Quantitative and Qualitative Research - Assignment Example

Nursing, Qualitative and Quantitative Research Affiliation Nursing, Qualitative and Quantitative Research Nursing researchis a study that gives evidence used by nurses to support their day-to-day practices. Unlike other fields, nursing is an evidence-based area of expertise. Nursing has constantly been growing since the era of Florence Nightingale. Nowadays, many nurses work as researchers in health care settings as well as in universities (Fitzpatrick & Kazer, 2006). There are two types of nursing research: qualitative and quantitative research.

Qualitative research is mainly based on ethnography, grounded theory, paradigm of phenomenology and many others. It examines the experience of individuals delivering and receiving nursing care. The methods used to carry out qualitative research are case studies, interviews, ethnography and focus groups. On the other hand, quantitative study mainly focuses on measurable client outcomes and mainly uses statistics. However, bias is encountered when carrying out nursing research. When conducting a quantitative research, there are two main types of bias that may be encountered: random and systematic bias.

Random bias takes place when a researcher assumes particular data. This happens wherebys the assumption made is not a precise representation of what is in the research. An example of a random bias is food diaries. Food diaries are inaccurate because people tend to over represent or under represent food consumption. However, this bias can be avoided by taking photographs of every study (Campbell & Campbell, 2006). On the other hand, systematic bias is a bit different. According to a study conducted by Dr.

Colin Campbell, he stated that there were defects in the consumption of animal protein. However, Minger (2011) carried out a research on the same topic as Campbell and stated that the consumption of proteins and other foods was positively correlated. Systematic bias can be prevented by multiple null-hypothesis, re-utilization and utilization based on ongoing collection of data. All data should also be represented irrespective of the nature. There are various types of bias, which are associated with qualitative research.

This bias’ can be experienced during the pre-trial, the clinical trial and after a trial. Examples of bias encountered during pre-trial stage may be as a result of study design, selection and channeling. There are other subtypes of bias which occur during the clinical trial. They include interviewer bias, transfer bias, recall bias and chronology bias. Bias after a trial may involve confounding and citation bias. When conducting a nursing research, bias may occur when collecting data, planning, analyzing and publishing.

Therefore, it is important to understand research bias so as to avoid treatments which may be harmful or suboptimal. It is important to understanding the instances in which bias may occur so as to practice evidence-based nursing.ReferencesCampbell, T., & Campbell, T. (2006). the China study: Starting implications for diet, weight loss, and long-term health. Dallas, TX: BenBella Books.Fitzpatrick, J., & Kazer, M. (2006). Encyclopedia of nursing research. New York: Springer Pub.