Omdurman Islamic University
Faculty of Medical Laboratory Science
4th Year- Semester 7
January-2024
Research Methodology
DR IMAN SHAMMAT, PHD
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
HEAD DEPARTMENT OF BASIC MEDICAL SCIENCES
Understanding Research Study
Designs
an epidemiological perspective
Lecture #4
Review
Introduction: Research Types and Study Designs
Research types are broad categories of research
methods
Study designs are specific methodologies within
research types
Research types guide overall approach whereas study
designs operationalize methodology, they work
together to structure and conduct research.
Introduction
Introduction
❑ Each type of research study design has its unique
characteristics, methodologies, strengths, and
limitations, allowing researchers to address different
research questions and objectives effectively.
Introduction
Learning Objectives
❑ By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
▪ Classify research study designs from an epidemiological
perspective
▪ Understand the characteristics and purposes of each study design.
▪ Relate each specific study design to a specific research type.
Objectives
Types of Research Designs
❑ From an epidemiological perspective, there are two
primary types of clinical study designs:
Observational and
Experimental
Study Designs
Observational Research Designs
❑ The three most common types of observational
studies designs are :
Cross-sectional
Case-control
Cohort
❑ Observational studies generate hypotheses and can
be either descriptive or analytic.
Study Designs
Cross-Sectional Study Design
❑ Cross-sectional A cross-sectional study is a type of observational
study that examines a population at a single point in time to assess
the prevalence of certain characteristics, behaviors, or outcomes.
❑ Designs: It provides a snapshot of the population's status at a
specific moment (or short period), without influencing variables
and without following individuals over time.
❑ Purpose: Focus on the prevalence of an outcome in a population
at a single point in time..
Study Designs
think of a cross-sectional study as a snapshot of a
particular group of people at a given point in time
Examples and Applications: Disease Surveillance
A cross-sectional study is conducted to estimate the
prevalence of malaria among residents of a rural
village.
Researchers collect data from healthcare facilities,
laboratories, and community surveys to determine
the number of individuals with the malaria at a given
point (snapshot )in time.
Study Designs
Case-Control Studies
❑ Case-control A case-control study is an observational study
that compares individuals with a particular outcome (cases)
to those without the outcome (controls) to identify potential
risk factors or exposures associated with the outcome.
❑ Purpose: Investigates potential causes or risk factors for a
specific outcome.
❑ Design: participants are selected for the study based on their
outcome status and data are collected retrospectively.
Study Designs
Smoking and Carcinoma of the Lung
based on characteristics like age, gender, occupation (matched)
Examples and Applications: Risk Factors for Disease
▪ A case-control study is conducted to determine if there is an
association between colon cancer and a high fat diet..
▪ Researchers recruit individuals diagnosed with colon cancer
(cases) and individuals without colon cancer (controls).
▪ Researchers gather information from both cases and controls
regarding their dietary habits, specifically focusing on the
consumption of high-fat foods.
▪ Other potential risk factors such as family history, physical activity
levels, and smoking status are also assessed.
Study Designs
Cohort Study
❑ Cohort study is a longitudinal observational study that
follows a group of individuals (cohort) over a period of
time to investigate how various factors (exposures) affect
the development of their outcomes (e.g., disease
incidence, mortality).
❑
Study Designs
Cohort Study
❑ Purpose: to establish causality by observing effects of risk
factors on outcomes over time.
❑ Design: In a cohort study, the participants do not have the
outcome of interest to begin with. They are selected based on
the exposure status and data are collected prospectively over
time, or retrospectively.
Study Designs
Types of Cohort Studies
❑ Cohort studies can be:
▪ Prospective: initiated before the outcomes occur,
(following participants forward in time from
exposure to outcomes).
▪ Retrospective: following participants backward
from outcomes to exposures, using existing data,
(such as medical records).
Study Designs
Experimental Research Designs
❑ The experimental design is a research method used to
investigate the interaction between independent and
dependent variables to determine a cause-and-effect
relationship.
❑ Experimental studies test hypotheses through
interventions.
Study Designs
Experimental Research Designs
It is categorized into three types based on the methods
used to collect the data for the studies, into:
Uncontrolled trials
Randomized controlled, RCT.
Non-randomized controlled
RCT: test the effects of a new drug on a
chronic migraine treatment
❑ Patients are randomly divided into three groups,
▪ the first group receiving a high dosage of the drug ,
▪ the second group receiving a low dosage, and
▪ the third group (control) receives a placebo.
▪ The study is double-blinded, meaning neither the
participants nor the investigators know who is
receiving placebo until after the study is completed.
The Placebo Control
A placebo is any treatment
that has no active
properties, such as a sugar
pill ( a fake treatment)
Summary:
are you going to observe or experiment?
Observational – cross sectional, case-control studies,
cohort studies
identify participants
observe and record characteristics
look for associations
Experimental – e.g. randomised controlled trials
identify participants
intervene
observe/evaluate effects of intervention
Thank You Iman Shammat
