decisions