LESSON 4

Topic 4. Sources of Information and Bibliographic Review. Documentary Information And Field Information.

KEY WORDS: Bibliography, questionnaire, interview, observation, advantages and disadvantages.

1. DOCUMENTARY SOURCES:

• PRIMARY: direct manuscripts.

• SECONDARY DOCUMENTARY SOURCES: are databases, which can be in any type of format; Catalogs, lists, databases in network... (the databases in network are: medline, cinhal, scopus, enfispo). They are secondary sources that allow me to access primary sources.

2. PROCEDURE:

- Bibliographic search by "boolean" systems.

- Selection of Thesaurus descriptors

- Search system selection.

- Texts published until the last 10 years.

- Reading results, title, author /s, descriptors (keywords), magazine location, language and summary.

v DIRECT OBSERVATION

It is the most reliable method. It is a visual record of what happens in a real situation. We can only do it with those variables that are observable, such as the evolution of a wound or an ulcer. Observational errors are often made.

• Observers:

- Participant observation: If the observer interferes or participates too much in his technique of operation can influence what is being investigated.

- The non-participant observation: The ideal is that the observer does not participate, since this does not influence the response.

• Instrument used.

The instrument used in the observation is not very reliable and causes an error.

- Simple observation: Not controlled, not regulated: observational-descriptive studies. It is not intended to compare groups.

- Systematic observation: Regulated. Controlled what and how it is observed. It is mainly used to compare hypotheses, it takes data from some groups and others.

• Observed Phenomenon: There are differences in the units of study; Variability of circumstances; Variability of subjects. There are subjects that are not easy to observe.

v  INTERVIEWS

Usually you have more open questions, there is usually no support for response, it is the researcher who poses the questions you want. They are not answered in writing, there is an interaction. Statistical data can not be extracted, so it is used in qualitative research.

Interview: Structured, the questions are clear and always the same.

       Semi-structured.

       Unstructured, there is no script of questions but a series of topics that the researcher uses                      to extract information.

v QUESTIONNAIRE

An instrument that uses a printed document.

It can be: Telephone, mail or manual delivery.

Reliability: 0.6 - 0.8 acceptable

                   > 0.8 very good

                   > 0.9 Excellent