Purpose of Random Blocking design?uses two groups pre-test/post-test pattern or the two group post test pattern with the addition of a blocking variable. The blocking variable can confound the findings if not controlled. to prevent this the subjects are rank ordered in relation to the blocking variable. Ex. the study of effectiveness of a treatment to relieve post chemo nausea was the independent variable, severity of nausea could confound the findings. So you would put them into rank order according to severity of nausea then you would randomly assign them to the two groups, control and intervention.Difference between descriptive and experimental designsDescriptive designs may be used to develop theory, identify problems with current practice, provide a picture of situations as they naturally happen. Variables are not manipulated and there is no treatment or intervention. Does not establish causality. Experimental examine causality more closely. Three essential elements of experimental are; randomization, researcher controlled manipulation of the independent variable, and researcher control of the experimental situation, including a control or comparison group. Role conflicts for nurses when doing researchConflict between being a nurse researcher and a clinician, sometimes the nurse can be to involved during the collection of data which can alter the event or bias the results. How can you demonstrate synthesis of Literature in a lit reviewBy developing a logical argument that supports the research problem you intend to address and by making connections between ideas, theories, and experience to develop an overallpersonal view of the topic.Strategies to Max sample representivenessEnsure sample be representative in relation to the variables you are studying and to other factors that may influence the study variables. The accessible population must be representative of the target population. Difference between random sample and random assign to groupsRandom sampling refers to every member of the population has a probability greater thanzero of being selected from the sample. Random assign to groups the sample was not chosen randomly but were assigned to groups randomly so not every element of the population has an equal chance at being selected.2 Steps to prepare data for entry into a data basedata must be checked and problems corrected prior to initiating the data entry phase. What does blinded meanWhere either the patient or those providing care to the patient are unaware whether the patient is in the experimental group or the control groupPurpose of Lit reviewAnalysis and synthesis of research sources to generate a picture of what is known and notknown about a particular situation or problemDifference between theoretical and empirical literature theoretical literature consist of concept anaylsis, models, theories, and conceptual frameworks that support a selected research problem and purpose where empirical lit comprises knowledge derived from research. Why is external validity important to researchBecause it is the extent to which the study findings can be generalized beyond the study sample. 3 Types of relational statementsConcurrent- when A changes, B changes at the same time. Symetrical- As A changes B changes, As B changes A changes. Causal- If A occurs, B always occursDefine exclusion criteriaCharacteristics of a element or person that cause them to be excluded from the target population.Exclusion criteria can limit the generalization of the study so should be carefully considered before using in the study. Researchers need to provide logical reasons for exclusions also and certain groups should not be excluded without justification, like minorities, women, elderly etc..What is the purpose of a longitudinal designPanel designs used to examine changes in the same subjects over an extended period of timeWhy are relational subjects important in frameworks for researchAre essential for constructing an integrated framework for guiding study design. The relationships expressed in the framework will direct the development of the study’s objectives, questions, or hypothesis. What are pre-test and post-test designs used forA non-equivalent comparison design used to examine difference between pre-test and post test, diff between comparison and experimental pretest and post test.What is refusal and attrition rateThe refusal rate is the percentage of subjects who decided not to participate in a study. Attrition rate is the number and percentage of subjects or participants that drop out of the study before its completed which creates a threat to the study’s internal validityHow do you control for extraneous variablesby including random sampling, random assign to groups, selecting subjects who are homogeneous in terms of a particular variable, selecting a heterogeneous sample, blocking, stratification, matching subjects between groups in relation to a particular variable, and statisticalcontrol.Advantages of a crossover design More than one treatment can be administered, they are provided sequentially, then comparisons are made of the effects of different treatments on the same subject. Subjects are randomly assigned to a specific sequencing of treatment conditions toprevent carryover effects. How do you deal with serendipitous findingsRecord them in a journal, but do not include themDefine reliability as it applies to measurement toolsA measurement tool is reliable if it gives the same result each time the same situation or factor is measured. How do researchers decide which variables to explore in correlational studiesBy deciding whether to describe a relationship, predict a relationship among variables, ortest the relationships proposed by a theoretical proposition or model. Example of a treatment diffusion in an experimental studycontrol group gaining access to the treatment intended for the experimental groupDifference between comparison and control groupsThe control and comparison group are essentially the same thing, neither receive the experimental treatment. Some nurse researchers refer to groups that receive standard care but notthe experimental treatment, the comparison group rather than the control