Basic Principles of Research Methods.

Research fields in medicine In medicine we can do any research in any of the following fields :-

a- Biological sciences :
For example we can study the biology of disease (we can do the research to know the nature of the disease and the mechanism of occurrence)

b- In clinical sciences:
The different between the biological sciences and clinical sciences is: In biological sciences : we work in the lab or we work in animal . In clinical sciences : we have actually to have clinical sitting to do the research , so in clinical sciences we work in patient (human ) . The objective in any research of clinical sciences is collect information to care for individual patients this is called clinical Epidemiology .
c-

population science ( Epidemiology is one of population science) .

Epidemiology : is the study of disease occurring in human

population . (when we study the disease occurring in human population we call it Epidemiology ) . For example : 1- Gingivitis : 80 90 % of people have gingivitis .
2- Caries

But if you want to study a research specific to certain of people this can not classified as a Epidemiology for example Blinks Balharris ( I am not sure of the name but any way this disease is not classified as a Epidemiology ) , so

any research in order to be classified as a Epidemiology research it should actually study any disease occurring in human population .

d- Health services
For example :- if you want to study the effect of living far away on out come of disease . -If you want to examine the impact of housing in remote villages and their relationship to tooth eruption ; if you live in very organize area like Amman or Irbid for example then it is very possible to see advance eruption specific in Premolar and Canine (it associated with health services ) so any research that deal with the effect of health services on any of disease out come can be classified under health services .

Clinical Epidemiology
The science of making predictions about individual patients by: a- counting clinical events of similar patients Suppose that there is a patient with lung cancer, and you want to tell him that he would live only five years ,you can not tell the patient this information if you has not relied on research about lung cancer . (all the time you have to a count clinical events of similar patient so you have to relies to another research that was done on a very big group of people effect by lung cancer ,these people were studying over long period of time like 5 years and then through this 5 years you could to take people who died out of this cancer and then you give the death rate of lung cancer .)
b- using strong using strong scientific methods To ensure that the

predictions are accurate. For example : If the patient ask about the period needed by the bridge in his mouth , you should relied on research to answer his question . So we do not tell the patient from our own except if this is support by strong evidence.

Purpose of clinical epidemiology

1- Develop and apply methods of clinical observation that will lead to

valid conclusions by avoiding being mislead by systematic error and the play of chance ; all the time you have to avoid being mess by systematic error and the play of chance because the enemy of any researcher are :a- systematic error b- play of chance for example :- the males is taller than females this is fact but if i found one female is taller than male I can not say that the females is taller than males because it is systematic error or chance ( i can not change that research which tell us that the male is taller than female due to systematic error or chance ) 2- Obtaining the kind of information clinicians need to make good decision in the care of patients Important note : So all the time you have to minimize the effect of chance and to try as possible to exclude the effect of systematic error or play of chance.

Clinical epidemiology
Its called clinical because it answer clinical question , (for example : What percentage of decay rampant among children?) also It guides clinical decision making.

Basic principles
a- Clinical question

(This basic is the first thing any researcher should do it) . b- Variables c- Health outcomes

(Is this research is useful or not?) Before do any research you have to see how important your search is ? whats the Health outcomes will be after this research ? for example for important research : invent a drug to treat the cancer ( the health outcomes to do this research is to help people with cancer ) Example for not important research : who is taller male or female ?

d- Numbers and probability

Quantitative vs. qualitative

Example :-

a- Quantitative : Signs of students b- Qualitative : Respond to specific drug

I am sorry for any mistake