Investigación formativa: Análisis conceptual en el contexto de la enfermería

Abstract

Introduction: The formative research (FR) concept has been reported in diverse disciplinary publications. However, there is still no consensus on this concept and there are not enough scientific publications to standardize and define its use. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the background and essential attributes of the concept of FR and to analyze its application in the field of scientific inquiry in nursing. Methods: The conceptual analysis was carried out in eight stages: I) selection of the concept, II) determine the purpose of analysis III) identify the use of the concept, IV) determine the defining attributes, V) construction of a model case, VI) construction of additional cases, VII) identify antecedents and VIII) define empirical referents. Results: Five essential attributes were identified from the analysis of 35 articles and five disciplinary texts. Formative research as: research design (n = 13; 37,1%), phase of an intervention (n = 10; 28,1%), educational research (n = 5; 14,2%), strategy for teaching research (n = 4; 11,4%) and formative evaluation (n =3; 9,2%). Conclusion: The findings identified in this study are in line with the epistemological tenets of nursing, showing the way in which FR has been developed in the discipline. Additionally, the operational definition of FR opens a field of scientific enquiry in nursing. This result enhances the use of this concept as an essential element in educational and clinical practice in nursing.