Magee Tracy, Lee Susan M, Giuliano Karen K, Munro Barbara
Department of Maternal Child Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
Nurs Res. 2006 Mar-Apr;55(2 Suppl):S50-6. doi: 10.1097/00006199-200603001-00009.
An unprecedented amount of data from a variety of disciplines containing variables of interest to nursing are available to nurse researchers. In response, the use of large data sets is emerging as a legitimate method that can help facilitate the translation of knowledge to practice.
To explore the spectrum of methodological issues and practical applications encountered by three nurse researchers using secondary data analysis of three existing large data sets as a means to ask new questions and generate new nursing knowledge.
Three research studies using the analysis of three existing large data sets were described. The following are discussed: developing a theoretical framework, selecting an appropriate data set, operationalizing and measuring variables, preparing data for analysis, and identifying threats to validity and reliability.
Although the use of existing data may shorten the time from question to answer, the research process remains the same. The three research studies were used to illustrate conceptual congruence, threats to internal and external validity, and threats to reliability and generalizability.
Data obtained from a variety of disciplines and for a variety of reasons can and should be used to answer nursing practice and research questions. Using existing large data sets offers nurse researchers a unique opportunity to ask and answer questions that can affect how nurses care for patients in a time-effective and cost-efficient manner. Exploring the spectrum of methodological issues and practical applications involved in this work will help guide nurse researchers through the process.
护士研究人员可以获取来自各种学科的前所未有的大量数据，这些数据包含了护理领域感兴趣的变量。作为回应，使用大型数据集正成为一种合理的方法，有助于促进知识向实践的转化。
探讨三位护士研究人员在使用三个现有大型数据集的二次数据分析作为提出新问题和生成新的护理知识的手段时所遇到的一系列方法学问题和实际应用。
描述了三项使用三个现有大型数据集进行分析的研究。讨论了以下内容：构建理论框架、选择合适的数据集、对变量进行操作化和测量、准备数据分析数据以及识别效度和信度的威胁。
尽管使用现有数据可能会缩短从问题提出到答案得出的时间，但研究过程保持不变。这三项研究用于说明概念一致性、内部和外部效度的威胁以及信度和可推广性的威胁。
从各种学科出于各种原因获得的数据能够且应该用于回答护理实践和研究问题。使用现有的大型数据集为护士研究人员提供了一个独特的机会，以提出和回答能够影响护士如何以高效省时且经济有效的方式护理患者的问题。探索这项工作中涉及的一系列方法学问题和实际应用将有助于指导护士研究人员完成这一过程。
