5. FIGURE 15- 1 Research Plans for Primary,
Secondary, and Tertiary Data Collection
6. Resources for Research
A first step in creating a research plan is to ask:
Are the resources available
– money, time, and collaborators –
adequate for the intended study design?
7. Resources for Research
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.
8. 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
9. 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
10. 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.
11. Funding Rates
Funding rates are often extremely low, and processing
time varies. Waiting for funding can stall projects for
lengthy periods of time.
12. 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
13. 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.
14. 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
15. The “P.I.”
• 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.
17. Research Proposals
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)
20. 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.
21. Research Protocols
Ideally, a 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
22. 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.
