Page 457 - Encyclopedia of Nursing Research

424 n QuAlITATIvE RESEARcH

provide different types of data. However, naturalistic methods (although positiv-
these data sets are most fruitfully viewed ist approaches predominated in both jour-
Q as complementary rather than in opposi- nals). With the advent of the Western Journal
tion. Together, they provide a more complete of Nursing Research in 1978, edited by Brink,
understanding than can be obtained by using there emerged an outlet with a balanced
either approach singly. Sometimes the meth- representation of qualitative research. In
ods can be employed simultaneously (meth- 1976, Paterson and Zderad published a book
odological triangulation); at other times, the based on phenomenological observations,
methods must be applied sequentially to and Brink’s (1976) book contained a series
satisfy the requirements of each. The recip- of methodological articles on conducting
rocal interweaving of naturalistic and posi- qualitative (largely ethnographic) research.
tivist research builds nursing knowledge as Nearly a decade later, two broad-based books
each contributes different but important on qualitative research were published (Field
information. & Morse, 1985; leininger, 1985b). With the
Specific approaches to naturalistic advent of the journal Qualitative Health
inquiry were developed primarily in the Research in 1991, also edited by a nurse anthro-
social sciences and philosophy. For example, pologist, Morse, an entire journal was fully
phenomenology as a method derived from dedicated to reporting naturalistic research.
phenomenological and existentialist philos- The Transcultural Nursing care series orga-
ophy, ethnography from anthropologists’ nized by leininger from 1977 to the present
study of culture, grounded theory, and eth- offered an opportunity for the presentation
nomethodology from sociology (specifically of naturalistic research.
the school of symbolic interactionism). The selection of a particular naturalis-
In the discipline of nursing, there were tic approach depends on the purpose of the
several early reports of qualitative data with- research. For example, phenomenology is
out a specified naturalistic approach. In 1952, the method of choice when the purpose is to
the first issues of the first volume of Nursing understand the meaning of the lived experi-
Research articles report the qualitative results ence of a given phenomenon for informants,
of unstructured interviews. grounded theory is selected to uncover or
In 1962, nurse scientist graduate training understand basic social processes, and eth-
programs were initiated through the divi- nography is selected to understand patterns
sion of nursing for the purpose of increasing and processes grounded in culture.
the number of nurse research scientists with Although most qualitative approaches
doctorates in basic physiological or social sci- do not employ formal theoretical frame-
ences. As a result, many nurses completed works, they do rest on established phil-
programs that trained them in the qualitative osophical assumptions. However, some
methods developed in the social sciences. naturalistic inquiry (particularly ethnogra-
Many nurse anthropologists were trained phy) is conducted in the context of theoret-
during this period. ical orientations that reflect the training of
Over the decade of the 1960s, the num- the investigator and may focus attention on
ber and methodological specificity of nat- particular phenomena, relationships, data
uralistic inquiry increased. By the end of collection techniques, or research products.
the 1960s, Nursing Research had published In most forms of naturalistic inquiry,
articles specifically using grounded the- investigators typically use participant obser-
ory methods, ethnographic methods, and vation, informant interviews, and docu-
other naturalistic approaches. Image: The ment analysis. However, the extent to which
Journal of Nursing Scholarship was initiated the investigator relies on any one strategy
in 1966 and also published research using will vary. For example, phenomenology