» Data collection takes a significant amount of time and resources when conducting research.
Pilot studies can help identify unexpected problems.
» Quantitative data collection methods involve measurements that gather numbers.
» Questionnaires, observation, scales, and physiological measures are data collection methods
used in quantitative studies.
» There are four levels of measurement: nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio. Statistical tests used
in data analysis are selected based on the level of measurement.
» All measurement contains error. There are two types of error: random and systematic.RAPID REVIEW
True/False- When collecting data via the Internet, the rights of human subjects can be ignored
because the Web is a public domain. - Nurses should not speculate about the treatments subjects receive in a blinded RCT.
- Data collection instruments should have codes rather than subject names to ensure
anonymity.
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE 10-5
How did you do? 1. F; 2. T; 3. TApply What You Have Learned
The work by your EBP committee is progressing. Now, the focus shifts to how researchers
collected data about hand hygiene compliance. For the articles inserted into your grid, enter
information in the outcomes and time columns. What do you notice about how researchers
measure hand hygiene? Read the articles by Whitby and McLaws (2007) and Dyson et al. (2013)
to explore challenges of measuring hand hygiene compliance.280 CHAPTER 10 Collecting Evidence