NURS540 Research Utilization
Week 1 Discussion
DQ1 This week, you will be submitting a research topic and problem statement for use in your research proposal to your instructor for approval. Share your proposed research topic and problem statement with your classmates. Explain why you chose this topic and why it is meaningful in the field of nursing. Then, review at least two of your classmates’ research questions and explain why you do or do not feel the questions are appropriate for the research proposal. Offer suggestions for improvement as needed.
DQ2 A successful literature review is a key component to any research project. Conducting good research without a solid foundation is difficult. What are some of the most critical components of a good literature review? How will you ensure that you write a successful literature review for your planned research proposal? What are some of the challenges you foresee when writing your literature review?
NURS540 Research Utilization
Week 2 Discussion
DQ1 What are the key differences between quantitative and qualitative research? Why would you choose to develop a research project that is quantitative instead of qualitative, or vice versa? What are some considerations to be made when deciding between quantitative and qualitative research?
DQ2 What are some of the challenges involved in combining methodologies when creating a research proposal and carrying out a research project? How can these challenges be overcome?
NURS540 Research Utilization
Week 3 Discussion
DQ1 When you develop a research project, you need to have a reliable and valid method of measurement in your study. Using your anticipated research proposal, how will you address the issues of reliability and validity? What concerns do you have over reliability and validity in your study and how will you overcome these concerns? Next, read two of your classmates’ posts and analyze how they addressed reliability and validity in their studies. Do you have any recommendations for improving reliability and validity?
DQ2 Appropriate sampling is a critical component in developing a good research project. Using your approved research questions and research topic, explain your anticipated sampling method and why this is appropriate for your research proposal. What is your sample size? Next, read and review two of your classmates’ posts and analyze their sampling approach. Are their sampling approaches appropriate? Why or why not?
NURS540 Research Utilization
Week 4 Discussion
DQ1 Appropriate data collection is a critical component in obtaining useful data for your research. Using your proposed research topic and research questions, explain your plan for data collection. Discuss potential issues in your data collection plan and your plans to overcome these challenges. Then, respond to at least two or your classmates’ posts and analyze their plan for data collection. Are their plans appropriate for their research project? Do you have any suggestions for improvement?
DQ2 Watch the interactive video on ethical research from the nurse’s perspective. (Detailed directions on accessing the research interactive scenario are included in the course.) Conducting research with strong ethical principles is a critical component of being an effective nurse researcher. What did you learn from participating in the interactive lessons on ethical principles in research? Are ethics in research clear cut, or do you think there are some gray areas? Explain your answer. How will you ensure that your research is conducted in an ethical manner? What potential challenges might you face?
NURS540 Research Utilization
Week 5 Discussion
DQ1 What are some ethical issues to keep in mind when using Internet-based research? How can you address these issues? Are you going to make any edits to your literature review that you submitted earlier in this course now that you have learned more about Internet-based research? Why or why not?
DQ2 Discuss the value of qualitative research and ethical considerations related to this type of research.
NURS540 Research Utilization
Week 6 Discussion
DQ1 This week, you will be submitting a data analysis plan for your research proposal. Share your research questions and research project as well as your anticipated type of quantitative analysis with the class. What quantitative test/s are you going to conduct on your data (t-test, correlation, chi-square, regression, ANOVA, ANCOVA, etc.) and explain why you feel this is the best test. Then, examine at least two of your classmates’ posts and comment on their chosen methods of analysis. Do you have any suggestions for improvement? Are there any concerns regarding their chosen methods?
DQ2 Using your research questions and research topic, identify your independent and dependent variables. Next, identify your research hypothesis and null hypothesis. Then, comment on two of your classmates’ posts and explain whether their research hypotheses and null hypotheses are appropriate for their identified research questions.
NURS540 Research Utilization
Week 7 Discussion
DQ1 Discuss the steps required to submit research to a professional journal, and what you feel will be the biggest obstacle? Why?
DQ2 Read the article on the impact of maternal prenatal smoking on the development of childhood overweight in school-aged children (Links to an external site.) from the WCU library. Is the article quantitative, qualitative, or something else? State the study design, research question, and the strength and limitations of the study. Can the study results be generalized? Why or why not?
NURS540 Research Utilization
Week 8 Discussion
DQ1 What is the significance of evidence-based practice to health care? Discuss the most reliable evidence-based sources.
DQ2 Now that you have submitted your research proposal and you are preparing to submit your research proposal presentation, how confident do you feel about developing a research proposal as part of your future career as a nurse researcher? Explain your answer. What questions or concerns do you still have about conducting research in nursing?
NURS540 Research Utilization
Week 1 Assignment
Research Proposal Project: Submit Problem Statement and Research Topic
Problem Statement and Research Topic
This week, you will seek approval for a research area for your quantitative research proposal project due in weeks 7 and 8. Submit a one-page, double-spaced paper addressing the following points:
Identify your chosen research topic
Create at least one problem statement to go along with your chosen research area
Identify your research question/s
Explain the significance of the research topic to nursing
Upon completion, your instructor will approve, deny, or make recommendations for modifications of your research topic, problem statement, or research question(s) to ensure successful completion of the research proposal project.
If you need some assistance creating a PICOT question, click here (Links to an external site.) for a template provided by the AAACN.
NURS540 Research Utilization
Week 2 Assignment
Research Proposal Literature Review (Rough Draft)
Literature Review Rough Draft
The literature review is one of the most important components, and often the most time consuming part, of a good research proposal. Without the solid foundation of a good literature review, it is difficult to make a strong research proposal.
This week, you will work to develop a rough draft of your literature review. You will continue to develop the literature review next week based on feedback provided by your instructor. Then in week 7, you will submit a well-polished literature review as part of your final research proposal.
The following requirements should be met in your literature review:
Include a minimum of six scholarly sources
Organize in logical sections
Include an overview of the literature
Be unbiased in your presentation of information
Include sources and content relevant to your research questions and hypothesis; state the relevance in your literature review
Include a critical assessment of the sources. Do not simply include a summary of what you have read
A strong introduction and conclusion, including further questions for research
Proper APA formatting, citations, and references
Keep in mind that this is a rough draft, so the literature review does not need to be perfect. However, you should still submit a literature review with proper APA formatting, correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar that meets all of the specifications of the assignment listed above. You will then receive feedback from your instructor and continue to do more research, and modify and improve your current literature review.
NURS540 Research Utilization
Week 3 Assignment
Research Proposal Project: Literature Review
Literature Review
This week, you will receive feedback from your instructor on your rough draft assignment. You will edit, revise, and add any additional information to your literature review based on your instructor feedback and additional research and reading. This submission should be more polished than your previous version. As you continue to read about your chosen research topic, feel free to add to your literature review and make it even more meaningful for your research proposal.
The following requirements should be met in your literature review:
Include a minimum of six scholarly sources
Organize in logical sections
Include an overview of the literature
Be unbiased in your presentation of information
Include sources and content relevant to your research questions and hypothesis; state the relevance in your literature review
Include a critical assessment of the sources. Do not simply include a summary of what you have read
A strong introduction and conclusion, including further questions for research
Proper APA formatting, citations, and references
NURS540 Research Utilization
Week 4 Assignment
Research Proposal Project: Design (Sampling, Reliability, Validity)
Design
For this section of your research proposal assignment, you will focus on the sampling, reliability, and validity of your research proposal. This section will include information on sampling, reliability, and validity.
The following components should be addressed in your paper this week:
Information on your sample
Sampling basic information (age, gender, criteria, etc.)
Sample size
Explain why your sample is appropriate for your study
Reliability
Explain how your data collection process is consistent and reliable
Explain why your measurement tool is reliable
Validity
Explain how you will ensure you have a valid sample
Explain how you tested the validity of your measurement tool
NURS540 Research Utilization
Week 5 Assignment
Research Proposal Project: Implementation Plan (Ethics, Recruitment, Data Collection)
Implementation Plan
For this section of your research proposal assignment, you will focus on the implementation plan, which includes considerations for ethics, recruitment practices, and a plan for how you will collect your data. Please note that you will not explain how to analyze your data in this section, but rather how you will go about collecting the data.
The following components must be addressed:
Explain how you will ensure your research is conducted in an ethical manner
Include a copy of an informed consent that will be included for participants of your research proposal project (see pp. 202–203 for a sample)
Explain how you will recruit participants for your study, and how your recruitment process will remain ethical. Be sure to address any incentives (if applicable)
Explain what quantitative data you will collect and how you will go about collecting this data (survey, questionnaire, observation, etc.)
NURS540 Research Utilization
Week 6 Assignment
Research Proposal Project: Data Analysis Plan
Data Analysis Plan
For this section of your research proposal assignment, you will carefully design a plan for analyzing your quantitative data. Explain in detail how you will go about analyzing your data. Be sure to:
Include definitions of all variables
Identify your null hypothesis and research hypothesis
Include the type of analysis to be conducted (correlation, t-test, confidence interval, regression, ANOVA, ANCOVA, etc.)
Explain why this type of analysis is most appropriate for your research
Identify the significance level (typically set to .05, but may be set to .01 or .10)
Explain what results you are looking for in your quantitative study (how will you know if you will accept or reject your null and research hypothesis?)
NURS540 Research Utilization
Week 7 Assignment
Research Proposal Project
All components of this project have been completed in previous weeks, so your final research proposal project paper should be cohesive, polished, and incorporate feedback from your instructor from the previous weeks. Your research proposal should be between 10 and 15 pages. Follow proper APA format and style and include a cover page, reference page, and any applicable tables or appendices. Your research proposal should have a nursing theoretical foundation.
Your research proposal must include the following sections:
Background and rationale for the study
Review of the relevant literature
Design and methodology
You must include the following components:
Section One: Introduction
The research proposal should:
Start with a statement of the problem and objective for the study, which articulates the main objectives that the study desires to achieve.
Include a description of the theoretical framework to be utilized and a rationale for choosing a framework.
Describe the significance and relevance of the problem. Why is this particular study needed? How will findings contribute to the field of advanced practice nursing? Why is this research needed?
Section Two: Literature Review
The literature review should:
Be a synthesis of the major concepts from recently published research findings.
Be organized by themes and not just a report about what each author discovered in his or her research findings.
Identify no fewer than six relevant research articles.
Synthesize the literature in relation to where the study fits within the context of the proposed study.
Section Three: Design and Methodology
In this section, what is to be done, and who, what, how, and where are all to be included in your proposal. The methods should be relevant to the question that is to be answered as a result of the research study. There should be information included about the study design, the setting and sample, data collection methods, and data collection analysis procedures. Ethical considerations should also be addressed in this area. Limitations and a plan for communicating the research findings should also be included in this section.
All critical elements of design and methods should be detailed, including:
Definitions of the variables
Identification of the population and sample
Procedures for sampling
Processes for obtaining consent to do the study
Informed consent form to be given to research participants
Data collection procedures
A clearly stated method of data analysis
An explanation on why your data analysis method is appropriate for your research
Issues related to validity and reliability
Ethical considerations (including plans for the protection of human subjects as appropriate)
NURS540 Research Utilization
Week 8 Assignment
Research Proposal Presentation
This week, you will submit an 8- to 10-minute recorded presentation explaining the key components of your research proposal.
A brief introduction, including your research questions and hypothesis
The significance to nursing
An overview of your literature review
A summary of your design and methodology
Include:
Your sample procedures
Your data collection procedures
An overview of your data analysis plan
Ethical considerations
A summary and conclusion of your research proposal
