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Characteristics of research

• Requires a clear statement of the problem

• Should have measurable research objectives
• Research methodology should be consistent
with research objectives
• Builds on existing data or on the work of
others
• Valid (internally and externally)
• Empirically verifiable

How are research findings empirically verified?

• Experimentation

• Systematic observation
• Query (interviews, surveys)
• Testing (laboratory, imaging, clinical)
• Examination of documents / records
• Examination of secondary data

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Categories of (empiric) research

Qualitative versus quantitative research

• Quantitative research
– Involves identification of the population of interest,
the characteristics of the individuals (units) in the
population, and the study of the variability of these
characteristics among individuals in the population.
– Quantification is achieved through:
• Measurement of variables
• Estimation of population parameters
• Statistical testing of hypotheses

Functional categories of research

Basic versus applied research

• Basic research
– Involves search for knowledge without a
defined goal of utility or specific purpose
– Inquiry into physical, chemical, and functional
mechanisms of life and disease processes
– Common disciplines involved in basic research:
• Anatomy, physiology, molecular biology
• Pharmacology, microbiology, parasitology

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Functional categories of research

Basic versus applied research

• Applied research
– Problem-oriented, and is directed towards the
solution of an existing problem
– Application of existing knowledge to address a
specific biomedical problem
– Often divided into:
• Epidemiologic research
• Clinical research

Sub-divisions of applied research

• Epidemiologic research
– Inquiry into the occurrence, distribution, and
determinants of health-related states in human
populations
• Clinical research
– Inquiry into the nature of disease processes
including identification of determinants of
disease outcomes
• Prognostic factors
• Interventions

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Operational categories of research

Research triangle
• Biomedical research
– Deals primarily with basic research involving
processes at the cellular level

• Health research
– Deals with issues in the environment surrounding
man, which promotes changes at the cellular level

• Behavioral research
– Deals with the interaction of man and the
environment in a manner reflecting the beliefs,
attitudes, and practices of the individual in society

EPIDEMIOLOGIC APPROACH AND

THE RESEARCH PROCESS

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Why is it important to perform a literature review?

• Answer to the question (or the solution to the

problem) may already be available; thus, the
question may no longer be worth pursuing
• However, the same question can still be pursued if
the research focuses on:
– Different population
– Variation of the intervention
– Improvement in exposure / outcome assessment
– Refinement of methods

Steps in conducting research

• Identification of the research problem
• Planning the research
– Development of the research protocol
• Implementation of the research
– Data collection
– Data processing and analysis
– Interpretation of results
– Report writing
• Dissemination of research results

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General format of a research protocol

• Project title
• Project description
– Rationale
– Objectives
– Methodology
– Data management and analysis
• Ethical considerations
• References

References

• World Health Organization. (2001). Health Research

Methods: A Guide for Training in Research Methods, 2nd
edition. WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific:
Manila.

• Fathalla MF, Fathalla MMF. (2004). A Practical Guide for

Health Researchers (WHO Regional Publications Eastern
Mediterranean Series 30). WHO Regional Office for the
Eastern Mediterranean: Cairo.

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