healthcare research methods: designing the study and collecting data

PHC215

By Dr. Khaled Ouanes Ph.D.

E-mail: k.ouanes@seu.edu.sa

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

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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: k.ouanes@seu.edu.sa

Twitter: @khaled_ouanes

HEALTHCARE RESEARCH METHODS

Based on the textbook of introduction to health research methods – K.H. Jacobsen