Nursing Research Using Historical Methods

This book is a concise, step-by-step guide to conducting qualitative nursing research using various forms of historical analysis. The chapters in the book on historical research reflect the array of methods including autobiography, biography, oral history, and document review. The authors are experts in collecting historical data and their first-person accounts convey the richness of the designs. There are many ways to approach historical research. The different frameworks social, feminist, policy, biographical, or economic can shape the way the historical study develops. Each of these types of frameworks helps the researcher develop questions and explore the phenomenon under study. Written by a noted qualitative research scholar and contributing experts, the book describes the philosophical basis for conducting research using historical analysis and delivers an in-depth plan for applying its methodologies to a particular study, including appropriate methods, ethical considerations, and potential challenges. It presents practical strategies for solving problems related to the conduct of research using the various forms of analysis and presents a rich array of case examples from published nursing research. These include author analyses to support readers in decision making regarding their own projects. The book provides a variety of examples of historical method studies, on topics such as mental health research, working with Navajo communities, World War II evacuation nursing, and many others. Focused on the needs of both novice researchers and specialists, it will be of value to health institution research divisions, in-service educators and students, and graduate nursing educators and students.