Multidisciplinarity in nursing research: a challenge for today's doctoral student

Doctorally prepared nurses entering today's research environment must be adept at transcending the research chasm that exists across disciplines and within nursing and be prepared to play leadership roles in multidisciplinary and nursing research. In order to fulfill these roles and meet the need for well-educated nurse scientists, doctoral students must be exposed to research from a multidisciplinary perspective and be able to think across disciplines so as to become familiar with the differences in design language. This paper compares research terminology across the disciplines of epidemiology, psychology, and nursing based on a sample of four research textbooks. It is apparent that although similarities exist, there is also diversity in the language used in research. Doctoral students preparing for comprehensive examinations must avoid becoming caught up in semantics and instead focus on the broad issues with each of the designs. With that knowledge, students will be not only more successful in their examinations but also more effective as leaders in nursing and multidisciplinary research.