RESEARCH: A Way of Thinking
motivation to work among health
RESEARCH
 Undertaken within most professions
More than a set of skills: it is a way of
thinking
 Critically examine various aspects of the
profession
 Understand and formulate guiding
principles that govern a particular
procedure
 Develop and test new theories that
enhance the profession
 It is a habit of QUESTIONING It is an
empirical examination to find answer
 To institute CHANGE Effective
professional SERVICE
APPLICATION OF RESEARCH
Can be looked at from the perspective
of:
• The service provider
• The service consumer/patient
• The service administrator, manager,
or planner
• The professional
In the Field of Health:
 What are some of the most
common conditions prevalent
among my patients?
 What are the heath needs of the
community?
 How satisfied are the patients with
the service?
 How effective is the health service?
 How can the health service be
improved?
As supervisor, Administrator, Manager:
 How many cases in a day can a
worker handle?
 What are strengths and
weaknesses of the services?
 How can we improve our services
to our patients?
 What are factors that affect the
personnel?
As Health Professional:
 What is the most effective
intervention for a particular
condition?
 What is the relationship between
two phenomena?
 Which is the best way to find out
the effectiveness of a particular
treatment?
As a Patient or Consumer:
 How effective is the health service
that I am receiving?
 Am I getting value for money?
 How well-trained are the health
personnel?
CHARACTERISTICS OF RESEARCH
1. Controlled - Minimize the effect of
other factors on the relationship of
variables
2. Rigorous - Ensure that the procedures
are strictly followed
3. Systematic - Procedures follow logical
sequence
4. Valid and Verifiable - Conclusion is
based on findings
5. Empirical Conclusions are based upon
hard evidences collected from real life
experiences and observations
6. Critical Process employed must be
foolproof and free from any drawbacks
TYPES OF RESEARCH
Three Perspectives:
•Application of the research study
•Objectives in undertaking the research
•Type of information sought
TYPES OF RESEARCH BASED ON ITS
APPLICATION
1. PURE RESEARCH
  Involves developing and testing
theories and hypotheses that are
intellectually challenging to the
researcher
 Also concerned with the development,
examination, verification, and
refinement of research methods,
procedures, techniques, and tools that
form the body of research methodology
Examples: Developing a sample technique
Developing methodology that assess the validity
of procedure Developing an instrument
2. APPLIED RESEARCH
 Research techniques, procedures, and
methods are applied to the collection of
information about various aspects of a
situation, issue, problem or
phenomenon
Example:
Application research results for:
•Health policy formulation
•Health Administration
•Enhancement of understanding of a medical
problem
3. DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH
 Attempts to describe systematically a
situation, problem, phenomenon,
service or program, living condition of a
community, attitudes toward an issue
Example:
•Describe the type of service provided by a
hospital
•Administrative structure of a local health unit
•Needs of the community
•Attitudes of health personnel toward hospital
management
4. CORRELATIONAL RESEARCH
 Its purpose is to discover or establish
the existence of a relationship/
association/ interdependence between
two or more aspects of situation
Example:
 What is the relationship between
stressful living and the incidence of
heart attacks?
 What is the relationship between
technology and medical diagnosis?
 What is the impact of evidence-based
practice on the on the quality of health
care delivery?
5. EXPLANATORY RESEARCH
 Attempt to clarify why and how there is
a relationship between two aspects of
situation or phenomenon
Example:
 Why stressful living results in heart
attacks?
 How the home environment affects
student’s level of academic
achievement?
 Why the use of electronic gadgets
results to increase in the incidence of
mental health problems?
6. EXPLORATORY RESEARCH
 Carried out to investigate the
possibilities of undertaking a particular
research study
 Also called ‘feasibility study” or “pilot
study”
 A small-scale study is undertaken to
decide if it is worth carrying out a
detailed investigation
TYPES OF RESEARCH BASED ON ITS
INFORMATION SOUGHT
Criteria:
a. Purpose of the study
b. How the variables are measures
c. How the information is analyzed
1. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
 The primary purpose is to describe a
situation, phenomenon, problem or
events without quantifying it
Examples:
 • Description of an observed situation
• Historical enumeration of events
• Accounts of different opinions of people
about an issue
• Description of the living condition of a
community

2. QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
 Involves quantifying the variations in a
phenomenon, situation, problem or
issue
 Information is gathered predominantly
quantitative variables
 Analysis is geared to ascertain the
magnitude of variations
Example: How many people have a
particular problem? How many people hold
a particular attitude?