Protocol and Thesis Writing
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Transcript of Protocol and Thesis Writing
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Overview of Protocol and Thesis
Writing
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Why research?
Advancement of medical science
Understanding of published research
Requirement for post-graduation
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Two essential ingredients of research
Curiosity Training
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Steps in conduct of research
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Identify the area of research
Broad area depends on the specialty of post-
graduation
Specific research question based on
Interest of supervisor/ student
Facilities/ funds available
Patient profile (in case of clinical research)
Duration of research
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FINER criteria for good research
question
F Feasible Adequate number of subjects
Adequate technical expertise Affordable in time and money
Manageable in scope
I Interesting To the investigator, peers and community
N Novel Confirms, refutes or extends previous findings
E Ethical Should be ethically acceptable
R Relevant To scientific knowledge
To clinical and health policy
To future research
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Finding the current knowledge
Literature review
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Primary literature
Research papers
Original data
Peer reviewed
Case studies
Normally peer reviewed
Conference proceedings Sometimes reviewed, sometimes not
Often preliminary data
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Secondary literature
Review articles
Information about primary sources
Compilation or synthesis of ideas and data
Should be reasonably objective (although often
arent)
Usually peer reviewed
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Tertiary literature
TextbooksPresent science theory rather than
contributing to it
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Look for the missing links
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How to write a literature review
Styles of writing review of literature
Chronological
Conceptual Methodological
Introduce the topic
Give important and relevant background information
Review the methods used in earlier studies
Review the results and conclusions of those studies
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Example
Basic principles of carcinogenesis
Cancer epidemiology
Migration studies
Fruit consumption and cancer risk
Chemoprevention
Dietary components (fat, fiber, micronutrients)
Mechanisms of chemoprevention
Examples
Methods for preparing/ standardizing extracts
Rationale for testing in animal model
Title: Cancer chemoprevention by Grape Seed and
Cranberry extract
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Review of literature is NOT annotated
bibliography
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Framing the research question,
hypothesis, aim and objectives
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PICO method
Eg. Problem/ patient Intervention Comparator Outcome
1 In patients with
bed sores
Does hydrocolloid
dressing
Compared to
gauze dressing
Give greater
patient comfort?
2 In patients afterlumbar puncture
Does 6 hour bedrest
Compared to 24hour bed rest
Increaseheadache?
3 In a rural hospital Does ambulatory
care unit
Compared to no
unit
Reduce the patient
load?
Framing the research question
Framing the hypothesis
1. Hydrocolloid dressing gives greater comfort to the patient
when compared to gauze dressing
2. Six hour bed rest after lumbar puncture does not increase the
risk of headache
3. ?
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Aim and objectives
Term Definition Example
Aim General research
question
To compare antibiotics X & Y for surgical
wound prophylaxis
Primary
objective
Specific statements
Sample size calculated
on this objective
1. Compare in inguinal hernia repair
2. Compare in inguinal versus neck
surgery
Secondary
objective
Additional information
to be generated
1. Compare cost of treatment
2. Compare the adverse effects of X & Y
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Methods
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When (x date to y date)
Where ( Department and Institution)
Type of study Prospective/ Retrospective
Descriptive/ Analytical
Observational/ Interventional
Population (subjects of the study) Inclusion & exclusion criteria
Control/ comparison group
Randomization, how?
Details of intervention/ methods
Outcome measures
Analysis/ statistical methods
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Introduction
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Structure of Introduction
Most general information at the top
Specific information at the bottom
Lacuna in the current status of knowledge
How you will approach the problem
C l t f di i d d t b t t d t 6
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Complementary feeding is recommended to be started at 6
months along with continued breastfeeding
Malnutrition sets in usually at 6-12 months in many
children. Poor intake from complementary foods is theusual reason for malnutrition
Breast milk and complementary foods given together
interfere with each others intake. Energy density,
frequency and consistency believed to be important
determinants of this relation
Studies have established optimal energy
density and frequency of complimentary feed.
No recommendation about the consistency
Lead the reader from the knownto the unknown
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Deciding the title of the study
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Brief and informative (12-15 word) Important words towards the beginning
May include research hypothesis, study
population, research design Do not include place and period of study
Use PICO + Study design format
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Example
Title: A randomized placebo controlled double blindcrossover trial of local application of nitroglycerine
in healing of fissure in ano
Design Patient Intervention Control Outcome
A
randomized
double blind
crossover
trial
fissure in
ano
local
application of
nitroglycerine
placebo
controlled
healing of
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References
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Why are references necessary? Gives credibility
Avoids plagiarism Vancouver style is preferred
Ensure all citations in main text have acorresponding reference
Reference only those articles which you haveread
Prefer current articles
Include indigenous research papers
Reference vs Bibliography
Referencing software: Endnote, Refworks
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Results
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Aim of Results section
Presents
Main data collected
Analyses and interprets results
Guides the reader through the questions
investigated
Sets the stage for discussion in the next
section
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Analyzing and interpreting results
Determine the relevant data
Results relevant to the research questions
Important
Present all relevant data, whether they support thehypothesis or not
Outcome of every item mentioned in the material andmethods should be presented (and vice versa)
Analysis includes descriptive statistics and resultsof statistical tests
Do not present raw data
Do not discuss the data
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Handling Tables and Figures
Decide the best way of presenting analyzed
dataText, table, figure or graph
Do not duplicate the same data, presenting it
in a different way
Each table or figure must be referenced in
text, which must highlight key resultscontained in these
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Writing The Results Section
Introduce the result section mentioning
The objective and rationale of the research
Broad reference to the methodology
Sequence of tables and figures is usually
In the order of methodology
Should be written in past tense
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When To Present Data In A Table?
Precise numerical data rather than proportion
or trends
Large numbers of related data
Complex information that would be clearer in
a table than in text form or graph
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When To Present Data In Graphs
Show trends and patterns in data (not
otherwise)
Reveal relations between variables
Make a visual impact
Used for extensive or complicated data
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Compare
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Graph preferred over table
Economic activity rate
Czech Republic, 2008
Age (years) Women Men
15-19 6.3 8.420-24 44.4 60.8
25-29 66.4 90.9
30-34 66.0 96.8
35-39 80.0 97.6
40-44 91.0 96.5
45-49 92.5 94.6
50-54 87.7 91.7
55-59 55.7 84.8
60-64 15.1 40.7
65-69 6.5 13.3
70+ 2.5 5.9
Source: UNECE Statistical Database
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My busy chart
10
25
15
0
10
20
30
A B C
Series1 My clearer chart
10
15
25
0
10
20
30
A B C
A good and a bad chart
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Discussion
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Objectives of discussion
Explain your findings
Compare with other similar research
Discuss important differences
Identify limitation of the study
Direction for future studies
Follow the same sequence as results
Each paragraph
Begins with result
Ends with explanation/ recommendation
Has comparison with other studies in the middle
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Example
Result: Thirteen out of 60 (21%) premature babies developed
retinopathy of prematurity (ROP)
Beginning Middle End
At 21%, the incidence of
ROP in this study was
lower than that
described in the
literature.
Other studies from India
have reported incidences
as high as 37-41%.2,3,6,9
These studies, conducted
in well established NICUs,include babies that are
smaller and younger than
those seen in our
nursery.
Thus, every nursery could
conduct audits, and
establish their own
screening criteria for
early diagnosis of ROP.
Discussion:
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Conclusion
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Move from specific (your research) to general
Summarize
What was learned based on the aim and
objectives
What remains to be learned
Limitations of what was done
Benefits, advantages, applications of the research,and recommendations
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Thesis title: Masters theses from a University Medical
College: publication in indexed scientific journals
Specific Less specific General
Publication rates of theses
related research conducted
in a University medical
college, and factors
promoting publication, were
studied.
Only thirty percent of theses
were published in indexed,peer reviewed journals.
None of the factors that we
studied had a significant role
in encouraging publication.
This study was performed in
the local setting of one
medical college in India.
Though each institution is
unique, the malaise is global.
Thus, the findings might be
useful when considering
interventions in PG training.
Perhaps institutional
endorsement, and reward
for published work may help.
Example
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Annexures
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Consent form
Patient information sheet
Data entry sheet
Master chart
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Summary of the talk
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Steps in conduct of research
Steps How
Identify the area of research Self interest, guided, FINER
method
Find the current knowledge in that area Review the literature
Identify the lacunae in the current knowledge Identify the missing links
Frame the research question/ Title PICO methodDecide the methodology Feasibility
Write the introduction General to specific
Write the references Vancouver style
Compile the results Text, tables, figures
Discuss the results Compare, discuss
Summarize the research Specific to general
Annexures Consent, Patient information
sheet, data entry form, master
chart
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Thank You!
Questions are welcome