Rapid Research Methods for Nurses, Midwives and Health Professionals

Rapid Research Methods for Nurses, Midwives and Health Professionals is designed to help you find and understand the meaning of key research terminology and, more importantly, develop your knowledge of some of the essential ideas and concepts they describe. This A-Z dictionary of terms is a collection of over 200 entries with a definition of each word put in context with additional tips on its use in assignment work. Alphabetically arranged in an accessible, reader-friendly format, this book:

• Answers a clear demand for a practical, fast and concise introduction to the key ideas, concepts and methods in nursing and healthcare research
• Provides students with fast and accessible information designed for revision and writing research-based assignments
• Demystifies a field of study that students often find daunting

Introduction xi

Abstract 1

Accidental sampling 1

Action research 2

Aim 3

Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) 4

Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) 5

Anonymity 6

Audit 7

Audit trail 8

Back chaining 9

Bar graph 10

Before and after designs 11

Beneficence 12

Bias 13

Blinding 14

Bracketing 15

Case–control study 16

Causal relationship 17

Cell 18
Chi-square test (χ2) 19

Clinical trial 19

Closed (close-ended fixed choice) questions 20

Cluster sample 21

Coding 22

Cohort study 23

Concept definition 24

Confidentiality 25

Confirmability 26

Confounding variable 27

Contingency table 27

Control group 28

Convenience sample 29

Correlation 30

Covert observation 31

Credibility 32

Cross-over design 33

Cross-sectional study 34

Critique 35

Data 36

Database 37

Data saturation 38

Demographic data 39

Dependent variable 40

Descriptive statistics 41

Double-blind study 42

Ethics 43

Ethics committee 45

Ethnographic research 46

Exclusion criteria 46

Experimental design 47

Ex post facto studies 49

Face validity 50

Fieldwork diary 51

Fieldwork 52

Findings 53

Fittingness 54

Focus group 55

Forward chaining 56

Frequency distribution 57

Generalisability 58

Grey literature 59

Grounded theory 60

Hawthorne effect 61

Hermeneutics 62

Heterogeneity and homogeneity 63

Hierarchy of evidence 64

Histogram 65

Homogeneity 65

Hypothesis 66

Inclusion and exclusion criteria 67

Inferential statistics 68

Independent variable 69

Informed consent 70

Interval data 70

Interviews 71

Inverse relationship 72

Judgemental sample 73

Justice 73

Key informant 74

Key words 75

Levels of measurement 76

Likert scale 78

Literature review 79

Manipulation 80

Masking 80

Measures of central tendency 81

Mean 81

Measures of dispersion 82

Meta-analysis 83

Mode 83

Median 83

Naturalistic research 84

Non-maleficence 84

Nominal data 84

Non-probability sampling methods 85

Normal distribution 86

Null hypothesis 86

Observation 87

Observational designs 88

Open questions 89

Operational definition 90

Opportunity sample 90

Outliers 91

Ordinal data 91

p Values 92

Paradigm 95

Phenomenology 96

PICO 96

Pilot study 97

Population 98

Power analysis 99

Pretest–posttest designs 99

Principles of research 100

Probability sampling methods 100

Prospective and retrospective study designs 101

Qualitative research designs 102

Quantitative research designs 104

Quasi-experimental research 105

Questionnaires 106

Quota sampling 106

Randomisation 107

Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) 108

Range 108

Ratio data 108

Reflexivity 108

Reliability 109

Research 110

Research design 111

Research method 112

Response rate 112

Retrospective study 112

Review of the literature 112

Rigour 113

Sample 114

Sampling methods 114

Sampling frame 116

Self-report 116

Snowball sample 116

Social desirability 116

Statistical analysis 116

Survey 117

Systematic reviews of the literature 117

Table 118

Thick data 119

Transferability 119

Triangulation 119

Trustworthiness 119

Type I Type II Type III errors 120

Unstructured interviews 122

Unstructured observations 123

Validity 124

Variable 126

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