EMPIRICAL PHASE: The third Phase of Nursing Research

EMPIRICAL PHASE: The third Phase of Nursing Research

      In the empirical phase, the researcher implements all the plans that he or she made in the first phase, step 3, to collect the data. This involves the collection of data and the preparation of data for analysis. A data collection plan needs to be developed specifying:

• What data will be collected;
• How the data will be collected (i.e., in person, over the phone); 
• Who will collect the data; • How data collectors will be trained; and 
• The data collection procedure (i.e., what order forms are filled out, what the interview questions are).

        In many studies empirical phase is the most time-consuming part of the investigation. The amount of time spent, however, varies from the study to study. So we can say that empiric phase is composed of the following activities:

• To do all activities related to gaining scientific results, to sort them, and to evaluate them
• Its first step can be pilot study (to tune the research project)

       The result of this phase is production of data in two main forms:

1. Qualitative form
2. Quantitative form: In analogue form and in digital form

The way by which is research conducted and the level of organization used for data collection can importantly influence the amount and quality of obtained results

Examples of qualitative data:

•  pain, fatigue, dyspnoea, feeling of cold or heat, paraesthesia‟s, dizziness, fear,
• anger,
• apathy and others similar

Examples of quantitative data:

• biochemical, electrophysiological, ultrasound, x-ray and other data obtained by measuring and recording different kinds of parameters in clinical or experimental study

    The production of objective scientific information  is necessary to use methods which will guarantee the highest degree of production unbiased results. This is important mainly:

•     when on the same research participate more researchers from the same research team
•     when the respective research is conducted at more laboratories or in different hospitals in one or more countries (multicentre studies)
•    that researchers are well informed on what parameters should be observed and recorded
•    stress that terminology of recorded parameters have to be well defined and all researchers should understand their meaning

Key elements of the experimental procedure:

    If you use experiment as a method in your research than you should be familiar with its key elements. Here they are:

• description and size of all experimental and control groups, as applicable
•  a step-by-step list of everything you must do to perform your experiment. Think about all the steps that you will need to go through to complete your experimen and record exactly what will need to be done in each step
• the experimental procedure must tell how you will change your one and only independent variable and how you will measure that change
•  the experimental procedure must explain how you will measure the resulting change in the dependent variable or variables
• if applicable, the experimental procedure should explain how the controlled variables will be maintained at a constant value
• the experimental procedure should specify how many times you intend to repeat your experiment, so that you can verify that your results are reproducible
•  a good experimental procedure enables someone else to duplicate your experiment exactly!

         If the study design is experimental, data collectors should be blinded to participant group assignment to avoid the potential for bias. The researcher also needs to have procedures in place if participants become upset or have any problems with the data collection procedure (particularly when interviewing study participants on potentially difficult experiences).

        Often, investigators create an operations manual that describes in detail all study procedures including the data collection plan as well as the sampling plan and recruitment procedures (Bowman, Wyman, & Peters, 2002). An experimental design will also require an intervention protocol that describes the intervention in detail (components, procedures, dosage, and timing), who will deliver the intervention, the training of the interventionist, and procedures to evaluate treatment fidelity. The development of study protocols will allow for a standard approach to the conduct of research within a particular study, enhancing internal validity.

Reference

Whittemore, R., & Melkus, G. (2016). Design-Decision-in-Research. https://obssr.od.nih.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Design-Decisions-in-Research.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1cEeVa7H8ZeMKjvP_oCnEv6cNoDWBn17dCDuy7hZKPqXqRCBRjx8BKrfA