Philosophical Underpinnings
The philosophy of historical nursing research is grounded in the idea that
historical documents and recordings can be used as research data. In 1948,
Professor Allan Nevis described “the oral history method as the process of
recording the expressed memories of the authorized persons” (Firouzkouhi,
Zargham-Boroujeni, Nouraei, Yousefi, & Holmes, 2013, p. 226). This method
has been useful in qualitative research because it allows persons to share their
mementos, feelings, diaries, photographs, and other data with researchers to
learn more about a phenomenon.
Historical studies have been defined as studies containing narratives using
rigorous historical methods and/or studies that synthesize previous historical
knowledge (Fealy et al., 2013). In examining the history of nursing through
published articles in the Journal of Advanced Nursing from 1976 to 2011, the
authors believed that “for a discipline like nursing, the relevance of historical
scholarship is its ability to demonstrate the particular and distinct contribution
that nursing has made to society through its role in the development of systems
of health care” (Fealy et al., 2013, p. 1882).Method
One unique type of sampling used in this method is called strategic sampling.
This is when the researcher locates a small group of people who were either
witnesses to or participants in the phenomenon being studied. In such a sample,
often no restrictions on age or gender are made except as delineated by the
phenomenon being studied. There is no set sample size, but an accumulation of
facts continues until no new data are obtainable. For example, Harmon (2005)
studied nursing in a state hospital between 1950 and 1965. This researcher used
oral history methods to describe the experiences of eight American nurses
who worked in psychiatric hospitals before and during the introduction of
antipsychotic medications.Data Collection and Management
The major sources of data in historical research are eyewitness accounts and
documentation. Although interviews with participants are possible, partici-
pants would be reflecting on past events, and data would be based on their
recollections. A common criticism of the method is that data may not always
be reliable because data are based on the memories of the participants. Ac-
curate and detailed documentation on the part of the researcher is needed to
maximize credibility. Some of the documentation sources that nurses might
use in historical research include government reports, professional journals,KEY TERM
strategic sampling:
Sampling in
historical research
to locate a small
group of people
who were either
witnesses of or
participants in the
phenomenon being
studied242 CHAPTER 9 Qualitative Designs: Using Words to Provide Evidence