Previously, we
considered theories and that they should lead to predictions. Now we take it to
the next step and use those predictions to develop research questions. We
examined the patient-by-treatment-context interactive model of Christensen and
Johnson (2002), and we predicted it is the primary health provider (PHP) who is
the determining factor, so if the PHP is understanding of a patient's
nontraditional medical beliefs, it should increase vaccination use. Now we can develop a research question based
on the prediction.
RQ1: What is the
relationship between PHP's support of patients' nontraditional medical beliefs
and patients' use of vaccinations?
To
use this research question we would need to have a way to measure "PHP's
support of patients' nontraditional medical beliefs" and also a way to
measure the patients' beliefs. If you are able to find such measurement tools
in the literature, great! You could do a quantitative study measuring PHPs'
support, patients' beliefs, and the actual use of vaccinations. However, let us
say you could not find such measurement tools. You have a couple of choices: 1)
develop your own measures or 2) do a qualitative study to examine the opinions of
both patients and PHPs. This last choice would require two new research
questions.
RQ2: What are PHPs' opinions about
patients' nontraditional medical beliefs and vaccinations?
RQ3: What are patients', with
nontraditional medical beliefs, opinions about their PHPs and vaccinations?
Here is how we went
about this process:
Literature review led to Theory led to Predictions
led to Research Questions led to
Research Method
Notice,
I did not start with the method, rather I let the theory, predictions, and
research questions determine the appropriate research method to use.
Next time I will post
an updated blog index. Do you have an issue or a question that you would like me
to discuss in a future post? Send me an email with your ideas.
leann.stadtlander@waldenu.edu
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