Nursing Research Design - Essay Example

Appropriate Research Design

A correlational research method is the most appropriate for the three questions selected.

Strengths

A correlational research design is easy to use. In fact, besides qualitative research, a correlational method offers the most convenient research design for amateur, professional and semi-professional users. Using this design, it is easy to establish whether or not two or more variables are related, as well as if it is worth probing that relationship further (Jackson, 2014). Unlike other methods, a correlational design supports the use of preexisting data, and if a correlation is established the researcher can investigate its genesis and justification. Preexisting data may include, for example, a vehicle’s fuel consumption during the first year of usage versus its horsepower in its fifth year of usage. A correlational design offers clear and relevant descriptions of the merits of the relationship between two or more variables (Parahoo, 2014). By expressing relationships as known numbers, researchers can understand and apply for those numbers.

Weaknesses

The biggest weakness associated with correlational designs is that they are not equivalent to causation (Martella & Nelson, 2013). This implies that it is misleading to think that one variable directly causes another variable because of a third anonymous (mediating) variable influences the simultaneous changing of both variables. The other major weakness associated with a correlational design is that its relationships are prone to misuse (Parahoo, 2014). Since establishing correlations between variables suggests little other than that there is a relationship, it is very challenging to draw accurate inferences about the geneses of the relationship. Researchers, media agencies, and even government institutions are fond of making unsubstantiated assertions based on relationships that appeal to the public and justify arguments. However, in reality, such relationships could have completely different implications (Jackson, 2014).

The rationale for a Correlational Research Design

All three questions feature relationships between variables. In this particular situation, a correlational design is appropriate because some of the independent variables (e.g., age) are difficult to manipulate. Also, it would be unethical to alter some of the independent variables (e.g., use of soap and water or alcohol-based rubs, use of influenza vaccine, and exercise). In all three questions, it is unethical, as a researcher, to manipulate the independent variables. Instead, it would be better to study various estimates of the variables as they already occur in the sample. Finally, the nature of the three questions is to measure variables instead of manipulating them. Barring the possibility that they have manipulations integrated into them (e.g., controlling the wording of a question to determine whether it affects how it is answered), they are fundamentally correlational research designs with multiple variables. The analysis will involve explaining the results generated by each question and the correlations between those variables (Martella & Nelson, 2013).