Validity in Quantitative Research Designs Essay

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

Research validity is an important factor that affects the outcomes and usefulness of scientific studies. Researchers have to create a setting that will support different types of validity to produce results that are real, logical, coherent, and appropriate for being used in real life. One can consider four types of validity: internal, external, statistical conclusion, and construct (Polit & Beck, 2017). All four of them are important as they support different spheres of the study’s usability and effectiveness. However, the intention of scholars to enhance a certain type of validity also has an impact on other ones. This effect can be both positive and negative. Using the study “Effectiveness of an Aspiration Risk-Reduction Protocol” by Metheny, Davis-Jackson, and Stewart (2010), the possible flaws in internal validity are described below along with strategies for improvement and outcomes to nurses’ neglect of validity.

The Study’s Validity Concerns

Internal validity can be compromised in a variety of ways. Polit and Beck (2017) state that internal validity in quantitative research is the extent to which external influences affect the causality of the study’s events. Metheny et al. (2010), for example, discuss the possible impact of the ARRP (Aspiration Risk Reduction Protocol) on critically-ill patients with mechanical ventilation who receive tube feedings. To assess the usefulness of this program, which is based on educating nurses about particular monitoring techniques, scholars collected data from one hospital at different points in time. The first group of participants was studied from 2002 to 2004, while the second was examined in the period from 2007 to 2008. During the years between data acquisitions, the hospitals’ ICU nurses were trained to document information about the patient’s head-of-bed elevation, insert feeding tubes, and assess high volumes of gastric residuals.

One possible concern linked to the study’s internal validity is the lack of data about nurses’ skills working with the first group. For example, while in the intervention group nurses were asked to keep the patients’ beds at a certain angle, those professionals’ level of knowledge in the first group was never defined. Thus, they could follow the same procedures without any specific training. Moreover, the difference between the two sample groups also threatens internal validity because one group was significantly larger than the other and was stationed in the hospital multiple years earlier. Thus, this study may be subject to some concerns regarding its validity.

In order to improve the research’s validity, one can create specific environments for both groups, where nurses’ actions are easily documented in both samples. This change may enhance the construct validity as well because it will show that the new intervention is being implemented accordingly. Statistical conclusion integrity may also be positively impacted because the changes would be more transparent than before. External validity, however, might be threatened because the study’s environment would be highly controlled, preventing its outcomes from being easily generalized.

Conclusion

Different types of validity are linked to the coherence of studies. The research by Metheny et al. (2010) reveals such concerns as the lack of available data and the ambiguity of compared variables. Thus, it is possible that some other variables such as the nurses’ prior experience might have affected the study’s outcomes. Moreover, as the two groups were studied at different times, the results also become questionable. The scholars could create a more controlled environment which would benefit all types of validity except the external one. Such attention to validity is important for nurses who seek to utilize studies’ findings. If they neglect to assess the validity of research, they may fail to recognize possible external influences and inconsistencies between theory and practice.

References

Metheny, N. A., Davis-Jackson, J., & Stewart, B. J. (2010). Effectiveness of an aspiration risk-reduction protocol. Nursing Research, 59(1), 18-25.

Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2017). Nursing research: Generating and assessing evidence for nursing practice (10th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2021, July 5). Validity in Quantitative Research Designs. https://ivypanda.com/essays/validity-in-quantitative-research-designs/

Work Cited

"Validity in Quantitative Research Designs." IvyPanda, 5 July 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/validity-in-quantitative-research-designs/.

References

IvyPanda. (2021) 'Validity in Quantitative Research Designs'. 5 July.

References

IvyPanda. 2021. "Validity in Quantitative Research Designs." July 5, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/validity-in-quantitative-research-designs/.

1. IvyPanda. "Validity in Quantitative Research Designs." July 5, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/validity-in-quantitative-research-designs/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Validity in Quantitative Research Designs." July 5, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/validity-in-quantitative-research-designs/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1