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Introduction to the Research Process: Formulating a Research Question

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Department of Evaluation and Research Services -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Library | Education | Administration | Development

Presenters: Samar Hejazi, Michelle Purdon, Magdalena Swanson

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Outline DERS overview Definition of Research Overview of Research

Process – 9 steps Sources of Research

Questions Forming, refining and

assessing research question

Tools

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Objectives Understand the nine

major components of the research process

Understand how to formulate your idea into a researchable question

Understand how to asses the feasibility and relevance of research question

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Julie Hadden (604-587-4436), Research Ethics Coordinator

Susan Chunick (604-587-4681), Director

Samar Hejazi (604-587-4438), Epidemiologist

Magdalena Swanson (604-587-4637), Research and Grant Development Facilitator

Camille Viray (604-587-4413), Education & Communication Coordinator

Michelle Purdon (604-851-4700 ext. 646832), Manager, Library Services

Department of Evaluation and Research Services -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Library | Education | Administration | Development

Lisa Kristiansen (604-587-4445), Evaluation Specialist

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Fraser Health Library Services

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Fraser Health Library Services

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Fraser Health Library Services

“...enabling access to the best evidence to advance care, research and decision making across the FH community”

Other Library Spaces

Delta Hospital (not regularly staffed) Eagle Ridge Hospital (staffed Tuesdays) Fraser Canyon (not regularly staffed) Langley Memorial Hospital (not regularly staffed) Mission Memorial Hospital (not regularly staffed) Peace Arch Hospital (not regularly staffed) Queen’s Park Care Centre (staffed Tuesdays) Ridge Meadows Hospital (staffed Thursdays)

Your largest libraries (most resources & full staffing)

ARHCC BUH CGH RCH SMH

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http://research.fraserhealth.ca

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FH Research Study Database

http://researchdb.fraserhealth.ca/ersweb/

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FH Methodology Unit How can we help?

Research & Grant Development Facilitator Conducting a search for funding opportunities Targeted notification of new funding sources and deadlines Identifying a research team Preparing letters of intent Identifying resources required for conducting research Formulating the research budget Facilitating proposal development in collaboration with

researchers Understanding FH and funding agency requirements

regarding preparation of specific documents Administration of funding awards

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FH Methodology Unit How can we help?

Epidemiologist

Specifying the research goal, objectives and hypothesis Identifying measurable outcomes Specifying the variables for analysis Identifying sources of data Developing data collection tools for quantitative or

qualitative studies Developing the statistical analysis plan Understanding how to use statistical software, such as

SPSS

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Research, Evaluation and Quality Improvement

Research: Undertaken to discover new knowledge, test theories, establish truth, and generalize across time and space

Evaluation: Undertaken to inform decisions, clarify opinions, identify improvements, and provide information about programs and policies within contextual boundaries of time, place, values, and politics

Quality Improvement: a structured approach that focuses on sequential building of knowledge, learn by doing, testing and implementation of change ideas

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Research Process 1. Generate idea 2. Conduct literature review 3. Refine research question 4. Plan research methodology 5. Create research proposal 6. Apply for funding 7. Apply for ethics approval 8. Collect and analyze data 9. Draw conclusions and relate findings

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Step 1: Generate research idea Identify general area of interest Formulate a preliminary research question

that you want to explore Once your initial research idea has been

formed, it is necessary to think about research intent and previous research What do you hope to accomplish? Has this research been done before?

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Step 2: Conduct literature review

Search for books, journal articles (i.e. peer reviewed info) and grey literature on your topic

Mine references sections for relevant articles

FH Library Services can help you: Focus your research question Aid in your search, including facilitating offsite access

to databases Assist with article retrieval

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Step 3: Refine research question Now that you have exhausted the literature,

has your original research idea changed? Start thinking in more detail:

(Re)state the problem or research question Who will your sample include?

• Who, where, when, and what What items will be measured? How will they

be measured?

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Step 4: Plan research methodology Select research methods which will allow you to answer

your research question Consider: Who are the subjects and how will they be recruited What measures do you intend to use What will be the procedure for recruiting subjects or

accessing data What will be the procedure for interventions Justification for the sample size Plans for statistical or qualitative analysis Plans for dissemination of results

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Step 5: Create research proposal

Create a research proposal that will enable people who are not involved in the study to understand exactly what you plan to do

A proposal will be required when seeking departmental approval, applying for grant funding, and for ethics review

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Step 5: Create research proposal

Your proposal should include: Abstract background information goals & objectives & hypotheses justification & relevance research design, subjects, measures, data collection

procedure, sample size justification, data analysis plan

KT plan (may include budget + other sections)

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Step 6: Applying for grant funding It is often possible to gain funding to assist in carrying

out your research study

Funders will require a detailed research proposal

Consult with the FH Health Research Intelligence Unit early in the process to help identify potential grants as well as help prepare applications

Contact Magdalena Swanson, Research and Grant Development Facilitator for further information regarding grant writing magdalena.swanson@fraserhealth.ca

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Step 7: Ethics approval Ethics consideration is an essential component of the

research process Most studies require ethics approval when dealing with

human subjects or health data The Fraser Health Research Ethics Board (REB) reviews

submissions on a regular basis See the Fraser Health Research homepage for more

information and guidelines http://research.fraserhealth.ca

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Step 8: Collect and analyze data

Collecting data for your study is exciting because you are close to finding out the answer to your research question or hypothesis

Remember to be diligent and follow your research plan for collecting data

Exercise care in the collecting, coding and documentation of data

Analysis of data should follow the plan outlined in your proposal

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Step 9: Draw conclusions and relate findings

Summarize your findings and formulate conclusions Was your research question answered? Why do you think this was the case? What were the limitations of your study? What new information was gained that would inform

future research? Prepare presentation, poster and / or manuscripts,

liaise with stakeholders, etc.

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Research Process 1. Generate idea 2. Conduct literature review 3. Refine research question 4. Plan research methodology 5. Create research proposal 6. Apply for funding 7. Apply for ethics approval 8. Collect and analyze data 9. Draw conclusions and relate findings

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Generating, Assessing and Refining the Research Question

“You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions." Naguib Mahfouz

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Generate Research Idea

Research begins with the identification of a problem/knowledge gap and formulation of a research question Identifying this problem can be the hardest

part of research The problem or question does not have to be

complex

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Generate Research Idea

Where to obtain a research idea Experience in your area of specialty Knowledge of the relevant literature and

issues Practice guidelines Journal editorials and review articles Department strategic priorities Peers

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Group Exercise 1: Generating the research question

Working in small groups, come up with 2 research questions or topics of interest to you

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Assessing the Goal

What is your primary goal? Describe – when little is known about the

characteristics of a problem, patient group, health care providers or a health service/system

Associate – when you want to asses if certain factors might go hand in hand with a well described problem

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Assessing the Goal What is your primary goal?

Predict – when you want to understand the extent to which certain factors contribute to or cause a problem

Compare – when you wish to assess the impact of an intervention or to determine if there are differences between interventions or characteristics of various groups (eg., differences between patients or health services)

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Building a Program of Research

State of Knowledge Type of

Research Question

Examples

Problem is new or characteristics of problem not well defined.

Describe What are the characteristics? To what extent is this observed? What are the experiences?

Possible linkages between problem and other relevant factors.

Associate Is there an association? What are the correlates?

Determine the extent to which other characteristics influences the problem.

Predict What are the predictors? What are possible causes?

Identify differences between groups. Determine effects of interventions.

Compare Do differences exist? Is the treatment effective? Does the condition change over time?

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Group Exercise 2: Assessing the goal

Working in your groups, examine your list of research ideas/questions and assess how they fit with the four main goals of describe, associate, predict and compare

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Refining the Research Question

P Population/Patient I Intervention C Comparison O Outcome (T Time)

Define the key components of the question

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Formulating the Question P = Patient or Population

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I = Intervention

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C = Comparison

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O = Outcome

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T = Time (quantitative)

The time it takes for the intervention to achieve the outcome

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Formulate question using PICO(T)

Qualitative Research = PS

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In hospital inpatients, is a waffle boot or a pillow better to promote

healing of pressure sores?

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In hospital inpatients, is a waffle boot or a pillow better to promote

healing of pressure sores?

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In hospital inpatients, is a waffle boot or a pillow better to promote

healing of pressure sores?

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In hospital inpatients, is a waffle boot or a pillow better to promote

healing of pressure sores?

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In hospital inpatients, is a waffle boot or a pillow better to promote

healing of pressure sores?

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In hospital inpatients, is a waffle boot or a pillow better to promote

healing of pressure sores?

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Reformulate question

P Hospital inpatients with pressure sores

I Waffle boot

C Pillow

O Promotion of healing of pressure sore

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Answerable Question

In hospital patients with pressure sores, is there any evidence that a waffle boot is superior to a pillow to promote healing of the sore?

In hospital patients with pressure sores, what is the clinical efficacy of waffle boots compared to pillows to promote healing of the sore?

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PICO and Research Question Type

Population/ Patient

Intervention Comparison Outcome

Describe Always Sometimes Sometimes Sometimes

Associate Always Sometimes Sometimes Sometimes

Predict Always Sometimes Sometimes Always

Compare Always Sometimes Always Sometimes

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Qualitative Research

Qualitative account of: Experiences, perceptions,

feelings, observations Focus on what, how, why and when rather

than how many or how much May need to adapt PICO to account for

qualitative outcomes Example: How do patients with diabetes feel

about interactions with clinical nutritionists?

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SPICE

For qualitative research SPICE may be more useful:

S ETTING P ERSPECTIVE I NTERVENTION/INTEREST C OMPARISON E VALUATION

http://www.jbiconnect.org/connect/info/about/jbi_ebhc_approach.php

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SPICE SETTING – In acute care PERSPECTIVE – Patients with diabetes INTERVENTION/INTEREST – recommendations for

weight management from clinicians COMPARISON – Not Applicable EVALUATION – perceptions Example: What are the perceptions of patients with

diabetes in acute care about information they receive from clinicians about managing their weight?

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Group Exercise 3: Refining the Research Question

P Population/Patient I Intervention C Comparison O Outcome S Setting P Perspective I Intervention/Interest C Comparison E Evaluation

Choose one research question and refine using PICO or SPICE

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Assessing Your Research Question

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Make it FINER

Confirmed through literature search and review

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Just for Fun – Is this FINER? Ig Nobel prize winner: MEDICINE: Donald L. Unger, of Thousand

Oaks, California, USA, for investigating a possible cause of arthritis of the fingers, by diligently cracking the knuckles of his left hand — but never cracking the knuckles of his right hand — every day for more than sixty (60) years.

REFERENCE: "Does Knuckle Cracking Lead to Arthritis of the

Fingers?", Donald L. Unger, Arthritis and Rheumatism, vol. 41, no. 5, 1998, pp. 949-50.

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MEDICINE: Brian Witcombe of Gloucester, UK, and Dan Meyer of Antioch, Tennessee, USA, for their penetrating medical report "Sword Swallowing and Its Side Effects."

REFERENCE: "Sword Swallowing and Its Side Effects," Brian

Witcombeand Dan Meyer, British Medical Journal, December 23, 2006, vol. 333, pp. 1285-7

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Group Exercise 4 – Assessing your research question

Assess your research question according to FINER criteria

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Obtain Feedback

Write down your research question Prepare a 1 or 2 page summary of the

rationale and draft research plan Obtain feedback from peers, colleagues,

decision makers Seek consultation with Evaluation and

Research Services

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Plan research methodology

Inappropriate research design and method Invalid results

Create research proposal

Not feasible Not innovative Not novel

Apply for funding

Research budgets are determined by method Does not pass expert peer review

Consequences of Poorly Formed or Poorly Informed Research Question

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Apply for ethics approval

Lack of equipoise Inappropriate methods Lack of confidentiality Need for informed consent

Collect and analyze data

Collect incorrect data Miscode data Choose wrong analysis

Draw conclusions and relate findings

Conclusions invalid Not publishable Not useable

Consequences of Poorly Formed or Poorly Informed Research Question

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Questions