Coding, analysis, and dissemination of study results.(Demystifying Nursing Research)

Publication: Urologic Nursing

Publication Date: 01-JUN-04

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COPYRIGHT 2004 Jannetti Publications, Inc.

A discussion of coding and analyzing data and dissemination of study results is the eighth and final article in this series of quantitative research methods for the Demystifying Nursing Research column. In each of the articles, emphasis has been on the basic aspects of conducting a clinical research study for inexperienced researchers. It is hoped that the material will be useful and inspire nurses to embark on their own studies in order to increase nursing knowledge about the many areas in clinical nursing for which we need answers.

Coding Data

Coding refers to assigning data numbers so that data can be entered into a computer program in an interpretable manner for analysis. Some data such as weight or blood pressure are already numeric and do not need to be given other numbers to be interpreted by the computer. Other data such as level of disability must be given numbers (for example, independent = 1, partial dependence = 2, complete dependence = 3). If respondents can check more than one response to a particular question, these should be individually coded as yes or no. For instance, if respondents are given a list of medications and asked to check all that they are taking, each of the medications should have a code of 1 = yes, 2 = no. If respondents have left items blank or said they didn't know, code these with...

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