Research methods commonly used in nursing can be classified in different ways. The following is a discussion of the most common classifications. First, research methods are classified as quantitative, qualitative, or mixed. This is the most common classification.
Quantitative Research
Quantitative research involves the collection and analysis of numerical data. It is used to confirm a hypothesis. This method’s ontology can be described as objective, material, and structural. Quantitative methods rely on scientific realism justified by empirical confirmation. According to Creswell and Creswell (2023, pp. 45-46), the most common research objectives are numerical description, causal establishment and explanation, and prediction. Quantitative research relies on precise measurement using validated and structured tools. Common quantitative methods in nursing research include surveys, experiments, and observational studies. Conclusions are drawn from statistical analysis.
Qualitative Research
Qualitative research involves the construction of knowledge hypothesis and grounded theory from the data collected during fieldwork. The ontology can be described as subjective, mental, personal, and constructed. It delves into understanding human experiences, behaviors, and social phenomena. According to Creswell and Creswell (2023, p. 46), this research method involves collecting qualitative data such as in-depth interviews, participant observations, and open-ended questions. Qualitative methods in nursing research include interviews, focus groups, content analysis, and ethnographic studies. Qualitative designs include descriptive methods, narrative, phenomenological, grounded theory, ethnography, and case studies.
Mixed Methods
Mixed-methods research combines aspects of quantitative and qualitative approaches within a single study. It allows researchers to comprehensively understand a research question by collecting and analyzing numerical and contextual data. In nursing research, mixed-methods studies are often employed to explore complex healthcare issues from multiple angles.
Second, research can be classified as experimental or non-experimental. Experimental research involves the manipulation of one or more variables to determine the effect of an outcome. An example is a Randomized controlled study. On the other hand, there are non-experimental research methods that focus on the observation of phenomena as they occur. Examples include observational studies, case-control studies, and cohort studies. Finally, nursing research can be classified based on the time of data collection. When the data is collected at a single point in time, this is called cross-sectional research, while data collection for an extended period creates a longitudinal study (Butler et al., 2021).
References
Butler, A., Battista, K., Leatherdale, S. T., Meyer, S. B., Elliott, S. J., & Majowicz, S. E. (2021). A comparison of repeat cross-sectional and longitudinal results from the COMPASS study: design considerations for analysing surveillance data over time. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 25(5), 597–609. https://doi.org/10.1080/13645579.2021.1922804
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2023). Research design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. Sage Publications, Incorporated.