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• Organised, systematic, data-based critical scientific inquiry or investigation into a specific problem, undertaken with the objective of finding answers or solutions
• Outcome to enable researcher to make decisions to rectify problems
• Data can be primary (first-hand) or secondary (readily available), quantitative or qualitative

Research Definition

• Systematic investigation into and study of materials to establish facts and reach new conclusions
• Endeavour to discover new or collate old facts etc by the scientific study of a subject or critical investigation

Research Explained

• Research aids in resolving a question or problem, even if an answer seems obvious
• Knowledge remains guesswork until subjected to rigorous scientific scrutiny
• First priority is to formulate the question

Research Workflow

• Defines the step by step flow for the research
• Keeps research organized
• Begins with observation, identifying a broad area of research interest
• Followed by problem definition and delineation
• Theoretical framework is then implemented with variables clearly identified
• Hypotheses generation comes next
• A scientific research design is applied before Data collection, analysis and interpretation
• Deduction then occurs where substantiated hypotheses answer research questions
• Preliminary data gathering, literature survey and interviewing will occur throughout the design

Finding Research Problems

• Finding research problems can be solved through professional experience, meetings, literature review, library websites, class discussions, and peer discussion

Criteria for a Good Research Question

• Feasible, Interesting, Novel, Ethical, and Relevant (FINER) according to Cummings et al. 2001

Good Research Question: Elements of FINER

• Feasible: Includes subjects, resources, manageability, and data availability
• Ethical: Considers social or scientific value and safety
• Relevant: Advances scientific knowledge, influences clinical practice, impacts health policy, and guides future research

Research Question Must Identify

• The variables under study
• The population being studied
• The testability of the question

Variables In Research

• Must have 2 or more properties or qualities like age, sex, weight, height
• Should demonstrate a relationship like "Is X related to Y? What is the effect of X on Y?"

Independent Variable

• The has a presumed effect on the dependent variable (outcome)
• May or may not be manipulated

Dependent Variable

• Something that varies with a change in the independent variable
• Outcome

Hypothesis Defined

• Hypothesis is a testable prediction of a relationship between one or more factors and the problem under study
• Hypotheses vary based on the question and study type
• Key is that each must make a prediction tested by gathering and analyzing data for support or refutation

Hypothesis

• Statement about the relationship between two or more variables that statement predicts an expected outcome
• Unit or subset of the research problem

Characteristics of Hypotheses

• Declarative statement identifying the predicted relationship between two or more variables
• Testability
• Based on sound scientific theory/rationale

Directional vs Non-Directional Hypotheses

• Directional hypothesis: Specifies the direction of the relationship between independent and dependent variables
• Non-directional hypothesis: Shows the existence of a relationship between variables but no direction is specified

Null Hypothesis

• Null hypotheses always predicts that there will be no differences between the groups being studied
• Alternate hypothesis predicts that there will be a difference between the groups

Directional Hypothesis Example

Cardiac patients who receive support from former patients have less anxiety and higher self-efficacy than other patients

Non-Directional Hypothesis Example

• There is a difference in anxiety and self-efficacy between cardiac patients who receive support from former patients and those who do not

Finding Appropriate Research Design Examples

• Cohort
• Cross sectional
• Case control
• Clinical trial

Research vs Statistical Hypotheses

• Research or scientific hypothesis includes a statement about the expected relationship of the variables and can be directional or non-directional
• Statistical or null hypothesis states there is no relationship between the variables

Statistical Hypothesis Example

• Oxygen inhalation by nasal cannula of up to 6L/min does not affect oral temperature measurement taken with an electronic thermometer

Research Objectives

• State research objectives in a clear and concise manner
• Types of research objectives are general and specific

General Objective

• States what researchers expect to achieve by the study in general terms

Specific Objectives

• Smaller, logically connected parts of general objective that specify what will be done, where, and for what purpose
• Systematically address various aspects of the problem

Objective Example

• Exploring the extent to which community home-based care (CHBC) projects provide adequate, affordable and sustainable care of good quality to people with HIV/AIDS, and to identify ways in which these services can be improved

It was split up in the following specific objectives:

• Identify the full range of economic, psychosocial, health/nursing care and other needs of patients and their families affected by AIDS
• Determine the extent to which formal and informal support systems address these needs from the viewpoint of service providers as well as patients
• Determine the economic costs of CHBC to the patient and family as well as to the formal CHBCprogrammes themselves
• To determine how improved CHBC and informal support networks can contribute to the needs of persons with AIDS and other chronically and terminally ill patients
• Use the findings to make recommendations on the improvement of CHBC to home care providers, donors and other concerned organizations, including government

Why Research Objectives Are Developed

• Focus the study
• Avoid unnecessary data
• Organize the study in clearly defined parts or phases
• Facilitate the development of the research methodology and will help to orient the collection, analysis, interpretation and utilization of data

Study Objective

• Cover the different aspects of the problem and its contributing factors in a coherent way and in a logical sequence
• Are clearly phrased in operational terms, specifying exactly what will be done, where, and for what purpose
• Are realistic considering local conditions
• Use action verbs that are specific enough to be evaluated like: to determine, to compare, to verify, to calculate, to describe, and to establish

Research Methods

• Ways in which research studies are designed and the procedures by which data are analysed

Survey Methodology

• Research conducted by collecting data and analysing them to come up with answers to various issues of interest