Research problem

A situation with a perplexing or enigmatic condition

The purpose of research is to solve the problem/contribute to its solution

Accumulating sufficient information to lead to an explanation/solution

Polit D & Hungler B 1997 Essentials of nursing research Lippincott. New York

The research problem Is there a question which needs

answering? Is the question answerable? Has anyone done this before? Will anyone be interested in the

answer? How good/accessible are my

sources of information?

Focussing on a research problem

Find a broad subject area Narrow it to a plausible topic Question the topic State a rationale for your project

Initial lit review

Sub problems What are the parts of the topic? What is its history? Does 1 aspect need to be researched

before another? Are there sub categories in it? What can you use it for?

2nd lit review

Research question

A statement of the specific query the researcher wants an answer to address the research problem

Guides the type of date to be collected

Polit D & Hungler B 1997 Essentials of nursing research Lippincott. New York

Question Clear Specific Answerable interconnected Substantively relevant

Robson C 2002 Real world research. Blackwell Scientific. Oxford

Hypothesis A specific tentative prediction of a research

answer To be tested empirically ie quantitative study Specify relationships between measurable

variables A priori EG older patients are more at risk of

experiencing a fall than younger patients Independent variable – cause/antecedent ie AGE Dependent variable – effect or aspect of

interest ie FALLS

Potential questions Side effects in chemotherapy patients What intervention can reduce the common side effects

of nausea & vomiting in chemotherapy patients? The purpose of this study is to compare the

effectiveness of pt controlled & nurse administered antiemetic therapy for nausea & vomiting in chemotherapy patients

What is the relative effectiveness of patient controlled antiemetic therapy versus nurse controlled antiemetic therapy with regard to (i) amount of medication taken and (ii) the reduction of nausea & vomiting?

Patients receiving antiemetic therapy through a patient-controlled pump will report less nausea than those receiving the therapy by nurse administration

Clinical research ?

Patient/problem Intervention Comparison intervention outcomes

Summary- role of research question

To organise the project – give it direction & coherence

They delimit the project- giving it boundaries

They keep the researcher focussed They provide a framework for

writing up the project They point to the data needed