The content of this edition is organized into six main parts.
* Part 1—Overview of Nursing Research serves as the overall introduction to fundamental
concepts in nursing research. Chapter 1 introduces and summarizes
the history and future of nursing research both in Canada and elsewhere, discusses
the philosophical underpinnings of qualitative research versus quantitative
research, and describes the major purposes of nursing research. Chapter 2
introduces readers to key terms, with new emphasis on terms related to the
quality of research evidence. Chapter 3 presents an overview of the steps in the
research process for both qualitative and quantitative studies. Chapter 4 provides
an introduction to research reports—what they are and how to read them.
Chapter 5 is devoted to a discussion of ethics in research studies.
* Part 2—Preliminary Steps in the Research Process includes three chapters and
focuses on the steps that are taken in getting started on a research project.
Chapter 6 focuses on the development of research questions and the formulation
of research hypotheses. Chapter 7 discusses how to prepare and critique
literature reviews. Chapter 8 presents information about theoretical and conceptual
frameworks.
* Part 3—Designs for Nursing Research presents material relating to the design of
qualitative and quantitative nursing studies. Chapter 9 describes some fundamental
design principles and discusses many specific aspects of quantitative
research design. Chapter 10 addresses the various research traditions that have
contributed to the growth of naturalistic inquiry and qualitative research.
Chapter 11 provides an introduction to some specific types of research (e.g.,
evaluations, surveys, secondary analyses, case studies), and also describes integrated
qualitative/quantitative designs. Chapter 12 presents various designs for
sampling of study participants.
* Part 4—Data Collection deals with the collection of research data. Chapter 13
discusses the full range of data collection options available to researchers,
including both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Chapter 14, an especially
important chapter for critiquing qualitative studies, explains methods for
assessing data quality.
* Part 5—Data Analysis is devoted to the organization and analysis of research
data. Chapter 15 reviews methods of quantitative analysis. The chapter
assumes no prior instruction in statistics and focuses primarily on helping
readers to understand why statistics are needed, what tests might be appropriate
in a given research situation, and what statistical information in a research
report means. Chapter 16 presents a discussion of qualitative analysis, greatly
expanded and improved in this edition.
* Part 6—Critical Appraisal and Utilization of Nursing Research is intended to
sharpen the critical awareness of consumers with respect to several key issues.
Chapter 17 discusses the interpretation and appraisal of research reports.
Chapter 18, the final chapter, offers guidance for research utilization and EBP.