Page 463 - Encyclopedia of Nursing Research

430 n QuANTITATIvE RESEARcH

multiple dimensions of QOl and health summarize study data, to determine sam-
status and may replace the need for using pling error, and in studies in which hypoth-
Q multiple QOl instruments in research and eses are tested, to analyze whether results
practice. Applications of the KccQ have obtained exceed those that could be attrib-
been made in research, quality assessment, uted to sampling error (chance) alone. The
and clinical practice (Heidenreich et al., 2006; important role of statistical methodology
Hertzog, Pozehl, & Duncan, 2010; Soto, Jones, in quantitative research should not obscure
Weintraub, Krumholz, & Spertus, 2004). The the fact that other methodologies and sci-
emphasis for future nursing research must entific disciplines play important roles in
include measures that can be used to sup- nursing research. These methods are used
port clinical decision making in improv- in the delineation of research questions
ing patients’ QOl in health and illness and and hypotheses, exposition of conceptual
to provide the underpinnings for health frameworks and hypotheses, design of data
care policy and reimbursement decisions in collection instruments and tools, and inter-
an era of health care reform and economic pretation of study data, particularly determi-
uncertainty. nation of the clinical significance of the data
and dissemination of findings.
K. M. Reeder Much of the history of nursing research
involves quantitative research. Florence
Nightingale, who was a skilled statistician,
used quantitative measures to describe and
Quantitative ReseaRch evaluate hospital performance (Nightingale,
1858). Studies of nursing in the united States,
beginning in the 1940s, used quantitative
Quantitative research consists of the collec- techniques to survey and analyze nursing
tion, tabulation, summarization, and analysis education and supply and distribution of
of numerical data for the purpose of answer- nurses. In the 1960s, with support from the
ing research questions or hypotheses. The federal government, research in nursing
term quantitative research is of recent origin and began to use advanced research designs,
is distinguished from qualitative research in such as controlled experiments, which made
design, process, and the use of quantification extensive use of quantitative tools, tech-
techniques to measure and analyze the data. niques, and processes.
The vast majority of all nursing studies can Quantitative data collected in quan-
be classified as quantitative. titative research are obtained by the use of
Quantitative research uses statistical measurement scales. There are three distinct
methodology at every stage in the research types of scales: nominal, ordinal, and contin-
process. At the inception of a research pro- uous. Nominal scales consist of two or more
ject, when the research questions are for- ungraded or unranked categories of vari-
mulated, thought must be given to how ables, such as eye color (green, blue, brown)
the research variables are to be quantified, or political affiliation (Republican, Democrat).
defined, measured, and analyzed. Study sub- Ordinal scales possess categories that are
jects are often selected for a research project ranked or graded from high to low, small to
through the statistical method of random large, near to far. Graded scales, such as the
sampling, which promotes an unbiased rep- likert and Guttman scales, are commonly
resentation of the target population among used in nursing research to measure inten-
the sample from whom generalizations will sity of opinions, attitudes, and other psycho-
be made. Statistical methods are used to logical variables. When nominal and ordinal