Page 156 - Encyclopedia of Nursing Research

DESCRiPTiVE RESEARCh n 123

phenomenological studies. Many qualitative the logical positivist view of science helped
methodologies use exploratory as well as clarify linkages between philosophy, the-
descriptive techniques. ory, and method. At one extreme, nurse sci- D
Descriptive studies are often used when entists and theorists argued that the future
little research has been done in an area to of nursing knowledge development lay in
clarify and define new concepts or phenom- empirical studies that allowed for repeated
ena, to increase understanding of a phenom- observational statements under a variety of
enon from another experiential perspective, conditions. it was believed that one ultimate
or to obtain a fresh perspective on a well- truth could be found after repeated objective
researched topic. Also, the formulation and observations, which would eventually lead
the testing of measurement tools (e.g., to to discovery of universal laws.
measure depression, anxiety, or quality of Critics of the logical empiricist approach
life) use descriptive research techniques. The argued that truth is influenced by history,
development and refinement of these tools context, and a chosen methodology and is
will continue, with increasing emphasis on constantly in a state of flux. What is humanly
outcomes research as nurses are required to unobservable one day may be observable
demonstrate how their interventions make a with the help of technological innovation
difference for patients. another day. Although logical positivism is
Descriptive research has comprised the no longer espoused in nursing theory and
majority of nursing studies, although exper- science, its role was crucial in initiating dia-
imental and quasi-experimental studies in logue about what nursing knowledge is and
nursing are on the rise. Early research efforts how research in nursing should be advanced.
were focused on descriptive epidemiological These dialogues have helped swing the pen-
studies. nightingale’s pioneering work is a dulum from valuing experimental research
well-known example of this type of research. as the gold standard in nursing to recog-
Well schooled in mathematics and statistics, nizing the important role of descriptive and
nightingale created elaborate charts demon- exploratory research.
strating morbidity and mortality trends of over the years, nursing leaders have
soldiers during and after the Crimean War. struggled to establish which approach to
her detailed record keeping and graphic rep- knowledge development is appropriate and
resentation of these data convinced officials necessary for nursing. Dickoff, James, and
of the need to improve sanitary conditions Wiedenbach’s (1968) four levels of theory for
for soldiers, which drastically reduced mor- nursing included the most basic type, factor-
tality rates (Cohen, 1984). isolating theory, as the product of descriptive
The progress in descriptive research studies, with higher level theories built on
activity in nursing has been influenced by the necessary base of this first level of theory.
several events and movements over the past Therefore, descriptive research is a necessary
several decades: advanced degree educa- base to provide a foundation of support for
tion in nursing, philosophical debate about intervention studies, with the ultimate goal
the role of nursing and nursing research in of using research findings in practice. Meta-
the scientific community, establishment of analysis, which is a useful tool that synthe-
centers for nursing research, and formation sizes extant nursing research, was initially
of an agenda for knowledge development in applied to experimental studies. Application
nursing. of this technique to descriptive studies can
With the help of federal traineeship also help determine when a phenomenon is
money, the earliest doctorally prepared ready for testing with intervention studies.
nurses obtained degrees in basic science Synthesis of qualitative research, typically
programs. The adoption and rejection of called qualitative metasynthesis (Thorne,