Answered By: Linda Neyer
Last Updated: Feb 07, 2022     Views: 4

The search terms being used by a nursing student were retrieving mostly quality improvement studies, while the requirement was to find research studies. We found an article that helped us define the difference between the two studies: "Differentiating Between Research and Quality Improvement," by Katherine Gregory (Journal of Perinatal and Neonatal Nursing, April/June 2015, Volume 29, Number 2, pages 100 - 102, DOI: 10.1097/JPN.0000000000000107, open access). The differences can be quite subtle, but one of the primary differences is that QI studies tend to be more focused on a specific institution, applying a known solution to a specific problem or process, while research studies tend to focus more on developing knowledge rather than applying it and often involve multiple sites or institutions. For this reason, QI studies are usually not generalizable as are research studies. By using less specific, more generic search terms in this case, the student was able to finally identify some research studies, using Google Scholar.

Related Topics

    Live chat