This document discusses how to develop a research idea and turn it into a feasible study. It explains that observing patterns can lead to new hypotheses to test. Ideas can come from experience, conversations, literature, and identifying gaps. An example is given of how a family tree led to discovering a rare genetic cause of diabetes. The importance of developing a testable hypothesis and study design using PICOT/FINER criteria is discussed. Factors for selecting the right journal like scope, quality and ethics are also covered. The document provides guidance on each step of the research process from initial idea to developing a draft paper.

1. Research idea and
execution
Dr Ananya Chakraborty
Professor & HOD Pharmacology
VIMS & RC
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2. PHARMAQUEST-2021
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3. Outline
• How to get a research idea for a study?
• How to turn research idea into a testable hypothesis?
• How to convert hypothesis into a feasible study design?
• How to proceed with the study?
• How to write a draft paper?
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4. Getting new research ideas
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Observing regularities can start our train of thought
Irregularity strikes our mind, forces us to think about
other explanations
Leads to new hypotheses that we then try to test
When previous knowledge and experience are
challenged by anomalies, we seek new explanations

5. Sources of research ideas
• Build on experience
• Be alert to new ideas
• Journal clubs
• Follow up of medical literature
• National and international meetings
• Informal conversations with other scientists and colleagues
• Keep the imagination roaming
• Be open to questions
• Identify Cinderella topics
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6. Discovery of a ‘new’ cause of diabetes
• A young woman wished to have a child. Worried as she
and all her siblings had diabetes and hearing issues
• Consulted a diabetologist → Rudimentary family tree
• Showed it to a colleague
• The colleague suggested that there were rare forms of
mitochondrial inheritance
• The diabetologist made a full family tree → Inheritance
became clear → Genetic investigations and breakthrough
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7. The tale of sulphonylureas
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8. Research ideas from conversations
A peek into Darwin’s log
• Darwin’s father was struck
by one of his patients’ ways
of expressing himself
• He had attended a parent
of the patient who had had
the same mannerisms –
even though the parent had
died during his infancy
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9. Do ideas fructify without research?
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10. Oh! I have a research idea
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11. Music seems to calm the mind
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12. What am I trying to find out?
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13. Exploring a topic
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Mojtabavi H, Saghazadeh A, Valenti VE, Rezaei N. Can music influence cardiac autonomic system? A systematic review and narrative synthesis to evaluate its
impact on heart rate variability. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2020 May;39:101162. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2020.101162. Epub 2020 Apr 7. PMID: 32379689.
Databases: PubMed
Grey literature: clinicaltrials.gov
Music and heart

14. The research question?
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15. The FINER research idea
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16. How to turn idea into a testable
hypothesis?
Music with a slow tempo (song “Weightless”)
would decrease heart rate and fast music
(song “Worldwide Choppers”) would
increase heart rate
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17. A peek into a published study
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pdf (emerginginvestigators.org)

18. PICOT/FINER
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• Population?
• Intervention?
• Comparison?
• Outcome?
• Time?
• Feasible?
• Interesting?
• Novel?
• Ethical?
• Relevant?

19. Novelty of the study
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20. How to convert hypothesis in to a feasible
study design?
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21. How to write a draft paper
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22. Which journal to select?
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• Who are the target readers?
• What’s the scope of the journal?
• How’s the quality of the journal?
• Impact factor
• Indexing
• Publication policy
• Part of bodies that promote ethics
• International Committee of Medical Journal
Editors (ICMJE)
• Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)?
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Summary

24. THANK YOU
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