KNOWLEDGE DEVELOPMENT IN NURSING: EMERGENCE OF A PARADIGM.
Contributors: University of Minnesota.
Published: 1989
Number of pages: 285
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: The purpose of this study was to clarify the present stage of knowledge development for the discipline of nursing. Citation analysis techniques were used to examine the reference lists from a random sample of 310 nursing doctoral dissertations having a practice focus. Highly cited references were analyzed to discern patterns indicative of a paradigm for nursing research.

A low incidence (1.28) of multiple citings of each distinct reference was identified. Only 43 of 26,744 distinct references were cited frequently enough to be statistically significant. Usage of the highly cited references was spread widely among the doctoral programs represented in the sample.

Among the 43 highly cited references were the nursing theories of Rogers (1970) and Orem (1980). Also among them were several references to research methodology books. Only three of the 43 highly cited references were to research reports written by nurse researchers, a finding contrary to those in studies of disciplines with well developed research paradigms. Social support emerged as the single construct of interest in these three nursing research reports. Those in the study sample who cited social support references comprised 15% of the total sample, but they accounted for 20% of the references to other highly cited documents. However, none of these other references was cited by more than 40% of those citing social support references.

It is concluded that the discipline of nursing at present is at a pre-paradigm state of knowledge development. However, because the construct of social support has emerged in the reference lists of recently completed nursing doctoral dissertations, it is believed that a paradigm which will guide future nursing research is beginning to emerge.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 50-08, Section: B, page: 3408.

Thesis (PH.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA, 1989.

School code: 0130.