Deck 12: Data-Collection Methods

Question 1

What should be the nurse researcher's primary concern in the data-collection phase of research?

A) Flexibility in data collection
B) Consistency in data collection
C) Accurate interpretation of data collected
D) Averaging of numerical scores to reduce the effect of outliers

Answer 1

Consistency in data collection

Question 2

The nurse researcher decides to use a physiologic measurement in a research study.Which of the following is an example of a physiologic measurement?

A) Definition of a type A behavior pattern
B) Description of self-care behavior abilities in patients with dementia
C) Ranges of values on two consecutive arterial blood gas analyses
D) Adjusted scores on the State-Trait Anxiety Scale

Answer 2

Ranges of values on two consecutive arterial blood gas analyses

Question 3

What type of observational role would be the nurse researcher's use of a focus group interview with audio-taping of group interactions?

A) Concealment with intervention
B) Concealment without intervention
C) No concealment with intervention
D) No concealment without intervention

Answer 3

No concealment without intervention

Question 4

The nurse researcher is designing a research study that will require the use of multiple people as data collectors.How should the training of data collectors to adhere strictly to a standard protocol for the research project affect the ultimate outcome of the study?

A) Reduced risks to human subjects
B) Reduced cost of data collection
C) Increased consistency in data collection
D) Increased risk of introducing researcher bias into the study

Question 5

Why would a nurse researcher choose to use physiologic data-collection methods?

A) Cost and subject acceptance
B) Reduced researcher time
C) Data collected includes patient body weights
D) Interrater reliability determination is unnecessary

Question 6

The nurse researcher has experience with data collected when performing patient care but has never collected data for the purposes of research.What should the researcher expect to be the difference in data collection for patient care and data collection for the purposes of research?

A) For patient care, data are obtained from the patient and the medical record; for research purposes, data are obtained only from the patient.
B) Data collection for research purposes may include direct patient quotations; in patient care, recording of direct quotations is avoided.
C) The nurse does not interact directly with the patient-subject during data collection for research.
D) Data collection for research purposes must be objective and systematic.

Question 7

Why would a nurse researcher select the interview method of data collection?

A) It is of value only in qualitative studies.
B) It allows subjects to provide more in-depth answers
C) Consistency, rather than objectivity, is of primary importance.
D) Objectivity, rather than consistency, is of primary importance.

Question 8

During a research project,the researcher observes the subject and notes that he completes each assigned task with a much higher level of performance than he normally exhibits.How should a nurse researcher most accurately describe the change in a subject's behavior during observation as a result of being observed?

A) Reactivity
B) Instability
C) Therapeutic
D) Interventionist

Question 9

What is an advantage that is shared by both interview and questionnaire data-collection methods?

A) Both seek to understand the attitudes, beliefs, and feelings of participants.
B) Both are analyzed by statistical methods.
C) Both require extensive training of the researcher.
D) Both are paper-and-pencil tests.

Question 10

The nurse researcher is attempting to answer specific questions about families' perceptions of caring for elderly parents with dementia.What would be the most appropriate method of data collection for this study?

A) Field notes
B) Structured interview
C) Unstructured interview
D) Physiologic instrumentation

Question 11

Which type of observational role would be most appropriate if the nurse researcher wants to identify maternal response behaviors to cries of infants with colic?

A) Concealment with intervention
B) Concealment without intervention
C) No concealment with intervention
D) No concealment without intervention

Question 12

The nurse researcher is concerned about bias in observation methods.Which data-collection method should the researcher be aware is most vulnerable to the bias of the researcher?

A) Questionnaires
B) Available data
C) Observation methods
D) Physiologic measurement

Question 13

The nurse researcher is designing a research study to measure postoperative pain during the first 8 hours after coronary artery bypass graft surgery.Which data-collection method would be most appropriate for this particular study?

A) Assessment of arterial blood gas values
B) Unstructured interview
C) Visual pain scale
D) Pain questionnaire

Question 14

How should the nurse researcher inform subjects that he or she would like to include them in a research study and that they can refuse to participate?

A) Through informed consent
B) Through concealment
C) Through unauthorized research
D) Through scientific misconduct

Question 15

Why would a nurse researcher decide not to use physiologic data-collection methods?

A) Data interpretation is subjective.
B) Their use dictates inclusion of physiologic variables.
C) They cannot be used to measure the independent variable.
D) They cannot be used to measure the dependent variable.

Question 16

The nurse researcher is designing a research study that requires the use of specific physiologic measures.Which statement about the use of physiologic or biologic measures of data is most accurate?

A) They involve the use of specialized equipment.
B) Data-collection error is reduced with their use.
C) They can be used for both qualitative and quantitative research designs.
D) Instruments that measure physiologic phenomena represent the gold standard and eliminate the need to verify instrument reliability and validity.

Question 17

Which data-collection method would be most appropriate in studying bullying behavior in elementary school aged girls?

A) An unstructured interview
B) Asking parents about their children's experience with bullying
C) Responses of the children on a paper-and-pencil bullying scale
D) Concealment of the researcher without intervention in children's behavior

Question 18

What should be the nurse researcher's primary consideration when deciding on a method of data collection for a specific research study?

A) The number of hypotheses and research questions and the experience of the investigator
B) The nature of the research question and the specific population to be studied
C) The cost of the instrument and the amount of research effort involved
D) The number of coinvestigators on the study and the educational preparation of the primary investigator

Question 19

When would structured,forced-response questionnaires be most appropriate as a data-collection choice?

A) When the participant is confused
B) When the questions asked have a finite number of responses
C) When data collection must take place in a public environment
D) When the responses involve an opinion that cannot be interpreted as being either right or wrong

Question 20

Two data collectors scored 54 of 56 pressure ulcers identically using the Braden Scale for pressure ulcer assessment.What can be determined from this finding?

A) Interrater reliability between the two data collectors was high.
B) Interrater reliability between the two data collectors was low.
C) The data-collection method was inappropriate for the phenomenon under investigation.
D) To establish interrater reliability, the two data collectors should have examined each pressure ulcer together at the same time.

Question 21

The nurse researcher wants to use a data-collection method with the lowest possible refusal rate.Which type of data-collection method be would be most appropriate?

A) Closed-ended questionnaire
B) Open-ended questionnaire
C) Physiologic measurement
D) Interview

Question 22

Which data-collection methods would be most appropriate for a study involving low literacy level prostitutes and HIV infection self-protection? (Select all that apply.)

A) Physiologic measures
B) Observational methods with concealment
C) Questionnaires
D) Interviews
E) No concealment observation

Question 23

Which data-collection method can be assessed by asking,"Are the majority of the items appropriately close-ended or open-ended? "

A) Questionnaires
B) Interviews
C) Physiologic measurement
D) Records and databases

Question 24

Which data-collection method can be assessed by asking,"Is there a provision for evaluating the accuracy of the instrument? "

A) Questionnaires
B) Interviews
C) Physiologic measurement
D) Records and databases

Question 25

Which data-collection method can be assessed by asking,"Is there clear indication that the subjects understood the task and the questions? "

A) Questionnaires
B) Interviews
C) Physiologic measurement
D) Records and databases

Question 26

A nurse researcher is designing a study examining the construct of anxiety.How could the researcher operationalize anxiety? (Select all that apply.)

A) Vital signs readouts
B) Observation
C) Sweat-level measurements
D) Interview
E) Paper and pencil scale
F) None of above

Question 27

A nurse researcher is developing a new instrument based on nurse caring behaviors.Put the process of this instrument's development in the appropriate order.
A.Generating the caring instrument items
B.Clarifying which nurse population
C.Assessing caring items for content validity
D.Developing user instructions
E.Defining nurse caring behaviors

A) a, b, c, d, e
B) e, d, c, b, a
C) e, b, a, c, d
D) c, d, a, b, d

Question 28

When would records or data-available methods of data collection be most appropriate?

A) When research subjects are illiterate
B) When participants are not reliable historians
C) When the goal of research is to analyze trends and change over time
D) When the researcher suspects that the subject may be attempting to alter responses to please the researcher

Question 29

A psychiatric clinical nurse specialist is working with students who have identified themselves as experiencing test anxiety.The nurse has the students take a test while she watches through a two-way mirror.This approach incorporates: (select all that apply):

A) Observation
B) Interviewing
C) Reactivity
D) Structured interviewing
E) Concealment

Question 30

How should the nurse researcher translate the concepts of interest to the researcher into observable and measurable phenomena? (Select all that apply.)

A) Through analysis
B) Through objectivity
C) Through consistency
D) Through operationalization
E) None of above

Question 31

A nurse researcher is designing a study on objective analysis of vital sign monitoring before,during,and after trauma care in the emergency room.To analyze trends in this process,which types of measurements could the nurse consider incorporating? (Select all that apply.)

A) Available data (records of vital signs)
B) Paper and paper scales
C) Questionnaires
D) Physiologic instruments readouts
E) Interviews

Question 32

What are the steps that are involved in instrument development? (Select all that apply.)

A) Clarify the target population
B) Define concept to be measured
C) Develop items
D) Estimate reliability and validity
E) Statistically analyze individual items
F) Develop implications from the item analysis

Question 33

What are the advantages of using physiologic data-collection methods? (Select all that apply.)

A) Objectivity
B) Precision
C) Flexibility
D) Inexpensive
E) Sensitivity

Question 34

Which data-collection method can be assessed by asking,"Are the data examined in such a way as to provide new information? "

A) Questionnaires
B) Interviews
C) Physiologic measurement
D) Records and databases

Question 35

Which data-collection method can be assessed by asking,"Is there evidence that subjects were able to answer the questions? "

A) Questionnaires
B) Interviews
C) Physiologic measurement
D) Records and databases