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Health Research Proposal Writing L1 +1 PDF
Health Research Proposal Writing L1 +1 PDF
V. Nadine Gall
Dr. Peter Faris
The examples provided throughout this document have been summarized from
successful research proposals (references below). The examples are intended
to give you a sense of how to write the various sections and suggestions re the
format. It is important to note that these examples are merely ‘summaries’ of the
various sections, so may not represent the full detail that review committees will
be looking for.
References:
Verhoef MJ, Boon HS, Mutasingwa DH. The scope of practice of naturopathic
medicine in Canada: An emerging profession. Soc Sci Med 2006; 63; 409-417
Acknowledgements:
Special thanks to Dr. Sue Ross, Dr. Marja Verhoef, Dr. Magali Robert, Christy
Woolcott, Tanis Fenton, Dr. Cathie Scott, and Judy Seidel for their contributions
in developing this document.
We welcome your feedback about this document. Please let us know how
you are using it:
Contact:
The Centre for Advancement of Health
602 South Tower, 1403 29th Street NW, Calgary AB
(403) 944-1093
E-Mail: vngall@ucalgary.ca
Title……………………………………………………………………….. 6
Study Problem / Purpose………………………………………………. 6
Relevance / Study Rationale………………………………………….. 7
Literature Review……………………………………………………….. 8
Research Objectives / Research Question………………………….. 9
Study Methods
Study Design ……………………………………………………………. 10
Subjects …………………………………………………………………. 12
Allocation of Study Groups and Intervention ……………………….. 14
Variables / Data Collection……………………………………………. 15
Statistical Analysis and Sample Size………………………………… 18
Ethical Considerations…………………………………………………. 22
Limitations ……………………………………………………………… 24
Budget ………………………………………………………………….. 25
General Tips…………………………………………………………….…….. 25
Potential Audience:
Funders, committees overseeing institutional approval (science, ethics),
thesis committees etc.
Informative title
Clear research questions
Thorough and relevant background
Convincing rationale/significance
Clearly defined (and measurable) research objectives
Appropriate population and sample
Appropriate measurement and intervention methods
Adequate sample size
Sound analysis plan
Ethical issues well addressed
Tight budget
Realistic timelines
Research Questions/Objectives
No Hypotheses Hypotheses
(Exploratory Research) (Explanatory Research)
Study Methods Potential biases
Feasibility
Cost
Study Design Level of Evidence (Causal Inference)
Ethics
Survey Cohort Case-Control Survey Cohort Case-Control Randomized
Study Study Study Study Control Trial
Relevance to questions/hypotheses
Be Consistent!
Confounding
Justification in literature/practice
Variables Psychometric properties
Variables of Interest Primary Outcome(s)
(Covariates) Secondary Outcome(s) Who will be studied?
Covariates How will you select and recruit them?
How will you allocate them to groups?
Subjects
Can your study detect meaningful effects?
How precise will estimates be?
Precision (Power) Sample Size Calculations
Power
How will you record, store, reduce data?
Data Analysis How will you assess data quality?
Descriptive (Inferential) Inferential (Descriptive) What statistical analyses will you use?
Proposal
5 Writing 2006 NG
Centre for Advancement of Health
HEALTH RESEARCH PROPOSAL WRITING
Title
The title should be informative, succinct and interesting. It should include the
population of interest and the condition/issue being investigated.
Example 1
Title: “The Scope of Naturopathic Practice: An Emerging Profession”
Reference: Verhoef MJ, Boon HS, Mutasingwa DH. The scope of practice of naturopathic medicine in
Canada: An emerging profession. Soc Sci Med 2006; 63; 409-417
Example 2
Common Pitfalls
– A title that is too brief or too long
– Use of incorrect terminology
– Not specifying the population of interest
Keys to success:
– Relevant
– Clear
– Logically argued
The purpose of this study is to compare outcome up to one year following surgery
for stress incontinence using Trans-Obdurator Tape (TOT) versus Tension-free
Vaginal Tape (TVT).
Keys to success
– Lead reviewers to answer the above questions.
– Should be reasonable given the proposed study
– Literature review will demonstrate that the research is justified
– Granting agencies may have specific priority areas, be sure to
explain how your study fits into those areas.
Relevance / Rationale
The results of this study will identify the degree of variation in naturopaths’ practices, as
well as the potential degree of overlap with other practitioners’ scope of practice. This
information is important in the debate about the profession’s identity, its role in the
Canadian health care system and the development of new health care professions. The
study results will also generate important information with respect to evaluating and
further developing national training programs. This study will allow collection of
baseline data that can be used to track the development of naturopathic medicine as a
profession over the coming years.
Relevance/ Rationale
Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common and distressing problem, affecting approximately
30 to 40% of older women.1-2 Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is the most common
type of UI in women.2 Conservative treatments include pelvic floor muscle training, and
urethral or vaginal devices.3 However conservative treatments are often unsuccessful,
and surgery becomes a possible solution.
…..
Following the introduction of TVT, it has gradually become the surgery of choice across
much of Canada, including Calgary, and increasing numbers of women have been able to
undergo surgery. TOT, as a new procedure, is being enthusiastically promoted by the
manufacturers of the surgical devices used to carry out the procedure. However we need
proper independent evaluation to determine which surgical approach is best for women.
……
Before introducing TOT into clinical practice in Calgary, all clinicians have agreed not to
use TOT outside the context of a randomized trial. If a trial is not undertaken, it is likely
that TVT will remain the procedure of choice for stress incontinence, and that women in
Calgary may be denied the optimum surgical treatment.
ETC…..
Literature Review
A critical summary of research on a topic of interest, generally prepared to put a
research problem in context or to identify gaps and weaknesses in prior studies
so as to justify a new investigation. Generally starts off broadly addressing the
problem then becoming more narrow and leading to your specific research
question(s).
This is your chance to build a case for doing your study!
Justify the statements that you have made in your Relevance/Rationale
section.
Reviewers will be looking to see whether your proposed work is
appropriate for the level of knowledge currently existing in that area.
Keys to success:
- Identify gaps in knowledge or controversies
- Focused on and leading naturally to your research questions/objectives
- Be thorough, relevant, and up-to-date
- Use primary sources of original research
- Synthesize and be critical
- Provide local background
Often includes:
– Population of interest (person, place, time)
– Variables (independent and dependent)
– Relationship between variables being investigated
Keys to success:
– Be clear and consistent
– Generally have only one or two primary research objectives
– Include the independent and dependent variables, if applicable
– Your objectives must be measurable.
– Objectives must be Relevant or novel (as you’ve established in the
literature review!).
– If it is a pilot study, state clearly the pilot objectives (e.g., testing the
feasibility of the study procedures, patient adherence to the study
protocol, drop-out rates etc.).
Research Questions:
METHODS
Study Design
Issues to consider in design
– Exploratory versus explanatory research
– Potential biases that may emerge
– Feasibility (logistics)
– Cost
– Level of evidence, limitations
– Ethics
Types of Designs:
Descriptive (Survey, cross-sectional, correlational)
Observational/analytic
– Cohort studies
Quote of the Day:
Prospective
“My life is an experiment I never had the
Retrospective
chance to properly design”
– Case-control studies (Diana Ballard)
Interventional
– Quasi-experimental
– Randomized controlled trials
Keys to success:
– Clearly identify the type of design and justify your choice
– Describe using standard terminology
– Make sure what you have named your study fits with what will be
done
Study Design
The study design will consist of two components: 1) a survey of licensed Canadian
naturopathic practitioners; and 2) an analysis of pertinent national and provincial
documents in the public domain.
Research Design:
The proposed study is a randomized controlled trial in which women with stress
incontinence will be allocated either to receive either TOT or TVT procedures. The
main outcome is effectiveness of the procedure, determined using a 1-hour pad test,
and women will be followed up for 1 year after surgery. The study will be carried
out according to the ICH Good Clinical Practice Guidelines. All seven surgeons
participating in the trial are competent to undertake both the TOT and TVT
procedures.
Hospital outcomes, including length of stay (hours for those passed to home care, days
for any who require longer hospital stay) and surgical complications will be documented
from hospital charts. All women receive a 6-week follow-up as standard of care: a
structured data collection form will be used by surgeons to collect information on short-
term outcome. At 12 months postoperatively, women will be asked to attend hospital for
objective measurement of incontinence, and to complete a questionnaire: by that time,
women will have recovered from surgery, and their incontinence (if remaining) will have
stabilised.
Subjects
Who will you study? Why?
Specify eligible subjects
- Target population: clinical & demographic characteristics
- Accessible population: temporal & geographic characteristics
Keys to success:
– Clearly describe the study population
– Provide appropriate inclusion/exclusion criteria
– Justify the use of the study population and the sampling method
(consider potential bias, generalizability)
Study Subjects
SURVEY: The study group will consist of all licensed naturopathic practitioners
(approximately 400) in Canada. Addresses will be obtained from a database maintained
by the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. Letters of support have been
obtained from the Canadian Naturopathic Association and the Canadian College of
Naturopathic Medicine.
(Note: no inclusion/exclusion criteria - as all members of the target population are
eligible for inclusion in this case)
Patient Population:
All women who elect for surgical management of their type II stress incontinence
are eligible to participate in the trial. Evaluation of stress incontinence prior to
surgery will be carried out according to the SOGC guidelines.22
The woman’s clinician will briefly introduce the study, then the woman will be referred
to the study nurse not involved in the woman’s routine care, who will explain the trial in
full and provide detailed information. Women are free to consult with their family before
agreeing to join the study. Women who decide to join will sign a consent form.
5.2 Randomization
Randomization will take place on the day of surgery. Women will be allocated to one of
the two study groups: the TOT or TVT group.
Women will be randomized to one procedure or the other: participating surgeons are
competent to undertake both procedures, and so patients will receive their surgery from
their chosen surgeon. That is, patients are allocated to a procedure and not to a surgeon
who specialises in only one of the procedures. Neither surgeons nor patients will be
blinded to the treatment they receive, however both procedures are minimally invasive,
and the incisions required for the surgery are similarly small.
5.3 Intervention
Women in both groups will have their surgery performed according to the usual practice
of the operating surgeon. Anaesthesia will be either general or local, depending on the
clinical state and choice of the patient, and according to the usual clinical practice of the
anaesthetist. Where possible, the operations will be planned as day procedures.
Randomization/Random Selection
Common Pitfall
We will randomize 50 patients to either treatment or control group.
During the 4 weeks of the study, it is estimated that approximately 80
patients will be eligible. Therefore, a random sample of fifty will be
chosen.
Data Collection
1) SURVEY:
Primary Variables (what will be measured):
• Scope of practice (treatment modalities, types of health conditions treated, referral
practices)
Other Relevant Variables:
• Sociodemographic information (age, gender, marital status, membership of
professional organization, and license status)
• Practice Characteristics (number of years in practice, location of practice,
involvement in teaching/research, number of patients seen each week)
• Education
Measurement Tool:
The questionnaire was developed by the research team and has used valuable information
by Boon (5) in qualitative interviews with Canadian Naturopaths. A draft copy of the
questionnaire is included for review, along with discussion of the psychometric
properties. The questionnaire will be pre-tested using a number of naturopaths, as well as
independent assessors representing medicine, research, a wide range of other health
professions, and government.
At the end of the test the collecting device is removed and weighed
Etc… (Data collection methods provided separately for each secondary outcome)
– Base the sample size on the primary objective(s) and on the test of
significance that will be used to test your primary study hypothesis.
– If you have a fixed sample size, do a power calculation.
– If you are estimating a prevalence or mean score in a cohort study
or survey, justify the sample size on the widths of confidence
Analysis Plan
SURVEY: The data analysis will be mainly descriptive. Frequencies and summary
measures will be selected according to the level of measurement for each of the key
variables of interest (components of scope of practice, satisfaction with scope of practice
and training and preparedness for practice). If numbers are sufficient, contingency
analyses will be conducted to identify whether socio-demographic, education and
practice characteristics are associated with the key variables of interest. Depending on
the level of measurement Chi-squared (discrete data, difference in proportions), t-test
(continuous data) or one-way ANOVA will be used. Data will be analyzed using SPSS
software.
The quantitative results of the document analysis will be compared with the survey
participants’ responses in terms of descriptive summary measures. Where required (ie.
when documents reveal major differences across provinces), the responses of the survey
participants will be stratified by province.
We believe that we shall be able to recruit this number of patients in one year, based on
our previous TOT study, where we recruited 52 patients over the period of 3 months.
The importance of follow-up will be stressed to patients so that we can reduce the
possibility of drop-outs during the 12 month follow-up period.
7.2 Analysis
Analysis will be by intention to treat: that is, women will remain in the group to which
they have been allocated by randomization, no matter what surgery they receive. A
single analysis is planned: when all women have completed their 12 month follow-up.
Data forms will be checked prior to data entry, and range and logic checks carried out
regularly on entered data to ensure the quality of the data. Any results that appear to be
out of range or do not comply with the logic checks will be checked with the hospital or
clinic case notes and the woman’s surgeon.
Charlie Brown was addressing his baseball team at the end of the
season. He recited numerous dismal statistics such as: Runs scored
by us 12, by opponents 125! At the end of the speech he yells out:
“And what are we going to do about it?” ….to which the team
answers in unison:
Ethical Consideration
Keys to success
– Describe the recruitment procedures
– Describe procedures for maintaining subject privacy
– Follow the guidelines for your organisation (consent form
templates)
– Describe harms and benefits
– Describe alternatives to study participation
– If asking for a waiver of consent, justify explicitly why you cannot
get consent (HIA)
– If using a placebo group, make sure it fits into the TCPS guidelines
Ethical Considerations
An introductory letter will be included with the questionnaire and will describe the
purpose of the study, the research team, and confidentiality of the data (see Appendix X).
Follow-up letters are also included in Appendix X. Return of the questionnaire is
considered to be consent. Practitioners who do not respond to the questionnaire 6 weeks
after two reminder letters will be telephoned and asked for a brief telephone interview. A
script outlining how practitioners will be approached is included in Appendix Y.
Ethical considerations
All women considering taking part in the trial will be given a consent form describing the
surgical options being evaluated, and given ample time to consider whether they wish to
join the trial.
TOT will be offered to women in Calgary only as part of the trial: this is a new
technology, that has been evaluated in few very limited settings. It would be unethical to
open the use of this technology more widely until it has been more thoroughly tested.
However both procedures are currently in use in the Canadian health care system, and
therefore neither technique can be considered as experimental treatments.
An important consideration for the trial is ensuring that women are not coerced to take
part: it is for this reason that we have stipulated that a research nurse not involved in the
woman's care is assigned the task of describing the study to women and obtaining their
consent. Women may take as long as they wish to decide whether to take part in the
study, and are free to discuss their decision with friends, family members or their family
physician, before deciding.
The risks of taking part in the trial are the same as the usual risks of having surgery for
stress incontinence. The additional requirements of the trial over and above those
generally associated with stress incontinence surgery are an additional visit at 12 months
for pad testing and uroflow, and additional questionnaires prior to surgery and later about
the outcome of surgery and the associated costs.
Women may benefit from the closer follow-up required by the trial.
All data for the trial will be collected on data forms designed specifically for the trial.
Personal details will be collected to ensure that the research nurse can maintain contact
with the women over the full 12 months of follow-up. However these personal details
http://www.mediclicks.net/Nexium/cartoons.asp
Limitations
http://www.mediclicks.net/Nexium/cartoons.asp
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