400 likes | 808 Views
TYPES OF RESEARCH. Dr. Ali Abd El- Monsif Thabet. PROPOSAL FORMAT . 1. Title of research study 2. Name and title of investigator/s and participating facility 3. Introduction * Problem statement, Subproblems * Purpose of the study. * Significance of the study * Hypothesis
E N D
TYPES OF RESEARCH Dr. Ali Abd El-Monsif Thabet
PROPOSAL FORMAT 1. Title of research study 2. Name and title of investigator/s and participating facility 3. Introduction * Problem statement, Subproblems * Purpose of the study. * Significance of the study * Hypothesis * Rationale *Definitions
PROPOSAL FORMAT 4. Literature review 5. Method * Design * Sample * Equipment and materials * Procedure * Data analysis 6. Results * Statistical analysis * Tables and graphs
PROPOSAL FORMAT 7. Discussion * Interpretation of the results 8. Summary and conclusion 9. Arabic conclusion 10. Appendices 11. Bibliography
Title of Research Study • The words in the title should concise but sufficient to give the reviewer a good idea of what the project is about or what is being proposed for study. • The title may reflect the nature of the major problem or be a statement of a sub problem. Although the title must be free of excessive or redundant wording, brevity should not reduce clarity.
Name and Title of Investigators and Participating Facilities The principal investigator's name and title are listed first and then names of other investigators follow in order of contribution to the study. An investigator's title may be the highest earned degree or position. The participating facility is usually the place of employment of the investigator (s) or place where the research is to be conducted.
Introduction This section is the beginning of the main report and sets the stage for the paper by presenting the framework on which the study was conceived. The word "introduction" is not used as a heading but is understood without labeling. The introduction contains the purpose, background for the study, the hypothesis, the research question, and are view of literature relevant to the top of the paper. Information included in this section should be a synthesis of reports of logically arranged in sequential or chronological order.
The Research Problem A brief statement of the problem is a must. If the statement is that of a major problem, then the sub problem to which the proposal is addressed must be stated. Not all studies have subproblems, but many do.
Example Major problem: How can force of contracting muscles be increased? Sub problem: What is the effect of various hip angles on the quadriceps femoris muscle force during dynamic resistive exercise ?
The sub problem in this example is related to the major problem and is one step in answering "how can the force of contracting muscles be increased”. The simplest way to define a research problem is to state a question.
Purpose of study If a single objective is to be achieved by the research, a succinct statement of purpose of the study should be stated. If more than one objective is to be achieved, the objectives should be listed in outline form to reduce wording and to catch the reviewer attention.
Examples: To determine the effect of the abdominal muscles exercises on the function of the pelvic floor muscles in treating of mild stress urinary incontinence. To determine the effect of low intensity laser therapy on the muscle fiber size in experimented rats versus control. To compare the effect of magnetic therapy versus weight bearing ex's on osteoporotic patients.
Activities leading to problem identification Observation in the clinic A problem might be the result of a gap in a body of knowledge Reading and analyzing the literature in a particular area of interest is perhaps the most satisfactory approach to identifying research problems. Controversial issues should be examined Replication of previous studies.
Considerations in selecting a problem 1. Interest, training, and knowledge The researcher must ask whether the problem is sufficiently interesting to pursue and devote the time required to seek the solution. The researcher must be curious, motivated and interested in the specific problem. The student is strongly advised to have considerable interest in the problem before undertaking the required project
2. Solvability of problem. The student may select an interesting problem, but the problem may not be answerable for various reasons. The problem may be too broad or too complex for a solution within the capability of the available personnel or facilities.
3- Professional contribution The value or gains of the research must be considered by the researcher before starting a study or even before seeking approval for the study. The researcher should ask whether the problem is too small (trivial) to be of any value or whether the problem is too large (complex) to be answered in a single study.
4- Availability of technology, equipment and facility If the technical background of the researcher is inadequate in a specific area, consultation with experts must be arranged (e.g. a statistician, electrical technician, or photographic technician)
Limitations Limitations are conditions or variables not under the control of the researcher. The limiting conditions can influence the outcome of the investigation. Limitations may include: 1. The type of measuring device 2. The type of subject who volunteers for the study 3. The method of selecting the subjects 4. The economics of undertaking the problem solution 5. The moral issues concerning risks.
Delimitation The problem must be narrowed so that the question can be answered. The delimitation guide the research by establishing limits or boundaries, by narrowing the selected problem, and by defining the scope of the investigation. The problem be defined by listing independent variables in four categories: l. Treatment variables (type, duration, intensity, consistency). 2. Subject variables (age, sex, physical status) 3.Therapist variables (age, sex, experience, professional attitude). 4.Condition variables (type, severity, location, concurrent problems).
Significance of study The investigator must explain : Why time and effort should be spent on the study. What the study is expected to contribute to the problem or to a body of knowledge. How much this study is beneficial for the related field, for the whole population, for the clinicians and for the economy of the country should.
Significance of study 1. The size of the problem a. Related to the population b. Related to the country's economy c. Related to patient psycho-social aspects 2. The difference of the experimented technique from other previous techniques 3. The advantages of the new technique over the other techniques like time saving, money wise, safety, and the practicability of the technique. 4. The weak points of other approaches regarding techniques, design, patient selections, statistical analysis and interpretation of the results
Rationale Scientific justification for problem solving. It should convince the reviewer about the thinking of problem solving. The scientific justification of interaction between independent variable/s and the dependent variable/s should be clarified by the investigator. Each paragraph should carry a specific idea, and the whole subject indicate scientific analysis of the problem and its way of solving.
Rationale 1. 1st Paragraph It include the size of the problem and its influence on the whole population and on the economical studies. 2. 2nd Paragraph It includes demonstration of the treatment trials for solving this problem and shows their effectiveness and weakness. 3. 3rd Paragraph It includes the nature of the pathological background of the problem that needs to be solved. 4. 4th Paragraph It includes the relationship and physiological effect of treatment intervention on the underlying pathology of the problem and how it ca help to resolve this problem.
HYPOTHESIS TESTING Hypothesis The, formulation of hypothesis reduces the problem to conditional relations which can be tested by the research process. A hypothesis is a proposition that can be tested. It is an idea about the relation between two or more variables. Hypothesis testing enables the researcher to compare theoretical results with those obtained by experimentation. Gathering and analyzing data are ways of determining whether theoretical and experimental results are in agreement or whether the difference in results warrants rejection of the theory.
The hypothesis can be tested in two forms:1. Alternate hypothesis or Directional hypothesis 2. Null hypothesis Alternate hypothesis states that a difference does exist between variables. If a researcher has some evidence (personal observations or literature reports showing trends) to believe that one method is better than another, then a directional hypothesis can be tested. For example: dynamic exercises are better than isometric exercises for increase strength throughout the entire range of joint motion.
Null hypothesis states that no difference exists between variables. Null (means without value or significance). In hypothesis testing, the null hypothesis implies that the difference between the means of the different values is equal to zero. The null hypothesis is used commonly in experimental research because of simplicity. The null hypothesis is a clear and unambiguous statement. For example: ice packs and hot packs are equally effective for treating patients having chronic low back strains.
LITERATURE REVIEW Related Research The most relative studies supporting the investigator's argument should be cited in this section. The investigator must present the information in a logical sequence, sometimes chronologically, to demonstrate his knowledge of previous research. The story must convince the reviewer that previous research has not answered the question or tested the hypothesis stated by the investigator.
If any current studies overlap the problem of the proposal, the investigator should show how this proposal differs from those studies or how it will complement them. A survey of literature relating to the problem must be undertaken. The reason for this are: 1. To ascertain originality of research. 2. To provide ideas for solving the problem. 3. To avoid repetitious findings
Planning the literature review The researcher must be familiar with the valuable sources in the library Primary literature; (periodicals, books). Secondary literature (Abstracts)
Reviewing Process The task of reviewing is becoming very difficult because of tremendous amounts of literature. This process vary from subject to subject according to: Familiarity with the library, The demand of the subject or area being reviewed, and The detail desired.
Personal Abstract File Isolation of each reference on a single index card or attached cards is important because as review of the literature continues, considerable information is available and collected. The researcher should choose the size of the card (7.6 x 12.7, 12.7 x 20.3 cm) on which to record bibliographical and abstract information and notes. The abstract provides sufficient information to determine whether the report is relative to the research problem.
Information Resources Abstracts A number of journals provide readers with an abstracting services, which can save time in locating the original reports. Abstracts should be considered as secondary sources of literature review. Journals Journals are primary sources for seeking information for investigative work on a particular topic. Selection of journals appropriate to the investigator's topic depends on the subject being pursued
Reprints If a published report is particularly useful, then a reproduction or reprint should be obtained. A reprint can be placed in the personal file and is available as needed. Reprints of recent references (within 2 years) can be obtained by writing directly to the author and requesting a reprint of the article.
Books Books on the most areas of interest are available in medical libraries. Books give basic material in varying degrees of depth according to the book's purpose, but not the most up-to-date sources of information. Their bibliographies offer important sources of information. Microfilms Microfilm provides the researcher with the original article. The reader can read any page of the article on a large viewing screen.