Data Collection Methods in Nursing Research

Introduction to Data Collection in Nursing Research

The data collection process is an integral part of performing research studies — particularly in the field of nursing. There are a number of different data collection methodologies that researchers must consider before beginning this process. On a fundamental level, the methodology employed by a particular researcher will largely depend on the type of study being conducted, the specific research question, the hypothesis, and other factors relevant to the project. However, there is still a basic paradigm that virtually all researchers should follow when attempting to collect data.

The first step in this paradigm is to devise a data collection plan, which largely involves analyzing the particular needs of the study and prioritizing those needs so that they are addressed as expediently and prudently as possible. Next, researchers must prepare the specific instruments they will utilize during the study, which depends primarily on the needs that were assessed. Finally, there are a host of data collection methods available to researchers. Generally, these methods are distinguished between those that are structured or unstructured, and are determined in no small part by whether the research is quantitative or qualitative.

Although there are plenty of opportunities for researchers to engage in qualitative research across many fields, there is a definite tendency for nursing research to be qualitative in scope and focus, in order to illuminate the most common types of issues studied within the profession. Supporting this is the reality that "most nursing research studies involve the use of self-reports" and that "self-reports are the most frequently used type of data collection method in qualitative studies" (Polit & Beck, 2008, p. 390). If self-reports — which encompass principally different varieties of interviews and questionnaires — are the primary method of data collection in qualitative nursing research, the secondary method is observation, of which there are also several varieties.

Developing a Data Collection Plan and Preparing Instruments

In order to successfully determine which type of self-report and method of observation will yield the most benefit to a research study, researchers must first assess and prioritize the needs they have for their data. In considering these needs, it is important for researchers to think carefully about the type of variables they will be testing and to identify any potential biases that could compromise the integrity of their data. An integral component of data collection planning is the consideration of administrative needs and pragmatic concerns such as costs and the ability to analyze and actually use data in a timely fashion.

Once a research team has determined exactly what it needs from its data, it must ascertain how best to obtain that data. Specifically, this step calls for the implementation and possible creation of instruments to be used in the collection process. Since most nursing studies will inevitably utilize some form of self-reporting method — or, possibly in conjunction with it, observation — creating specific tools for use in data collection may very well be feasible. However, it is essential for researchers to thoroughly test these instruments before employing them in the actual data collection process, in order to minimize the threat of compromised data and to ensure they actually measure the construct upon which the study is based (Kimberlin & Winterstein, 2008, p. 2280). Additionally, specific members of the research team who will collect data should become acquainted with all instruments and procedures before the collection process begins.

Self-Report Methods: Structured and Unstructured Approaches

One of the principal reasons that self-reports are so valuable to nursing research is that they allow for a free exchange of information from sample participants to the researcher, who may choose to filter that information in whatever way is most effective. In terms of their actual implementation, researchers have the option of utilizing either unstructured or structured methods, which regulate how much and what kind of information is gained through these reports.

Self-report data collection that is loosely structured or unstructured can produce a large amount of information from members of a sample population, although the different types of reports associated with this method can require considerable time both to implement and to analyze. This is largely because the data from these reports is determined almost solely by the individual subjects of the sample and can be as expansive or as brief as those subjects choose to be. One of the principal unstructured self-report methodologies is the interview, which can take the form of individual or group interviews, encompass aspects of subjects' life histories, or include detailed journal entries (Polit & Beck, 2008, p. 411). These interviews may also take the form of participant-observation research, in which researchers "have firsthand involvement in relevant activities" (Levine et al., 1980, p. 38) of their subjects' lives.

In order to perform these self-reports effectively, researchers and data collectors must be well-versed in the subtleties required to encourage subjects to provide adequate data — a skill set that usually develops over time. Interviews also carry certain inherent biases that can potentially compromise the integrity of the data gained from them. Researchers can transform unstructured self-report methods into structured ones by utilizing instruments that channel the amount and type of information into the form most useful for a particular study.

Examples of structured self-report methods include interviews, questionnaires, and composite psychological scales, all of which can be tailored to meet specific research objectives by posing questions in an open-ended fashion. The many types of question formats include matrix questions, forced-choice questions, cafeteria questions, dichotomous questions, and rank-order questions (Polit & Beck, 2008, p. 445). All of these formats limit the structure of a questionnaire or interview so that respondents provide only the information researchers specifically ask for. This methodology benefits certain types of studies, whereas unstructured self-reports can yield valuable information that researchers were not aware of and that may influence their study. However, since researchers should adequately prepare their data collection methods to meet the needs of a study that is ideally grounded in a literature review and probes a particular area of inquiry, structured methods of data collection should benefit most nursing studies. Still, it may not always be possible to grasp the entire scope of a study using structured measures alone (Chowdhurry et al., 1998, p. 73).

References

Chowdhurry, J., Reardon, J., & Srivastava, R. (1998). Alternative modes of measuring store image: An empirical assessment of structured vs. unstructured measures. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 6(2), 72–86.

Golafshani, N. (2003). Understanding validity and reliability in qualitative research. The Qualitative Report, 8(4), 597–607.

Kimberlin, C. L., & Winterstein, A. G. (2008). Validity and reliability of measurement instruments in research. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 65, 2276–2284.

Levine, H. G., Gallimore, R., Weisner, T. S., & Turner, J. L. (1980). Teaching participant-observation research methods: A skills-building approach. Anthropology and Education Quarterly, 11(1), 38–54.

Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2008). Nursing research: Generating and assessing evidence for nursing practice (8th ed.). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.