The research tradition of nursing: an emerging issue

Authors have recently questioned the scientific method as the one appropriate model for nursing research. However, when nursing's research tradition is examined, one can see that it has not been limited solely to the scientific method. Both observational and experimental research have been used. The nursing research tradition, which has provided methods for answering questions relevant to the discipline in each historical period, continues to evolve to meet changing demands. The problem is not what research method to use but what research question to ask and how the question can be answered best.