Research

1. • LITERATURE REVIEW
• Key areas:
• • Spell out research question
• • State research hypothesis
• • Formulate objectives

2. • The life cycle of research:
• Identify data needs
• Spell out the research question
• Formulate the study objectives
• Plan the analysis
• Prepare data collection instruments
• Analyse data
• Draw conclusions
• Formulate recommendations
• Inform the stakeholders
• Collect data

3. • What is a research question?
• • Uncertainty about something in the population
• • Clear question facilitates design, inclusion, outcomes

4. • Refining ideas into research questions:
• • Begins with general uncertainty
• • Narrows down to concrete issue

5. • Translating uncertainty:
• • Specific terms
• • One issue
• • Everyday language
• • Link question to action
• • Must be stated as a question

6. • Sources of research questions:
• • Literature review
• • Conferences
• • Skepticism
• • New technologies
• • Observation & teaching
• • Mentors

7. • Two categories:
• • Descriptive questions
• • Analytical questions

8. • Steps in conceiving research question:
• 1. Review information
• 2. Raise question
• 3. Peer-review worth
• 4. Define exposures & outcomes
• 5. Sharpen question
• 6. Refine with details

9. • Example steps:
• Exercise & blood sugar example
• Sharpening and refining question

10. • Good research question – FINER:
• Feasible
• Interesting
• Novel
• Ethical
• Relevant

11. • Hypothesis:
• • Specific version of research question
• • Sample, exposure, outcome
• • Only for analytical questions

12. • Example hypothesis:
• Among diabetics… brisk walking daily… reduces fasting blood sugar by 10 mg%
compared with non-walkers

13. • Characteristics of good hypothesis:
• • Simple
• • Specific
• • Stated in advance

14. • Translating questions to objectives:
• • Frame scientifically
• • One verb
• • Primary vs secondary objectives

15. • Descriptive vs analytical objectives:
• • Estimate vs Determine

16. • Good and bad examples of objectives
• (Rewritten appropriately)

17. • Asking yourself the right question:
• • If wrong question → no hard work will save it
• • If right → you can do a good job