This document is a lecture on introductory health research. It defines research as a systematic investigation to gain new knowledge. It discusses how to define a research project by considering the five W's: what, why, who, where, when. It also explains the research cycle, which involves identifying ideas, prioritizing topics, designing the study, obtaining funding, managing the research, recruiting participants, collecting and analyzing data, publishing findings, and applying the results. Finally, it outlines four purposes of research: to gain new insights, describe characteristics, determine frequencies, and test hypotheses.

1. Research Methodology and
Evidence Based Healthcare (EBHC481)
INTRODUTCTION TO
HEALTH RESEARCH
WRITTEN AND COMPILED BY DR. EMAN ABD ALHALIM MD, PHD
1
Lecture 2
Level 8
Year 4

2. Research Methodology and
Evidence Based Healthcare (EBHC481)
OBJECTIVES
• Define the research
• Explain how to define your research
• Discuss the five ‘Ws’
• Describe the research cycle
• Explain purpose of research
WRITTEN AND COMPILED BY DR. EMAN ABD ALHALIM MD, PHD
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3. Research Methodology and
Evidence Based Healthcare (EBHC481)
Meaning of Research
• Word ‘Research’ is comprises of two words = Re + Search. It means
to search again. So research means a systematic investigation or
activity to gain new knowledge of the already existing facts.
• Research is an intellectual activity. It is responsible for bringing to
light new knowledge. It is also responsible for correcting the
present mistakes, removing existing misconceptions and adding
new learning to the existing fund of knowledge.
WRITTEN AND COMPILED BY DR. EMAN ABD ALHALIM MD, PHD
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4. Research Methodology and
Evidence Based Healthcare (EBHC481)
How to Define Your Project
• Why have I decided to do some research?
 It is important to stay interested in what you’re doing if you are
to complete your project successfully.
• How can I remain interested in my research?
 You must be creative and think about something which will
fascinate you. However, if you have had the topic chosen for you,
try instead choosing a research method which interests you.
WRITTEN AND COMPILED BY DR. EMAN ABD ALHALIM MD, PHD
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5. Research Methodology and
Evidence Based Healthcare (EBHC481)
How to Define Your Project
• What skills and experience do I have which might help in my
research?
If your research is to be employment based, the chances are you
will have work experience which you’ll find useful when conducting
your research project. This is valid experience and you should make
the most of it when planning your research.
WRITTEN AND COMPILED BY DR. EMAN ABD ALHALIM MD, PHD
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6. Research Methodology and
Evidence Based Healthcare (EBHC481)
THE FIVE ‘WS’
• When you start to think about your research project, a useful way
of remembering the important questions to ask is to think of the
five ‘Ws’:
What?
Why?
Who?
Where?
When?
WRITTEN AND COMPILED BY DR. EMAN ABD ALHALIM MD, PHD
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7. Research Methodology and
Evidence Based Healthcare (EBHC481)
What?
• What is your research?
• This question needs to be answered as specifically as possible.
One of the hardest parts in the early stages is to be able to define
your project, so much research fails because the researcher has
been unable to do this.
• A useful tip is to sum up, in one sentence only, your research. If
you are unable to do this, the chances are your research topic is
too broad, ill thought out or too obscure.
WRITTEN AND COMPILED BY DR. EMAN ABD ALHALIM MD, PHD
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8. Research Methodology and
Evidence Based Healthcare (EBHC481)
Why?
• Why do you want to do the research? What is its purpose?
Okay, you might have been told to do some research by your tutor
or by your boss, but there should be another reason why you have
chosen your particular subject.
It might be solely to do with the fact that you are interested in the
topic.
• Whatever your reason, think very carefully about why you are
doing the research as this will affect your topic, the way you
conduct the research and the way in which you report the results.
WRITTEN AND COMPILED BY DR. EMAN ABD ALHALIM MD, PHD
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9. Research Methodology and
Evidence Based Healthcare (EBHC481)
Who?
• Who will be your participants? (people who take part in research
will be called participants or respondents)
• However, you should think about the type of people with whom
you will need to get in touch with and whether it will be possible
for you to contact them.
WRITTEN AND COMPILED BY DR. EMAN ABD ALHALIM MD, PHD
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10. Research Methodology and
Evidence Based Healthcare (EBHC481)
Where?
• Where are you going to conduct your research? Thinking about
this question in geographical terms will help you to narrow down
your research topic.
• Also, you need to think about the resources in terms of budget
and time that are available to you.
• Think very carefully about whether your chosen topic and method
might have an influence on personal safety.
WRITTEN AND COMPILED BY DR. EMAN ABD ALHALIM MD, PHD
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11. Research Methodology and
Evidence Based Healthcare (EBHC481)
When?
• When are you going to do your research?
• Thinking about this question will help you to sort out whether the
research project you have proposed is possible within your time scale.
• It will also help you to think more about your participants, when you
need to contact them and whether they will be available at that time.
• For example, if you want to go into schools and observe classroom
practice, you wouldn’t choose to do this research during the summer
holiday.
WRITTEN AND COMPILED BY DR. EMAN ABD ALHALIM MD, PHD
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12. Research Methodology and
Evidence Based Healthcare (EBHC481)
The Research Cycle
1- Ideas
Identifying ideas for research. What should be researched? What topics
can be identified?
2- Prioritisation
Which topics are most important?
3- Design
Which is the best way to carry out the research to ensure that the
results are accurate and that the research question being asked can be
answered? Which methods will be practical and manageable?
WRITTEN AND COMPILED BY DR. EMAN ABD ALHALIM MD, PHD
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13. Research Methodology and
Evidence Based Healthcare (EBHC481)
The Research Cycle
4- Funding
Getting the funds to cover the cost of running the project.
Identifying funders and putting together a funding application.
5- Research management
Ensuring that the research plans are carried out and necessary
ethics and research governance approvals are gained before
undertaking the project.
WRITTEN AND COMPILED BY DR. EMAN ABD ALHALIM MD, PHD
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14. Research Methodology and
Evidence Based Healthcare (EBHC481)
The Research Cycle
6- Recruitment
• Identifying and approaching people to take part in the research
7- Data collection
Collecting the information needed for the research (e.g. clinical
data and information about patient and carer experiences and
opinions) May involve observations, interviews, questionnaires,
focus groups.
WRITTEN AND COMPILED BY DR. EMAN ABD ALHALIM MD, PHD
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15. Research Methodology and
Evidence Based Healthcare (EBHC481)
The Research Cycle
8- Analysis
Making sense of the data. Identifying trends and themes. There are
different methods of analysis (e.g. statistical analysis of numerical data,
grounded theory, thematic network analysis of qualitative data)
9- Publishing of research findings
Sharing the research results with interested parties
10- Application of research findings
Ensuring that the research findings are used in practice (e.g in health
and social care services, by patients and carers)
WRITTEN AND COMPILED BY DR. EMAN ABD ALHALIM MD, PHD
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16. Research Methodology and
Evidence Based Healthcare (EBHC481)
Purpose of Research:
(i)To gain familiarity with a phenomenon or to achieve new insights into it.
(Studies with this object in view are termed as exploratory or formative
research studies).
(ii) To portray accurately the characteristics of a particular individual, situation
or a group. (Studies with this object in view are known as descriptive research
studies).
(iii) To determine the frequency with which something occurs or with which it
is associated with something else. (Studies with this object in view are known
as diagnostic research studies).
(iv)To test a hypothesis of a causal relationship between variables. (Such
studies are known as hypothesis-testing research studies).
WRITTEN AND COMPILED BY DR. EMAN ABD ALHALIM MD, PHD
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17. Research Methodology and
Evidence Based Healthcare (EBHC481)
WRITTEN AND COMPILED BY DR. EMAN ABD ALHALIM MD, PHD
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18. Research Methodology and
Evidence Based Healthcare (EBHC481)
REFERANCE BOOK
WRITTEN AND COMPILED BY DR. EMAN ABD ALHALIM MD, PHD
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• Practical Research Methods
• DR CATHERINE DAWSON
• First published in 2002 by
• How To Books Ltd, 3 Newtec Place,
• Oxford OX4 1RE, United Kingdom
• http://www.howtobooks.co.uk