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Research process and proposal writing
The document outlines the research process and proposal writing. It discusses the key steps in the research process including defining the problem, literature review, developing objectives and hypotheses, research design, data collection and analysis, and reporting. It also covers the key elements of a research proposal such as the title, introduction, objectives, methodology, analysis plan, references, and ethics review. Some common mistakes to avoid in proposal writing are failing to cite previous work, having an unclear scope, and poor writing.
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Research process and proposal writing
- 1. Research Process andProposal Writing Dr. Rituraj Baral Resident ( 1st Year) Department of pathology TUTH
- 2. Outlines • Research Process –Introduction – Why is research done? – Steps of research process • Proposal Writing – Introduction – Elements of Proposal writing – Mistakes to avoid
- 3. Research Introduction – Research: derivedfrom the Middle French "recherche", which means "to go about seeking.“ – Research is “creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge” – It involves collection, organising and analysis of information to increase understanding of a topic or issues.
- 4. Introduction • Either performedto produce new knowledge or • To offer a new manner of understanding the known facts/information. • Consists of series of sequential steps necessary to carry out research.
- 5. Why is researchdone? 3 main purposes: • Exploratory purpose – research to be conducted around a problem that has not yet been clearly defined • Descriptive purpose – expands knowledge of a research problem or phenomenon – focuses on the ‘how’ and ‘what’ of research question
- 6. Why is researchdone? • Explanatory purpose – to identify cause-and-effect relationships – deals with the ‘why’ of research questions and is therefore often based on experiments.
- 7. Steps of researchprocess 1. Defining the problem 2. Extensive literature survey 3. Formulating the hypothesis/objective 4. Determining the research design 5. Collecting the data 6. Analysis and interpretation of data 7. Report writing
- 8. Research process 3 broadcomponents: A. Research proposal B. Research activity - collection of data - analysis and interpretation of data C. Report writing
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- 10. Defining the problem •Any research process begins with the identification of problem or opportunity. • A research problem is a perceived difficulty, a feeling of discomfort, or a discrepancy between the common belief and reality. • It is also the process of determining the topic of the research.
- 11. Extensive literature survey •Collecting the background information and knowledge about the topic. • Published data, journals, books can be used. • Reviewing the literature is the integral part of research process.
- 12. Extensive literature survey •It brings clarity and focus to the problem or topic • Broadens the knowledge regarding topic • Helps in correlating the findings of the research.
- 13. Extensive literature survey •Helps to understand if there are any significant controversies, contradictions, and inconsistencies in findings. • Allows the researcher to understand if there are any unanswered research questions. • It might help the researcher to develop an analytical framework.
- 14. Formulating the objective/hypothesis • Objectives are the main goals set to obtain through the research. • An objective will – precisely say what should be researched, to delineate the type of information that should be collected, and – provide a framework for the scope of the study. • The best expression of a research objective is a well-formulated, testable research
- 15. Determining the researchdesign • Research design is the framework of research methods and techniques to carry out the study. • Framework for fulfilling objectives and answering research questions. • An impactful research design creates a minimum bias in data and increases the accuracy of collected data.
- 16. Collecting the data •Process of gathering and measuring information on variables of interest, that helps to – Answers stated research questions, – Test hypothesis, and – Evaluate outcomes. • Different tools and techniques can be used.
- 17. Collecting the data Primarydata collection 1. Personal interview 2. Questionnaire 3. Telephone interview 4. Observation
- 18. Collecting the data Secondarydata collection 1. Records 2. Census 3. Earlier researches 4. Government publications 5. Newspapers
- 19. Analysis of data •Process for obtaining raw data, and subsequently converting it into information useful for decision-making. • The goal is to summarize the collected data in such a way that they provide answer to the research question or test hypothesis.
- 20. Analysis of data •Analysis of data can be of two types – Quantitative analysis – Qualitative analysis • Tools used in data analysis – Statistical equations – Different softwares like SPSS, Stata etc.
- 21. Interpretation of data •The end goal of a scientific study is to interpret the results and draw conclusions. • Proper interpretation of result essential to convey the findings of the study.
- 22. Report writing • Outcomeof systemic investigation • The purpose is to deliver – the results of the research to the interested person as far as possible and – publish it in a coherent way so that the reader understands the information.
- 23. Research report • Variousforms of research reports: – term papers, – dissertations, – journal articles, – papers for presentation at professional conferences and – seminars, books etc.
- 24. Research report • Aresearch report should contain sections on: – An executive summary – Background of the problem – Literature review – Methodology – Findings – Discussion – Conclusions and Recommendations.
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- 26. Research Proposal • Researchproposal is a document proposing a research project. • It is a detailed description of a proposed study designed to investigate a given problem. • It is intended to convince others that the research project is a worthwhile and researcher have the competence and work- plan to complete it.
- 27. Research Proposal Research proposaladdresses following key points: – What research question will be addressed – How they will be addressed – What prior research has been done – How long and when will they be addressed – How the result of research will be addressed – How will the research benefit others
- 28. Research proposal • Submittedto Institutional review committee (IRC) for approval and ethical clearance. • Details of principal investigators and co- investigators are included. • Elements of research proposal are mentioned below according to Research proposal format (IRC, IOM 2020).
- 29. Elements of researchproposal 1. Research title 2. Project summary 3. Introduction 4. Rationale and justification 5. Objective 6. Research question/hypothesis 7. Methodology 8. Data analysis/statistics 9. Biases 10.Limitation of study 11.Safety consideration 12.Plan for supervision 13.Expected outcome 14.Plan for dissemination of results 15.Plan for utilisation of findings 16.Work plan 17.Ethicial consideration 18.Informed consent 19.Budget 20.References 21.annexes
- 30. Research title • Shouldbe informative, accurate, clear and concise • Should not include phrases like ‘a study of’ or ‘observation on’ • Should not be more than 10-15words
- 31. Project summary • Itis a brief summary of approx. 250 words. • It must include – the main research question, – the rationale for study, – the objectives, – the methods (design, procedures, samples, instruments) – expected outcomes
- 32. Introduction • Should describethe problems on the basis of – Magnitude – Frequency – Affected geographical area – Ethnic and gender considerations • Should also include brief description of most relevant studies published on the subject (Literature review)
- 33. Rationale and Justificationof study • Should specify the reason to conduct the study. • Should include – Well documented statement of problem – The cause – The solution • Should answer why research need to be done and what will be its relevance.
- 34. Objective of theresearch • Should be smart: i.e. – Specific – Measurable – Achievable – Relevant – Time-bound
- 35. Objective: Types • GeneralObjective: – General statement of what is to be achieved by research • Specific objective: – Specific statement stating the research question that the researcher want to answer through proposed study – Secondary objectives may also be presented
- 36. Objective • Stated usingaction verbs – to determine – to calculate – to compare • Vague non action verbs should not be used. – to understand – to appreciate – to believe
- 37. Research question/hypothesis • Specificand clear predictive statement about possible outcome • Should be testable and measurable by proposed research methodology • Eg: –Will smoking cause lung cancer?, is a research question –“Smoking will cause lung cancer” is a hypotheis.
- 38. Research design andMethodology • Explains the procedure that will be used to achieve the objectives. • This section should be described completely • Research method – Qualitative – Quantitative – combined
- 39. Research design andMethodology Type of study • It may be – Descriptive – Analytical – Experimental – Operational • Choice of study must be in relation to study objectives.
- 40. Research design andMethodology • Study population/Sampling frame • Study site and its justification • Sampling method – Non probability sampling – Probability sampling
- 41. Research design andMethodology • Sample size – Basis and method of dertermination including power of study, level of significance, confidence interval etc. • Inclusion and Exclusion criteria – Should be clearly mentioned
- 42. Research design andMethodology • Study Variables 1. Independent variable – presumed cause in the study. 2. Dependant variable – presumed outcome of the study. • Eg. “Will smoking cause lung cancer?” – Smoking – independent variable – Lung cancer- dependent variable
- 43. Research design andMethodology • Expected time and duration of the study • Tools and techniques for data collection – Questionnaires – Interviews – Chart review – Primary and Secondary data collection techniques.
- 44. Research design andMethodology • Management protocol of participants if applicable • In case of RCT, – Process of randomisation and blinding – Description of stopping rules for indivisual for part of study or entire study – Procedures and condition of breaking the codes etc.
- 45. Plan for datamanagement and statistical analysis • Data handling and coding for computer analysis, monitoring and verification • Procedures for accounting for any missing or spurious data etc. • The statistical methods and tests proposed to be used for the analysis of data.
- 46. Biases • Identification andpossible methods to avoid them should be mentioned • Commonly encountered biases: 1. Information bias 2. Selection bias 3. Confounding bias
- 47. Other Elements ofResearch Proposal • Limitations of the study • Safety considerations – information should be provided in the protocol on how the safety of research participants will be ensured. • Plan for supervision and monitoring
- 48. Other Elements • Expectedoutcome of the research – how the study will contribute to advancement of knowledge. – how the results will affect health care, health systems, or health policies. • Plan for dissemination of research results • Plan for utilization of the research finding
- 49. Work Plan • Shouldinclude duration of the study, tentative date of starting the project and work schedule.
- 50. Gantt chart • Typeof bar chart that illustrates a project schedule • Shows the relationships between activities and the current schedule status • lists the tasks to be performed on the vertical axis, and time intervals on the horizontal axis
- 51. Ethical issues andconsiderations regarding human participants • Justification of requirement of human participants • Indicate the participant’s responsibilities in the research • Justification of risk and benefits to the participants
- 52. Informed consent • Informedconsent form along with an information sheet should be submitted in English and Nepali and mother language of participants. • Process of obtaining the informed consent should also be mentioned.
- 53. Budget • Should includefinancial provision necessary for carrying out the research up to dissemination of research findings – Budget table – Budget justification – Source of budget – Sponsor, if any
- 54. References • The proposalshould end with relevant references on the subject. • Should include all cited references in chronological order in Vancouver style
- 55. Plagiarism • Plagiarism isthe representation of another author’s language, thoughts, ideas or expressions as one’s own original work. • Plagiarism is considered a violation of academic integrity and a breach of ethics. • It must be ensured to avoid plagiarism by adding citation to others work.
- 56. Annexes • Pro formasheet • Data collection instruments including questionnaires • Information to participant sheet • Informed consent form • List of abbreviations • Recently updated CV of principal investigator (PI) and other investigators
- 57. Mistakes to avoidin proposal writing • Failure to be concise. • Failure to cite landmark work in literature review. • Failure to delimit the contextual boundaries. • Failure to develop a coherent and persuasive argument for proposed research. • Imprecise writing and poor grammar.
- 58. References • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/research • www.iedunote.com/research-process,“Research Process: 8 Steps in Research Process” • www.futurelearn.com/info/courses/research- process, “The Research process” • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/research proposal • Al-Riyami, A (2008). How to prepare a research proposal. Oman medical journal, 23(2), 66-69. • Research proposal format (Institutional review committee,IOM), 2020 • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/gantt chart
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