Develop a Research Plan

For this assessment you will develop a thorough five to nine page research plan based upon your work on previous assessments. The plan will be based on either qualitative or quantitative methodologies but not both. In addition to refining your previous work, you will also discuss the concepts of reliability and validity as they pertain to data collection.

Introduction

Note: The assessments in this course build upon each other. Therefore, you are strongly encouraged to complete them in the order in which they are presented.

When conducting research, it is possible to move in multiple directions rather than toward a specific focal point. These multiple directions create components of the research that do not align with one another. It is particularly a problem for novice researchers. For this final assessment, it will be critical to ensure that all parts of your submission: problem statement, purpose statement, research questions, and data collection or sampling are aligned. This review will help lead to a focused research plan, that is more likely to be successful at addressing the research question.

One important consideration is the validity and reliability of data and collection tools for a research plan. For reasons of expediency, researchers find a sample of a specific population, as it is not possible to research an entire population. In quantitative studies, statistical formulas are used to determine the number required from the sample to ensure validity of the study results. In qualitative studies, the simple rule of 12–20 participants is accepted based on the total population. They must meet the criteria outlined as specific for the study. The sample comprises individuals who can represent the total population. From the data gathered, the researcher can determine causation, correlation, or inference.

Remember, reliable data are data findings that can be repeated. In other words, the results are from the data collection are consistent across different samples and time periods. Valid data are data findings that are accurate and relevant.

Instructions

The purpose of a research plan is to provide a brief overview of the key components of a planned research study. It helps to build quality into the research process. During this course, you have, step by step, developed an abbreviated research plan contributing to a process improvement focused on decreasing the incidence of a hospital-acquired condition (HAC) of your choice. As you have progressed the course, you may have improved your ideas and revised your writing based on new information and the expertise you have gained.

To complete this final assessment, combine relevant work from your previous assessments into one seamless research plan. Be sure to incorporate any useful feedback suggested by your instructor, and be sure to properly cite all resources used to support your plan.

For this assessment it is suggested that you build upon the work that you did in the Research Problem and Purpose Statements assessment, as well as the research question and methods assessment that fits the method you chose.

This assessment has four distinct parts:

Part 1: Problem Statement

Relevant Scoring Guide Criteria:

• Explain a given problem statement in the context of a research plan.
• Align the separate parts of a research plan into a unified whole.
• Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and respectful of the diversity, dignity, and integrity of others and is consistent with expectations for health care professionals.

For this section, present your revised and finalized problem statement based on your work in the Research Problem and Purpose Statements assessment.

Additionally, you will explain how the purpose statement is grounded within the context and evidence of your chosen hospital-acquired condition (HAC) and the health care setting that is being used as the basis for your research plan. Additionally, you should point out the ways in which the problem statement will help to establish the alignment of other parts of the research plan.

This section should be about one page in length.

Remember the checklist below when finalizing your problem statement:

Problem Statement Checklist

• Identify the problem that led to the research.
  • Is it easy to determine?
  • Were there identifying words provided that justify the problem?
  • Was the rationale or justification of the problem clearly stated?
  • Do the words in the problem statement indicate the kind of study performed? Which words in particular?
  • Was the evidence for the problem provided in the literature?

Part 2: Purpose Statement

Relevant Scoring Guide Criteria:

• Explain a given purpose statement in the context of a research plan.
• Align the separate parts of a research plan into a unified whole.
• Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and respectful of the diversity, dignity, and integrity of others and is consistent with expectations for health care professionals.

For this section, present your revised and finalized purpose statement based on your work in the Research Problem and Purpose Statements assessment.

Additionally, you will explain how the purpose statement is grounded within the context and evidence of your chosen hospital-acquired condition (HAC) and the health care setting that is being used as the basis for your research plan. Additionally, you should point out the ways in which the purpose statement is aligned with you problem statement, as well as how it will help inform an aligned methodological choice for other parts of the research plan.

This section should be one to two pages in length.

Remember to use the checklist below when finalizing your purpose statement:

Purpose Statement Checklist

• Identify the purpose that led to the research study.
  • What does the study hope to accomplish? What are the desired outcomes?
  • Was the rationale or justification of the purpose clearly stated?
  • Do the words in the purpose statement indicate the kind of study performed? What words in particular?
  • Was the item cited as evidence for the purpose published within the last five years?

Part 3: Research Question

Relevant Scoring Guide Criteria:

• Explain a given research question in the context of a research plan.
• Align the separate parts of a research plan into a unified whole.
• Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and respectful of the diversity, dignity, and integrity of others and is consistent with expectations for health care professionals.

For this section, present your revised and finalized research question. This research question should be based on your work in either the Qualitative Research Questions and Methods orthe Quantitative Research Questions and Methods assessment.

Additionally, you will explain how the research question is grounded within the context and evidence of your chosen hospital-acquired condition (HAC) and the health care setting that is being used as the basis for your research plan. Additionally, you should point out the ways in which the research question is aligned to the purpose of your research plan, as well as how answering it will help to address your research problem. You should also comment on the ways in which the research question helps to provide a guide to which data collection methods can be aligned.

This section should be one to two pages in length.

Depending on your chosen methodology, the checklists below could be useful:

Qualitative Research Question Checklist

• Does the purpose statement fit logically with the problem statement? Are there similar words or does it seem to address a different topic?
• Do the research questions align with the method and design of the study? For instance, are words like perception used that would automatically reject a quantitative study?
• Do questions seek to describe responses to the variables described in the study?
• Do the questions begin with the word why?
• Do the questions focus on a single phenomenon?
• Do the questions include exploratory verbs?
• Is the language nondirectional?
• Are the questions open ended?
• Do the questions specify the participants and research site?

Quantitative Research Question Checklist

• Does the purpose statement fit logically with the problem statement? Are there similar words or does it seem to address a different topic?
• Based on the problem statement, do the research questions align with the method and design of the study?  Do questions seek to describe responses to the variables described in the study?
• Do the questions include words like compare, correlate, or other words that indicate a quantitative study?
• Do the questions include identification of the independent and dependent variables?
• Does the hypothesis fit with the research questions?
• Do the questions and hypothesis identify the participants for the research study?
• Do the questions and hypothesis specify the participants and the research site?

Part 4: Data Collection, Reliability, and Validity

Relevant Scoring Guide Criteria:

• Explain a chosen data collection method in the context of a research plan.
• Describe a contextually valid data collection method.
• Explain contextual measurement reliability and validity.
• Align the separate parts of a research plan into a unified whole.
• Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and respectful of the diversity, dignity, and integrity of others and is consistent with expectations for health care professionals.

For this section you will start by building upon the data collection methods, tools, and strategies from your work in either the Qualitative Research Questions and Methods or the Quantitative Research Questions and Methods assessment. Make sure you use the data collection considerations that match the methodology of your research question.

In this section you will describe the ways in which your data collection methods will be valid within the context of your chosen HAC and health care setting, as well as your choice of methodology. Additionally, you will explain how the measurements that your chosen collection methods will produce are reliable and valid. Lastly, you will comment on how the data collection methods are aligned in such a way that they will produce information that will help to answer the research question and create an opportunity to address the research purpose and problem.

Additional Submission Requirements

• Structure: Include a title page, table of contents, and reference page.
• Length: There is not length requirement for this assessment. Most submissions that fully address all scoring guide criteria will be 5 to 9 pages in length.
• References: Cite at least five current scholarly or professional resources.
• Format: Use APA style for references and citations.
  • You may wish to refer to the following APA resources to help with your structure, formatting, and style:
    • Evidence and APA.
    • APA Style Paper Tutorial [DOCX].
• Font: Times New Roman font, 12 point, double-spaced for narrative portions only.

Competencies Measured

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and scoring guide criteria:

• Competency 1: Explain the different types of health care research methodologies.
  • Explain a chosen data collection method in the context of a research plan.
  • Describe a contextually valid data collection method.
• Competency 2: Develop a research question based on a hospital-acquired condition.
  • Explain a given research problem in the context of a research plan.
  • Explain a given purpose statement in the context of a research plan.
  • Explain a given research question in the context of a research plan.
• Competency 3: Plan a research project.
  • Explain contextual measurement reliability and validity.
  • Align the separate parts of a research plan into a unified whole.
• Competency 4: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and respectful of the diversity, dignity, and integrity of others and is consistent with the expectations of health care professionals.
  • Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and respectful of the diversity, dignity, and integrity of others and is consistent with expectations for health care professionals.