NURS 8250/NURS 8250N: Advanced Theoretical and Scientific Perspectives in Nursing | Week 9

By this point in the course, you have developed each of the elements of your theoretical foundation for research. Yet, the development of a theoretical foundation is a highly iterative process that requires critical thinking, reflection, and creativity, which often leads to reappraisal and revision.

 

This week, take time to assess the entirety of your work on your theoretical foundation for research. Ask yourself incisive questions, such as:

• Which aspects of my theoretical foundation may not be feasible for dissertation research or a similar program of research?
• What could I rule out or adapt in my foundation to make my future research more manageable?
• Do I need to consult additional sources in the literature to strengthen my theoretical foundation?
• Are there places where I am stuck? If so, would it help to brainstorm ideas with colleagues?
• Are there inconsistencies in my work that need to be addressed?
• Is my work coherent, integrated, focused, and cogent? How can I improve it?

There are no required Learning Resources this week so that you can focus on refining your theoretical foundation for research. You are encouraged to contribute to this week’s optional Discussion as you improve your work. The Assignment: Theoretical Foundation for Research Paper is due by Day 7 of Week 10.

Learning Objectives – NURS 8250/NURS 8250N:Week 9: Refinement of the Theoretical Foundation for Research

Students will:

• Apply analytic methods to the development of theoretical foundations for research

Learning Resources

Required Readings

There are no required Learning Resources this week so that you can focus on refining your Theoretical Foundation for Research in the Discussion and the Assignment.

Discussion: Refining the Theoretical Foundation for Research

Cassandra felt a huge sense of relief as she saw all of the elements of her theoretical foundation come together. She had invested a lot of time and energy into understanding her selected phenomenon and she was confident that she was on her way to developing a strong program of research. She was happy to set aside the work and enjoy some much-needed rest. When she looked at the partial draft of her paper again a few days later, she was surprised to notice a significant inconsistency in how she defined one of the concepts. With fresh eyes, she was able to discover something she had been overlooking for weeks! Now, it seemed like she would need to start at the beginning again to clarify the meaning of this concept.

Since Eduardo first began developing his theoretical foundation for research, a small, quiet voice had been nagging for his attention. He thought that he would understand certain aspects of his phenomenon better by now, and it bothered him that parts of his foundation still did not seem to work together. On the one hand, he reassured himself that his theoretical foundation was probably good enough for now and his confusion was due to his inexperience with the whole research process. On the other hand, he wondered if his doubts could mean that his theoretical foundation was missing something critical. He wasn’t sure what to do.

As Taylor thought more deeply about her theoretical foundation, she wondered if she was using the right symbols to convey the information as she intended. She had already revised her graphic model a number of times, and she still wasn’t sure if it made sense. Finally, she realized that she really needed others’ input, because even if it did seem logical to her, it might not be clear to others who were less familiar with her phenomenon of interest.

What questions or concerns have you encountered while developing your theoretical foundation for research? What kind of feedback would you like to receive from your colleagues as you refine your work?

In this Discussion, you have the opportunity to share your dilemmas and request support to help you hone your theoretical foundation for research. In addition, you can offer ideas and encouragement to your colleagues.

By Day 3

Post questions and/or describe difficulties you have encountered while developing your theoretical foundation for research. Ask for feedback or support from your colleagues to help you to refine your work.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

By Day 6

Respond to at least two of your colleagues by offering constructive feedback, suggestions, and encouragement. Justify your responses with scholarly sources. NURS 8250/NURS 8250N:Week 9: Refinement of the Theoretical Foundation for Research

 

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 

Refinement of the Theoretical Foundation for Research

Introduction

Research is a messy, complex process. It involves the collection and evaluation of data, as well as interpretation of those data. Theoretical foundations are important in the development of such projects because they ensure that the study has a sound theoretical basis upon which to make its findings. This can be achieved through careful analysis of relevant literature or by developing an understanding of how best to conduct empirical research in this area

The defining of the problem

If you’re new to research, it can be helpful to start out by defining the problem. The problem statement should be clear and unambiguous, so that everyone understands what you’re working on. It should also be specific enough for your research team members to know exactly what you’re looking for in terms of data collection and analysis techniques. Finally, the problem statement needs to be general enough so that people who aren’t involved in this particular project won’t feel left out or confused as well as those who are directly affected (such as study participants).

The aims and objectives of the study

The aims and objectives of the study are to determine the relationship between the variables.

The research question is: What will be the relationship between these two variables?

The objectives of this study are to find out how much money each student makes per hour.

The relevant literature in the field

You might be wondering how to get started reading the literature. There are many ways, but here are three suggestions:

• Read the introduction of your textbook to see what it says about how to read research papers. If you don’t know where to start, ask your professor or TA for advice.

• Look online at bibliographies or references provided by other authors in this course (see below). This will help you find more relevant sources and learn about new ideas as well as previous ones that have been studied by scholars in this field of study.

Methodology

The methodology is divided into three parts:

• Data collection and analysis

• Reporting and presentation of results, including tables and figures

• Discussion of the findings

Implementation of the project

The implementation of the project is divided into three stages: data collection and analysis, presentation of results and publication. The research methodology includes a number of phases that must be completed before any data can be collected and analyzed. These include:

• Data collection methods – this involves identifying relevant sources (e.g., secondary literature) as well as locating participants within these sources through keyword searches or interviews with authors or editors who may have access to unpublished manuscripts written about or by an individual researcher’s area of expertise;

• Data presentation methods – once all relevant information has been gathered from different sources, it must be organized into a format that allows for easy identification and retrieval by other researchers working on similar projects;

Research needs to be based on a theoretical foundation.

The theoretical foundation is the theoretical framework of your research. It’s what you use to make sense of your data and shape your conclusions.

Theoretical foundations can be:

• The research question (e.g., “How do social media websites influence people’s political beliefs?”)

• A hypothesis (e.g., “It will be found that social media websites influence people’s political beliefs”)

• A design (e.g., an experiment with two groups)

Conclusion

The process of refining the theoretical foundation for research begins with the definition of the problem, which is based on a thorough understanding of what has already been studied and how it can be improved. Thereafter, there may be more than one set of aims and objectives for any given project. The scope of any study should be defined clearly as well.