Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

This graduate level nursing research textbook continues the expansion of coverage on qualitative research, including important issues for specific qualitative traditions such as grounded theory, phenomenology and ethnography. Developing solid evidence for practice will be emphasized throughout the text, and important evaluative concepts like reliability, validity, and trustworthiness will be introduced. Other new features include stronger international content (with an emphasis on Canadian and Australian research), inclusion of "tips" in boxes located in appropriate places throughout the chapters, and the use of summary bullet points. This edition will now offer a free Connection Website, connection.LWW.com/go/polit .

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Part 1 Foundations of Nursing Research (p. 1)
• Chapter 1 Introduction to Nursing Research (p. 3)
• Nursing Research in Perspective (p. 3)
• Nursing Research: Past, Present, and Future (p. 5)
• Sources of Evidence for Nursing Practice (p. 11)
• Paradigms for Nursing Research (p. 13)
• The Purposes of Nursing Research (p. 18)
• Research Examples (p. 21)
• Summary Points (p. 22)
• Chapter 2 Key Concepts and Terms in Qualitative and Quantitative Research (p. 26)
• The Faces and Places of Research (p. 26)
• The Building Blocks of a Study (p. 29)
• Key Challenges of Conducting Research (p. 35)
• Research Examples (p. 41)
• Summary Points (p. 42)
• Chapter 3 Overview of the Research Process in Qualitative and Quantitative Studies (p. 46)
• Major Classes of Quantitative and Qualitative Research (p. 46)
• Major Steps in a Quantitative Study (p. 47)
• Activities in a Qualitative Study (p. 55)
• Research Examples (p. 58)
• Summary Points (p. 60)
• Part 2 Conceptualizing a Research Study (p. 63)
• Chapter 4 Research Problems, Research Questions, and Hypotheses (p. 65)
• Overview of Research Problems (p. 65)
• Sources of Research Problems (p. 67)
• Development and Refinement of Research Problems (p. 69)
• Communicating the Research Problem (p. 73)
• Research Hypotheses (p. 77)
• Research Examples (p. 84)
• Summary Points (p. 85)
• Chapter 5 Reviewing the Literature (p. 88)
• Purposes of a Literature Review (p. 88)
• Scope of a Literature Search (p. 89)
• Locating Relevant Literature for a Research Review (p. 91)
• Reading Research Reports (p. 96)
• Preparing a Written Literature Review (p. 103)
• Research Examples of Research Literature Reviews (p. 109)
• Summary points (p. 111)
• Chapter 6 Developing a Conceptual Context (p. 114)
• Theories, Models, and Frameworks (p. 114)
• The Nature of Theories and Conceptual Models (p. 119)
• Conceptual Models Used in Nursing Research (p. 120)
• Testing, Using, and Developing a Theory or Framework (p. 125)
• Research Examples (p. 133)
• Summary Points (p. 134)
• Part 3 Designs for Nursing Research (p. 139)
• Chapter 7 Designing Ethical Research (p. 141)
• The Need for Ethical Guidelines (p. 141)
• The Principle of Beneficence (p. 143)
• The Principle of Respect for Human Dignity (p. 147)
• The Principle of Justice (p. 149)
• Informed Consent (p. 150)
• Vulnerable Subjects (p. 154)
• External Reviews and the Protection of Human Rights (p. 156)
• Building Ethics into the Design of the Study (p. 157)
• Research Examples (p. 158)
• Summary Points (p. 159)
• Chapter 8 Designing Quantitative Studies (p. 162)
• Aspects of Quantitative Research Design (p. 162)
• Overview of Research Design Types (p. 164)
• Experiments (p. 168)
• Quasi-Experiments (p. 181)
• Nonexperimental Research (p. 188)
• Designs and Research Evidence (p. 195)
• Summary Points (p. 196)
• Chapter 9 Enhancing Rigor in Quantitative Research (p. 201)
• Controlling the Research Situation (p. 201)
• Controlling Intrinsic Subject Factors (p. 203)
• Characteristics of Good Design (p. 209)
• Research Example (p. 219)
• Summary Points (p. 220)
• Chapter 10 Quantitative Research for Various Purposes (p. 223)
• Studies That Are Typically Experimental or Quasi-Experimental (p. 223)
• Studies That Can Be Either Experimental or Nonexperimental (p. 230)
• Studies That Are Typically Nonexperimental (p. 234)
• Research Examples of Various Types of Quantitative Studies (p. 239)
• Summary Points (p. 240)
• Chapter 11 Qualitative Research Design and Approaches (p. 245)
• The Design of Qualitative Studies (p. 245)
• Qualitative Research Traditions (p. 248)
• Other Types of Qualitative Research (p. 259)
• Research With Ideological Perspectives (p. 263)
• Research Examples (p. 266)
• Summary Points (p. 268)
• Chapter 12 Integration of Qualitative and Quantitative Designs (p. 273)
• Rationale for Multimethod Research (p. 273)
• Applications of Multimethod Research (p. 275)
• Multimethod Research Designs (p. 279)
• Strategies for Multimethod Research (p. 280)
• Obstacles to Multimethod Research (p. 283)
• Research Examples (p. 284)
• Summary Points (p. 286)
• Chapter 13 Sampling Designs (p. 289)
• Basic Sampling Concepts in Quantitative Studies (p. 289)
• Nonprobability Sampling (p. 292)
• Probability Sampling (p. 295)
• Sample Size in Quantitative Studies (p. 300)
• Implementing a Sampling Plan in Quantitative Studies (p. 303)
• Sampling in Qualitative Research (p. 305)
• Research Examples (p. 310)
• Summary Points (p. 311)
• Part 4 Measurement and Data Collection (p. 315)
• Chapter 14 Designing and Implementing a Data Collection Plan (p. 317)
• Existing Data Versus Original Data (p. 317)
• Dimensions of Data Collection Approaches (p. 318)
• Major Types of Data Collection Methods (p. 319)
• Converting Quantitative and Qualitative Data (p. 322)
• Developing a Data Collection Plan in a Quantitative Study (p. 323)
• Implementing a Data Collection Plan in a Quantitative Study (p. 330)
• Data Collection Issues in Qualitative Studies (p. 332)
• Research Examples (p. 336)
• Summary Points (p. 337)
• Chapter 15 Collecting Self-Report Data (p. 340)
• Qualitative Self-Report Techniques (p. 340)
• Quantitative Self-Report Instruments (p. 349)
• Using and Preparing Structured Self-Report Instruments (p. 352)
• Administering Structured Self-Report Instruments (p. 365)
• Research Examples (p. 368)
• Summary Points (p. 369)
• Chapter 16 Collecting Observational Data (p. 375)
• Observational Issues (p. 375)
• Qualitative Observational Methods: Participant Observation (p. 378)
• Observational Methods: Structured Observations (p. 385)
• Mechanical Aids in Observations (p. 390)
• Observer Biases (p. 391)
• Research Examples (p. 392)
• Summary Points (p. 393)
• Chapter 17 Collecting Biophysiologic and Other Data (p. 398)
• Biophysiologic Measures (p. 398)
• Records, Documents, and Available Data (p. 402)
• Q Methodology (p. 403)
• Projective Techniques (p. 405)
• Vignettes (p. 407)
• Cognitive and Neuropsychological Tests (p. 408)
• Examples of Studies Using Alternative Data Collection Methods (p. 409)
• Summary Points (p. 410)
• Chapter 18 Assessing Data Quality (p. 413)
• Measurement (p. 413)
• Reliability of Measuring Instruments (p. 416)
• Validity (p. 422)
• Other Criteria for Assessing Quantitative Measures (p. 428)
• Assessment of Qualitative Data and Their Interpretation (p. 430)
• Research Examples (p. 437)
• Summary Points (p. 443)
• Part 5 The Analysis of Research Data (p. 449)
• Chapter 19 Analyzing Quantitative Data: Descriptive Statistics (p. 451)
• Levels of Measurement (p. 451)
• Frequency Distributions (p. 455)
• Central Tendency (p. 459)
• Variability (p. 460)
• Bivariate Descriptive Statistics: Contingency Tables and Correlation (p. 465)
• The Computer and Descriptive Statistics (p. 469)
• Research Example (p. 473)
• Summary Points (p. 475)
• Chapter 20 Analyzing Quantitative Data: Inferential Statistics (p. 477)
• Sampling Distributions (p. 477)
• Estimation of Parameters (p. 479)
• Hypothesis Testing (p. 480)
• Testing Differences Between Two Group Means (p. 486)
• Testing Differences Between Three or More Group Means (p. 489)
• Testing Differences in Proportions (p. 493)
• Testing Relationships Between Two Variables (p. 494)
• Power Analysis (p. 495)
• The Computer and Inferential Statistics (p. 502)
• Guide to Bivariate Statistical Tests (p. 505)
• Research Example (p. 507)
• Summary Points (p. 507)
• Chapter 21 Analyzing Quantitative Data: Multivariate Statistics (p. 511)
• Simple Linear Regression (p. 511)
• Multiple Linear Regression (p. 514)
• Analysis of Covariance (p. 521)
• Factor Analysis (p. 526)
• Other Least-Squares Multivariate Techniques (p. 530)
• Causal Modeling (p. 532)
• Other Multivariate Statistical Procedures (p. 536)
• The Computer and Multivariate Statistics (p. 538)
• Guide to Multivariate Statistical Tests (p. 540)
• Research Example (p. 543)
• Summary Points (p. 543)
• Chapter 22 Designing and Implementing a Quantitative Analysis Strategy (p. 547)
• Phases in the Analysis of Quantitative Data (p. 547)
• Preanalysis Phase (p. 547)
• Preliminary Assessments and Actions (p. 553)
• Principal Analyses (p. 560)
• Interpretation of Results (p. 562)
• Research Example (p. 566)
• Summary Points (p. 568)
• Chapter 23 Analyzing Qualitative Data (p. 570)
• Introduction to Qualitative Analysis (p. 570)
• Qualitative Data Management and Organization (p. 572)
• Analytic Procedures (p. 578)
• Interpretation of Qualitative Findings (p. 591)
• Research Examples (p. 592)
• Summary Points (p. 594)
• Part 6 Communicating Research (p. 599)
• Chapter 24 Summarizing and Sharing Research Findings (p. 601)
• Getting Started on Dissemination (p. 601)
• Content of Research Reports (p. 604)
• The Style of Research Reports (p. 617)
• Types of Research Reports (p. 618)
• Summary Points (p. 626)
• Chapter 25 Writing a Research Proposal (p. 629)
• Overview of Research Proposals (p. 629)
• Proposals for Theses and Dissertations (p. 635)
• Funding for Research Proposals (p. 637)
• Grant Applications to the National Institutes of Health (p. 639)
• Research Examples (p. 647)
• Summary Points (p. 648)
• Part 7 Using Research Results (p. 651)
• Chapter 26 Evaluating Research Reports (p. 653)
• The Research Critique (p. 653)
• Elements of a Research Critique (p. 654)
• Conclusion (p. 666)
• Research Examples (p. 667)
• Summary Points (p. 669)
• Chapter 27 Utilizing Research: Putting Research Evidence Into Nursing Practice (p. 671)
• Research Utilization Versus Evidence-Based Practice (p. 671)
• Barriers to Using Research in Nursing Practice (p. 677)
• The Process of Using Research in Nursing Practice (p. 681)
• Research Integration and Synthesis (p. 690)
• Research Example (p. 696)
• Summary Points (p. 697)
• Appendix A Statistical Tables (p. 705)
• Glossary (p. 711)
• Index (p. 737)