HEALTHCARE RESEARCH METHODS: Designing the Study and Collecting Data
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Transcript of HEALTHCARE RESEARCH METHODS: Designing the Study and Collecting Data
PHC215
By Dr. Khaled Ouanes Ph.D.
E-mail: [email protected]
Twitter: @khaled_ouanes
INTRODUCTION TO
HEALTHCARE RESEARCH
METHODS
Designing the Study and
Collecting Data
Let’s move to step 3 now:
Developing a Proposal & Protocol
Re
sea
rch
Pla
ns fo
r Prim
ary
,
Se
co
nd
ary
, an
d Te
rtiary
Da
ta
Co
llec
tion
Resources for Research
A first step in creating a research plan
is to ask:
Are the resources available
– money, time, and collaborators –
adequate and sufficient for the
intended study design?
Many research projects require little in the way of material resources such as:
Access to a computer with a statistical software program
A decent collection of electronic journals
The cost of photocopying a limited number of questionnaires
However, some primary studies may become quite expensive.
Resources for Research
Money and materials are not the only resources
to consider:
Access to individuals who are willing to contribute their
time, expertise, and/or connections
Access to potential study participants or data sets
Access to laboratory, office, or meeting space
Access to equipment like copying machines
Resources for Research
Funding Sources
Not all research projects require financial support.
Some projects are enhanced by:
Internal grants from a school or employer
External grants from private foundations, corporations, government agencies, or other sources
Budgets
If grant money is sought, the funding proposal must align with the goals of the sponsoring
agency and its typical funding level.
The budget should cover all the essential costs of the research project without being excessive
in its total amount or in any category.
Funding Rates
Funding rates are often extremely low, and processing time varies. Waiting for funding can
stall projects for lengthy periods of time.
Sometimes the funds will never be received and a change of strategy will be needed.
Timelines
Most research proposals include a fairly
detailed anticipated schedule for the planned
research project.
1. Create a list of all the steps from planning the study
through the dissemination of results
2. Create a calendar that shows when each of these
steps is expected to begin and end
3. Set deadlines along the way that will help ensure that
the project stays on track toward timely completion
Roles & Responsibilities
Research projects proceed most smoothly when all research team members have the same understanding about each person’s
roles and responsibilities.
The protocol should include dates for the completion of all tasks and the incentives or reminders to be used to encourage careful
and on-time completion.
The “P.I.”
Universities, hospitals, and other institutions typically
require one researcher to act as the primary investigator
(or principal investigator) and to accept responsibility for
guaranteeing that:
The protocol is followed
Any adverse outcomes are immediately reported to the
institution’s research ethics committee
The budget is properly managed
In some situations the PI is the person doing the greatest amount of work on the project.
However, many institutions require a senior employee (such as a professor) to be designated as the PI on all research project that involves human subjects.
The “P.I.”
Research Proposals
A proposal is usually a request for funding or for supervisory approval.
A proposal needs to have enough details and information stated clearly to maximize
the chances of yielding funding and/or approval.
Most research proposals contain:
A background that explains the project’s importance
A goals statement
A description of the methods that will be used
An analysis plan
A plan for the dissemination of findings
A timeline
A budget
Information about the researcher(s)
Research Proposals
Typical Proposal Content
Typical Proposal Content
Research Protocols
A protocol is a detailed handbook describing all the actions that will be taken during the
implementation of the study.
The research proposal serves as the backbone for developing a very detailed research
protocol.
Ideally, a good protocol should:
Describe all the procedures that will be used for data
collection and analysis
Provide details about the responsibilities of each
member of the research team
List the deadlines for completion of all the steps in the
research process
Describe the mechanism for updating any part of the
research plan, should the need arise after approval of
the initial protocol
Research Protocols
A strong protocol provides enough detail that
another researcher could easily replicate the
study.
It should also be detailed enough that the entire
methods section of any paper that will result from
the project could be written before data collection
begins.
Research Protocols
Citing:
Previous Publications
Referring to Previous Publications
Research reports must provide accurate
reference information for every publication
that is used to support the methods, findings,
and conclusions of a new study.
A typical article in the health sciences refers
to about 20 or 30 other articles published in
peer-reviewed journals. Sometimes the
number is even considerably higher.
Journal articles are the preferred source of evidentiary support for scientific articles.
Books, book chapters, and formal reports are also acceptable.
Fact sheets, websites, and other materials that have not been published in a formal online or print venue by a trusted organization should be cited only when a more reliable and permanent source of information is not available.
Referring to Previous Publications
Characteristics of Formal Scientific
Reports
Citable
Sources
Writing in One’s Own Words
Few scientific articles quote directly from another
source word for word.
Borrowing phrases and sentences from other writers
can make the writing in a document choppy.
Paraphrasing helps ensure that the article being cited
has been understood.
Both quotations and paraphrases require a citation of
the original source.
Examples of
Quoting and
Paraphrasing
Common vs. Specific Knowledge
Specific knowledge = a statistic or the results of a particular field or laboratory study must be cited
Common (general) knowledge = what a typical person in the discipline would know does not need to be cited
Plagiarism
Plagiarism occurs when someone’s wording, thinking, or
creative output is repeated in a new document without
attribution, such as:
Copying the exact words of another person without
using quotation marks and providing a full citation
Paraphrasing a unique theory or observation without
providing a citation
Using an image without permission and an
acknowledgment are all forms of plagiarism
Plagiarism is a major violation of
scholarly integrity, and it can have
a damaging long-term impact on a
professional career.
Plagiarism
Avoiding Plagiarism
Never cut and paste information from a
website, article, or any other source into a
document file that contains any draft
material for an article.
Include a reference in research notes about
any paraphrased observation that will later
require a citation.
Citation Styles
Citations typically appear in 2 formats:
As in-text citations where the sources of
information are briefly identified in the text.
In a reference list at the end of the document
that provides full bibliographic information for
each source.
No one citation style is used in the health sciences.
Most of the journals have their own customized styles.
The goal should be to use a consistent citation and
reference style throughout the document.
Citation Styles
In-Text Citations
In-text citations are abbreviated bits
of information about the cited work
that allow the full reference to be
located in the reference list at the
end of the article.
In-Text Citation Styles
Reference Lists
The reference list at the end of the article
presents cited works either alphabetically by
the first author’s last name or in the order of first
appearance of the cited work in the text of the
article.
When preparing a manuscript for submission to
a journal, check the document carefully for
compliance with the journal’s house style.
For more details check my other presentation:http://www.slideshare.net/khaled_ouanes/presentation
-academicwritingseuhsc2014-41039770
Writing Strategies
Writing Process Challenges
Writers must overcome the barriers to getting started
on a writing project.
Writers must find ways to prolong the period of high
productivity that often occurs at the start of a writing
project.
Writers must find the motivation to persevere and to
complete the manuscript.
Typical Variations in Productivity during
the Writing Process
Getting Started
Scientific papers follow a standard outline.
To begin writing just start filling content into
the outline. Then start filling in the gaps.
The content of the manuscript does not need
to be added in any particular order.
Staying Motivated
Change habits or scenery if lacking motivation.
Build in rewards that celebrate intermediate successes
on the way to a completed paper.
Writing 100 words a day will lead to a completed first
draft of a manuscript in less than two months.
Setting up a weekly meeting with an advisor or a
writing group may also help with staying on track.
Conquering Writer’s Block
Writer’s block occurs when a negative thought cycle
develops around underlying issues such as fear of
being judged and fear of failure.
Writers with writer’s block need to initiate new
behaviors to facilitate success.
Writer’s block can be overcome only when an aspiring
writer makes writing time a priority.
Remember that no paper is perfect.
Final Drafts
An imperfect study can still result in a good manuscript!
A good paper:
Fully explains the actual methods used.
Provides all the appropriate analyses.
Includes a helpful set of references that support the
results.
Presents polished prose.
Honestly identifies the limitations of the study and
explains what was done to address them.
Forms of Writer’s Block
PHC215
By Dr. Khaled Ouanes Ph.D.
E-mail: [email protected]
Twitter: @khaled_ouanes
HEALTHCARE RESEARCH METHODS
Based on the textbook of introduction to health research methods – K.H. Jacobsen