Quantitative Data Collection:

Quantitative Data Collection

One of the most important decisions that a researcher has to make is how data will be collected. The nurse who is implementing evidence-based practice also needs to consider how outcomes will be measured. For this activity you will investigate ways to collect research data.

Consider the following concepts frequently used in nursing research:

1. Caring
2. Quality of life (patient)
3. Nurses’ job satisfaction
4. Critical thinking
5. Empowerment
6. Stress

For this activity, choose one of the 6 concept listed above. Find a published QUANTITATIVE research study that used the concept. This can be facilitated by using the concept as the key search term. The selected article must be a primary source (No systematic review or meta-analysis). In the study, the author must use the exact term, such as “quality of life.” You will need to determine how this concept was defined by the researcher (conceptual definition) and how it was measured (operational definition).
Once you have identified a published research study address the following:

1. Identify the concept (how is it defined).
2. Identify the type of research design and provide a copy of the article via a PDF file.
3. Identify how the concept was measured. Be specific by identifying the measurement tool. For example, if you are interested in measuring depression among postpartum women, the Edinburgh postnatal depression scale may have been used in a study as it is a commonly used instrument.
4. If a measurement tool was used to collect the data, briefly describe the instrument. (Example: The Finley Fall scale is a 10-item Likert scale with 2subscales). Also describe the validity and reliability of the tool. State if the validity and reliability is not described. If the measure is diagnostic test, describe the specificity and sensitivity.

Rubric Quantitative Data Collection2017.docx