Short Notes (Questions-Answers) On

Research Methodology
&
Medical Statistics
(For BAMS, MD, MBBS, B.Pharma, M.Pharma)

Dr. Prashant Kumar Jha

GCIP, DIM, PGDEE, M.Sc. Ph.D.

Reader, ALNRMAMC

Dr. Sanjaya K.S.

MD (Ayu)

Principal,
ALNRMAMC
 First Edition: 2017
© ARMARC Publications,
Aroor Educational Trust,
ALN Rao Memorial Ayurvedic Medical College,
Koppa-577126
Dist.: Chikmagalur, Karnataka, India

Patron: Aroor Ramesh Rao

All rights are reserved. No Parts of this book

can be reproduced or stored in information
system without prior written permission of Author.
 CONTENTS
Research Methodology
Preface i-ii

1. Research in Ayurveda 1 - 16

Definition and etymology of Anveshana, Gaves-

hana, Prayeshana, Anusandhan, Shodha 1-2

Pramanas as tools of reaseach in Ayurveda 2-8

Historical background of research in Ayurveda 8-11
Scopes of research in Ayurveda 11-12
Reasons of need of research in Ayurveda 13-15

Importances and utilities of research in Ayurveda 15-16

2. Research and Types of Research 18-31

Definition, objectivity and goal of research 18-20

Types of research 20-23

Differences between qualitative and quantitative 24-25
research; merits and demerits of mixed research

Meaning of observation in research; types of ob- 25-26

servations and their link with potential issues in
research
Observation and interventional study designs and 26-30
their types
 Preclinical and clinical research designs 30-31

3. Research Processes 33-48

Research problem, selection of topic and its im- 33-35

portances

Review of literature and its importances 35-37

Hypothesis, its characteristics, ways of its testing 37-39
and its importances

Aims and objectives, their characteristics, points 39-40

to write them and their importances

Materials and methods, steps to write them and 40-42

their importances

Result/observation, its features, steps to write re- 42-44

sult/observation and its importances

Discussion, steps to write discussion and its im- 44-45

portances

Conclusion, steps to write conclusion and its im- 45-46

portances

Communication of research and methods of com- 46-48

munication
4. Concept of Ethics in Research and Importances
of Ethics in Research 50-51

5. Concept of Evidence Based Medicine (EBM),

Steps of EBM, Advantages and
Disadvantages of EBM 53-54

6. Scientific Writing, Its Purpose and Basic

Structure 56-57

7. Importances of IT (Information Technology)

in Data Mining and Research Portals in
Ayurveda 59-63

Importances of IT in Data mining 59-60

Research data portal concerned with Ayurveda
and contemporary medicine, steps to search data
using such portals

DHARA, Pubmed, Ayush ResearchPortal, 61-63

Bioinformatics Center Research Management
Informatics System
 Medical Statistics
1. Introduction of Statistics 67-72
Statistics and its characteristics 67-68
Medical statistics, its importances and scopes 68-70
Functions and limitations of statistics 70
Statistical enquiry and its stages 69-72
2. Sample and Population 74-75
Difference between sample and population 74
Sample, use of sample, main objectives and
theory of sampling 74-75
3. Data and Variable 77-100
Data, types of data 77-79
Methods of data collection 79-81
Variables and types of variables 81
Data presentation and its importances 82
Tabulation and parts of table 82-84
Requisite of good table, types of table 84-85
Advantages of diagrammatic and graphical
presentation, differences between diagrams and
graphs. 85-86
Rules for constructing diagrams, types of diagrams 86-87
Line diagram or line chart 88
 Bar diagram, important points to draw a bar dia-
gram, types of bar diagram. 88-93
Two-dimensional diagrams and their types,
contruction of pie diagram/chart 94-96
Histogram, difference between histogram and bar
diagram 96-97
Frequency polygon, frequency curve, pictogram,
cartogram 98-100
4. Central Tendency 102-110
Measures of location and measures of disper-
sion, measures of central tendency and mea-
sures of spread 102
Statistical average, its uses and desirable
properties 102-103
Mean, median, mode, geometric mean,
harmonic mean, range and interquartile range,
percentile, variance and standard deviation 103-110
5. Probability 112-121
Concept of probability with mathematical or
priori approach and relative frequency or
empirical approach. 112-113
Definition of experiment and random
experiment, trial and event, exhaustive cases,
 favourable cases to events, mutually exclusive
events or cases, equally likely cases, indepen-
dent events, set, null set, sub-set, universal set,
outcome, addition theory of points. 113-114
Axiomatic probability, conditional probability,
addition theory of probability, multiplication
theory of probability, Bayes’ theorem 114-117
Normal distribution and its probability density
function and important properties 117-1119
Test of significance 119
Significance level, P-values mean in hypothesis
test, statistical significance 119-120
Type ‘I’ error, Type ‘II’ error 120-121

6. Statistical Tests 123-145

Nonparametric tests, advantages and disadvan-
tages of nonparametric tests, differences
between nonparametric and parametric tests 123-124
Corresponding nonparametric tests relevant to
parametric tests. 124-125
Skewness, different types of skewness,
kurtosis. 125-126
Correlation, types of correlation, causes of
correlation 126-127
 Methods of studying correlation, Karl
Pearson’s coefficient of correlation 128-129
Wilcoxon rank-sum test, Wilcoxon signed-rank
test, Kruskal-wallis test, Spearman’s rank
correlation coefficient, McNemar’s test,
Chi square 129-134
Student’s t-test, its probability density function,
its chief properties 134-135
T-test and application of t-distribution 135-136
Types of t-test 136-137
Z-test, its properties and application 137-139
F-statistic, its properties and application 140
ANOVA 140-142
Assumptions of ANOVA, application and
properties of ANOVA 142
Principles of ANOVA 142-144
Post hoc tests and their uses 144-145

7. Statistical Software 147-149

Statistical software, importances of statistical
software, commonly used statistical software 147-149
 Preface

Any of scientists, businessmen, students, politicians etc.

comes across research in his/her daily life by means of gathering
information, analyzing them and processing for better result with or
without knowing about the methodology or design. None of them
can negate the importance and utility of research and statistics. For
better performance and yield, we need to understand the
methodology or design of research with cognition of statistical
aspects. Students feel problem in apprehension with complexities
of subjects, so it becomes necessary to remind the students that
the original idea is simple and graspable.
Present book is directed at undergraduate and
postgraduate students from medical science (BAMS, MBBS) and
pharmaceutical science. It may also be helpful to researchers to
design their projects. The effort made in this book is to simplify the
subject for understanding and use at basic level. For the purpose,
topics are explained in terms of probable raising questions and
their answers. The book is segmented in research methodology
and medical statistics parts with appreciation of easy perceiving.7
chapters are included in each of Research Methodology and
Medical Statistics section.
Research is not new to Indian medicine, so the chapter
starts with citations of research in different ancient texts. Relevance
of those citations with present research methodology is time-tested.
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Illustrations are inserted at appropriate place for understanding.
Research designs are classified with basic consideration of aim of
research. Instructions about important points to write the research
processes are mentioned. Idea about medical ethics, evidence based
medicine, scientific writing etc. are presented. Tools and techniques
to utilize the information technology for research are added.
In Medical Statistics portion, other than the introduction
of statistics and medical statistics, basic information of data and
use of proper data collection methods are given. It is observed
that many of researchers lack the information about the appropriate
technique of data presentation, so it is made easy to understand
and opt with suitable one. Important parametric and nonparametric
tests are shown to be selected according to taken research problems
and research design. Some of commonly used statistical softwares
are quoted with idea to use for the purpose of statistical analysis.
I am grateful to all of them who enabled me to shape this
work as book. Story starts with my god, Lord Hanuman, who
shows the path for creation. A great inspiration came from the
president of Aroor Educational Trust, Honourable Aroor
Ramesh Rao sir, his wife Smt. Shantha Rao and his son Shri
Arvind Rao sir. Any thankfulness in words is less for them. Right
from beginning of my study in research since last 17 years, my
father Shri Bimal Chandra Jha taught me to share the knowledge
to world in very simplified way what maximum of persons can
easily get. I have tried my best to make the subject as well as

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language used with this book easier. I am thankful to you. Other
than my wife, my mother and other family members, lots of people
encouraged at a time or many times for creative works related
with my research projects. My gratitudes are always there with
you all. I appreciate and extend my thankfulness to all my students
who insisted to bring my teachings of their classes in book form.

Koppa: 2nd January 2017 Dr. Prashant Kumar Jha

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