INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH • It forms a basis for the development of
technology for the diagnosis and treatment of the
Research disease. • Defined as a systematic search for pertinent The Research Process information on a specific topic, a careful, organized and well-planned investigation of a • The research process is similar to undertaking a problem. journey. • In a research journey there are two important Value of Research decisions to make: o What we want to find out about or • As a scientific investigation to discover new what research questions (problems) we knowledge, a tool that one can use to test this want to find answers to new knowledge. o And how to go about finding their • As an orderly system of solving problems, a tool answers for growth of science and a tool for human and • The path to finding answers to our research environmental development. questions constitutes research methodology • The methods of research are useful in the evaluation of health programs, procedures and Steps in Research Process systems such as delivery of health services or program planning. 1. Formulating the Research Problem 2. Reviewing the Literature Purpose of Research 3. Developing the objectives • To establish the truth. 4. Preparing the Research Design • To develop new knowledge and technology 5. Determining Sampling Methodology • To add to the scientific knowledge 6. Collecting the Data • To improve the practice of the profession for the 7. Analyzing Data attainment of better health for the people 8. Generalizing and interpreting results Kinds of Research 9. Preparing the Report or Presenting Results- Formal write ups of conclusions reached • Based on broad objectives, research may be classified as; Formulating the Research Problem A. Basic B. Epidemiological • The first and most crucial step in the research C. Clinical process. • Basic research uses healthy humans and • Its main function is to decide what you want to experimental animals as subjects. find out about. • It aims to develop better understanding of the • The way the problem is formulated determines nature, including relationships, of normal events almost every step that follows in the human body. • It serves as basis for some future action or application in biomedical sciences Reviewing the Literature • Epidemiologic research uses populations or • After we have identified our research problem, groups of people, healthy and with disease as reviewing the literature is next essential task in subjects. order to acquaint ourselves with the available • Its primary use is in the identification of risk body of knowledge in our area of interest. factors and causes of diseases which serve as • Literature review is an integral part of entire basis for the development of preventive measures. research process and makes valuable • Clinical research is done on patients. contribution to every operational step • Its objective is understanding of the disease • Its functions are: process including the identification of o to bring clarity and focus to our research determinants of the outcome of illness. problem o to improve our methodology • A sample is a segment of the population o to broaden our knowledge selected to represent the population as a whole. o and to contextualize our findings • Ideally, the sample should be representative and allow the researcher to make accurate estimates Developing the objectives of the characteristics and behavior of the larger • Objectives are the goals we set out to attain in population our study. • They inform the reader what we want to attain Collecting the Data through the study. • The construction of a research instrument or tool • It is extremely important to formulate them for data collection is one of the most important clearly and specifically aspects of a research project. • Objectives can be listed under two headings, the • Because anything we say by way of findings or General objective and the Specific objectives. conclusions is based upon the type of • The General objective is an overall statement of information we collect. the thrust of our study. • And the data we collect is entirely dependent o It is also a statement of the main upon the questions that we ask of the associations and relationships that we respondents. seek to discover or establish. • The Specific objectives are the specific aspects Analyzing Data of the topic that we want to investigate within the • Processing and analyzing data involves a number main framework of our study of closely related operations; o summarizing the collected data; Preparing the Research Design o and organizing them in a manner that they • Research design is the conceptual structure answer the research questions (objectives) within which research would be conducted. • The function of research design is to provide for Preparing the Report the collection of relevant information with • Writing the report is the last, and for many, the minimal expenditure of effort, time and money most difficult step of the research process. • The preparation of research design, appropriate • The report informs the world what we have done, for a particular research problem (what research what we have discovered and what conclusions design to use), involves the consideration of the we have drawn from our findings. following, • The report should be written in an academic style. 1. The objectives of the research study • Language should be formal and not journalistic 2. The method of data collection to be adopted 3. The source of information and the sampling design 4. The tool for data collection 5. The data analysis
Determining Sampling Methodology
• Researchers usually draw conclusions about large groups by taking a sample.