Research question and research problem Ahmed Yehia, MD IMMUNOLOGY, BENI-SUEF, EGYPT How to select research problem How to formulate your research hypothesis PICOT/PECOT FINER criteria for a good research question

1. RESEARCH
QUESTION
Ahmed Yehia
lecturer, internal medicine,
immunology unit

3. Why a Research Question?

5. ‫سؤال‬ ‫بال‬ ‫بحث‬
‫وجهة‬ ‫بال‬ ‫كبحار‬
.
Treatment of diabetes in Egypt

7. ‫فساد‬ ‫من‬ ‫االنتهاء‬ ‫فساد‬ ‫إن‬
‫االبتداء‬
.
• “If you don’t get the
research question right at
the start of your research,
you probably won’t enjoy
your studies and you will
seriously reduce the chance
of a successful outcome.”

9. What do you
do when you
have a
question?

10. You either…..

12. or….

13. ‫المنطق‬
• ‫إلجابة‬ ‫محتاج‬ ‫بسؤال‬ ‫يبدأ‬ ‫البحث‬
.

14. ‫عندنا‬ ‫لكن‬
...
‫أنا‬
‫أج‬ ‫ال‬ ‫بحث‬ ‫عندي‬
‫د‬
‫سؤاال‬ ‫له‬
!!!

15. • Formulating research problem is the most crucial step. So take
time in formulating your research problem because a clearer
research problem means clearer research output & progress.

16. ‫الماكيت‬

17. ‫السؤال‬
‫نصف‬
‫العلم‬.

18. To formulate a
problem, it requires
considerable
knowledge of
the subject of interest
research
methodology.

19. The research aim is
to answer a specific
question.

20. ‫الجامعة‬ ‫دور‬
‫الطالب‬ ‫تعليم‬
‫العلم‬ ‫البحث‬
‫ي‬
‫خدمة‬
‫المجتمع‬

21. What is the research question?
=Research problem ( you try to solve).
= Hypothesis ( you try to prove or disprove).
=Innovation ( you try to prove efficacy).

22. Without good RQ , no good
results or conclusions.
Results = answer to the research question.

23. How to get a good idea
(
‫منين؟‬ ‫لكن‬
)
‫المشهور‬ ‫السؤال‬
Talk to mentor, others knowledgeable about research area.
From your work , environment.
Deductions from theory
Literature review  Knowledge gap
:

24. Literature review  Knowledge
gap
• Many research studies are criticised
for weaknesses in design, treatment
and analysis of data, contradictions
and inconsistencies in the results,
and so on.
• Thus, researchers can make
significant contributions not by
repeating these studies, but by
making necessary modifications in
the design and procedures so as to
correct the inconsistencies found in
earlier works

25. Professional
experience
Problems from your
work , environment.
Search
Solved Unsolved

26. Knowledge gap

27. Areas for Investigation
Many Related Areas Other than Biology

28. Looking Forward: Preparing
to Formulate Questions

29. Your research has
begun . . .

35. ‫علم‬
‫البصريات‬ –
‫علم‬
‫الضوء‬ –
‫كتاب‬
‫المناظر‬

36. A good observer good researcher
Observations create questions.

37. How to
formulat
e a RQ?

38. Now , let’s
start
formulating
our Q.

39. Steps in the
formulation of
a research
problem
Identify a broad field or subject area of interest to you.
Dissect the broad area into subareas.
Select what is of most interest to you.
Raise research questions.
Formulate objectives.
Assess your objectives.
Double-check.

41. Internal medicine
Immunology
rheumatoid
Diagnosis
Early
detection
Q

42. How to evaluate my question?
Criteria of a good research question.
•FINER is finer.
I have a question about my question

43. Criteria of a good research
question.
• FINER Criteria for a Good Research Question
• Feasible
• Interesting ( to whom?)
• Novel (Originality)
• Ethical
• Relevant (Significance)
• They are very important before publishing your proposal.

44. Feasibility

45. Expertise
Ensure that you
met certain level
of expertise in the
area you are
proposing.

46. Interesting
Research question needs to be one worth
answering and of public health importance
Need to focus question – more questions mean
greater sample size or less clear answers =
simplify

47. Relevance
Always choose a topic that
suits your interest and
profession.
Ensure that your study adds to
the existing body of knowledge.
Of course, this will help you to
sustain interest throughout the
research period.

48. Examples of questions from published
papers
• Does excess street lighting affect sleep?
• Do structured educational programs have a positive impact
on preventing diabetic foot complications?
• Does healthy diet improve sleep quality?
• Does student residence affect achievement?

49. Brainstorming
FINER

50. Example
Gastric mucosal changes in connective tissue disease

51. Examples
of
Hypotheses
The more
specific the
better:
· “ Antibiotics are effective in acute otitis media in
children”
· “Amoxicillin is effective in acute otitis media in
children
who are between 2 and 6 years of age”
· “Amoxicillin is effective compared to placebo in
reducing
pain in children ages 2 to 6 years with initial episodes
of
acute otitis media”

52. • Potential research questions may occur to us on a regular basis but
the process of formulating them in a meaningful way is not at all an
easy task.

53. The
PICO(T)
Question
• P: Population/Patient
• I: Intervention or Variable of Interest
• C: Comparison group
• O: Outcome
• T: Time
• In _______(P), how does _______(I)
compared to _______(C) influence
______(O) during ________ (T)?
Example: In patients aged 65 &
older(P),how does the use of an influenza
vaccine(I) compared to not receiving the
vaccine(C) influence their risk of
developing pneumonia (O) during the flu
season (T)?
Stillwell et al. 2010; Wakim 2015; others

54. The PECO(T) Question
• P: Population/Patient
• E: Exposure
• C: Comparison group
• O: Outcome
• T: Time
• In _______(P), how does _______(E)
compared to _______(C) influence
______(O) during ________ (T)?

55. • Balance between general & specific in problem statement

56. The cycle of
Knowledge
Research starts with a Q and
ends with a Q.

57. Don’t think research as ( 1 man show).