Nursing Research Q36
Why is it important to understand the philosophy underlying each type of research?
A. Conclusions reached should be congruent with the research question.
B. The research method that best meets the intended purpose of the study should be used.
C. The paradigm of the method should be the same as that of the researcher.
D. The reader should understand the level of abstraction of the study.
Correct Answer: B. The research method that best meets the intended purpose of the study should be used.
Different research methods accomplish different goals and offer different types and levels of evidence that inform practice. Given these three points, the first point as proposed by Easterby-Smith et al (2012) understanding the research philosophies helps the researcher to highlight and specify the best suitable methods for the study at hand.
Option A: The point is focused on having insights into the research paradigm which helps the researcher to have the foreknowledge of possible research limitations pertaining to the research methodology employed.
Option C: In any research process, it is very important for the researcher to understand the research philosophies or the paradigms that contribute and add to research quality and creativity (Easterby-Smith et al (2012).
Option D: The ontological and the epistemological positions of the researcher influence his or her choice of what data to collect, how to collect and analyze the data, the meanings to make the data, and the extent of the generalizability of research findings.