Philosophical and methodological perspective in developing nursing knowledge through research in diabetes

The development of nursing knowledge through research is crucial for its discipline. It is notable to understand the philosophical view of the researcher in conducting the study; in particular advanced analysis, the method would generate advanced nursing knowledge. Philosophical approaches to knowledge development in ontological, epistemological, and axiological contexts were addressed. Developing new knowledge requires the nurse to understand the nature, source, and ways to access the knowledge. Some philosophical approaches are discussed, including post-positivism, interpretative, humanistic, naturalistic, and critical approaches. Thus, different methods for acquiring knowledge, from observation to intervention studies which are underlying philosophies in nursing for addressing huge nursing phenomena, could enrich the nursing body of knowledge. Great use of evidence-based nursing knowledge leads to improved nursing practice quality. This review discusses the philosophical approach for researchers to use as a foundation for their study of the exemplar of diabetes mellitus. Keywords: Research method; diabetes; philosophical inquiry; nursing knowledge; nursing developments