Formulating research objective and research questions

Formulating research objective and research questions

1. College of Education
School of Continuing and Distance Education
2014/2015 –2016/2017
NURS 345
NURSING RESEARCH
Session 5 –Formulating Research Objectives and
Questions
Lecturer: Dr. Florence Naab, University of Ghana School of Nursing
Contact Information: [email protected]

2. Session Overview
•Being able to formulate research objectives and questions is a
skill that determines what goes into the content of the
research. This session will discuss how to formulate research
objectives, research questions, and research hypothesis. The
objectives of the session are to:
1.Explain research objectives, questions, and hypotheses
2.Explain how to write research objectives, questions, and
hypotheses
Slide 2

3. Session Outline
The key topics to be covered in the session are as follows:
•Topic one: Formulating research objectives
•Topic two: Formulating research questions
•Topic three: Formulating research hypothesis
Slide 3

4. Reading List
Nieswiadomy, R.M (2008). Foundations of Nursing Research.
5th Ed. Pearson Education, USA. (Chapter 8)
Creswell, J. W. (2003). Research Design: Qualitative,
quantitative, Mixed Methods Approaches.2
nd
Ed. Sage
Publications. (Chapter 5)
Slide 4

5. FORMULATING RESEARCH
OBJECTIVES
Topic One
Slide 5

6. What are research objectives?
Slide 6

7. Research objectives
•The picture in the previous slide indicates that research
objectives are used to generate detailed information
for the content of the research.
•This detailed content extends from the introduction
through literature review to the findings and
discussion.
Slide 7

8. Research objectives cont.
•Indicate the scope and
importance of the
research problem.
•Objectives should be
stated such that the
problem is precise, and
divided into manageable
proportions.
•Objectives should be
stated in order of
importance.
•Order of importance
Slide 8

9. Choice of words for research
objectives
•Research objectives should be stated using action
verbs such as to:
–Identify
–Establish
–Describe
–Determine
–Estimate
–Develop
–Compare
–Analyse
Slide 9

10. Why are research objectives
important?
Slide 10

11. Importance of research objectives
•Research objective are important because they:
–Project the content of the research.
–Summarize what the study hopes to achieve.
–Create a link between the problem statement and the
purpose of the study.
–Narrow down the study to specifics.
–Help the researcher to avoid the collection of unnecessary
data.
–Guide the study onto the right path.
–Organize the study into parts or sections.
–Are used to identify relevant literature.
Slide 11

12. Characteristics of research objectives
•Research objectives are the pathway to the content
and so should be properly stated with the following
features:
–Should specifically state the exact activities to be
accomplished.
–Should be realistic.
–Should be stated in action verbs such as “define”, “explain”,
“describe”, “explore”, ”establish” etc.
Slide 12

13. FORMULATING RESEARCH
QUESTIONS
Topic Two
Slide 13

14. What are research questions?
Slide 14

15. Defining research question
•Is the specific questions researchers want to answer in
addressing the research problem (Polit& Beck, 2008)
Slide 15

16. Why are research questions
important?
Slide 16

17. Importance of research questions
Slide 17

18. Importance of research questions.
•The figure in the previous slide shows that research
questions directs the choice of the following:
–The type of theory to use as an organizing framework for
the study
–The type of sampling strategy to use
–The type of research approach and methods to use
–The type or style of purpose statement to make
Slide 18

19. Research questions
•Are direct re-wording of the objectives phrased
interrogatively, e.g
–To examine the relationship between reading habits of
clinical nurses and knowledge development -objective
–What is the relationship between the reading habits of
clinical nurses and knowledge development?-question
Slide 19

20. Characteristics of research questions
•Research questions
–invite answers
–Focus attention on the kind of data that should be
collected to provide that answer.
–Should clarify the purpose statement.
–Focus on describing variables and examining relationships.
Slide 20

21. FORMULATING RESEARCH
HYPOTHESIS
Topic Three
Slide 21

22. What is a research hypothesis
Slide 22

23. Research hypothesis
•A hypothesis is a
statement of the
researcher’s expectations
about relationships
between study variables.
•Is a prediction of
expected outcomes based
on relationships as seen
in the picture on your
right.
•Sometimes hypotheses
are translated from
research questions.
Slide 23

24. Research hypothesis cont.
•Research hypotheses are predicted answers to the research
questions, e.g
–What is the relationship between the reading habits of clinical
nurses and knowledge development in nursing?-question
–There is a positive relationship between reading habits of clinical
nurses and knowledge development in nursing-hypothesis
Slide 24

25. Characteristics of research hypothesis
•Testable research hypothesis states the expected
relationship between the independent and
depended variables within a population
•Occasionally, some hypotheses do not predict a
relationship e.g“clinical nurses who have first
degrees are more likely to have good reading
habits”
•Hypothesis should be based on a sound, justifiable
rational
Slide 25

26. Formulating research hypothesis
•A good hypothesis is worded in clear and concise
language.
•Hypothesis should be worded in present tenses.
Slide 26

27. Types of hypotheses
•Simple hypothesis: Expresses an expected
relationship between one independent and
dependent variable
•Complex hypothesis: Is a prediction of a relationship
between two or more independent variables and
two or more dependent variable.
•Null hypothesis: States the prediction that the
researcher hopes to reject.
•Working hypothesis: The prediction that the
researcher hopes to support.
Slide 27

28. Null versus working hypothesis
Null hypothesis
•There is no relationship
between reading habits of
clinical nurses and
knowledge development in
nursing.
Working hypothesis
•There is a positive
relationship between
reading habits of clinical
nurses and knowledge
development in nursing.
Slide 28

29. Summary and conclusion
•This session has discussed 3 important properties of
research; objectives, questions, and hypotheses
•The next session will discuss literature review.
Slide 29

30. References
Nieswiadomy, R.M (2008). Foundations of Nursing Research.
5th Ed. Pearson Education, USA.
Polit, D. F. and Beck, C.T (2008). Nursing Research: Generating
and Assessing Evidence for Nursing Practice. 8th Ed.
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, USA.
Robsin, C. (2002). Real World Research: A Resource for Social
Scientist and Practitioner-Researchers. 2nd Ed. ISBN,
USA.
Slide 30