Formulation of study

variables & research

objectives
 represent information that
Variables must be collected in order
to meet the objectives of
a study

• Measurable characteristics of a person, object or phenomenon which can

take on different values
• Weight
• Distance Continuous variable or
• Monthly income numeric variables
• Number of children

• Colour Categorical
• Outcome of disease
variables
• Types of food
• Sex
• Variables allow clear definition of the core problem and influencing factors by
introducing the concept of value
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Scale of variable measurement
• Continuous variable
• continuum of measurement.

• Ordinal variables
• categorical variables with categories that can be ranked in increasing or
decreasing order (high, medium or low income)
Disability
Severity of diseases
Agreement with statement

• Nominal variables
• categorical variables with categories that cannot be ranked in order
Sex
Food crops
Colour
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 Operationalizing of variables
• Some variables are not measurable unless they are made operational with one
or more precise indicators.
• Operationalising variables means making them measurable.
• For Example: Variable- “Level of Knowledge or intelligence” – cannot be
measured as it is.
• One must then develop a series of questions to assess the person's knowledge.
• The way the person answers the questions forms an indicator of the person’s
level of knowledge about an issue and that can be categorized.

Ask 10 question on a particular topic..e.g., Radiation protection principles

For Example
Use the following categories:
0 to 3 answers correct “Poor”
4 to 6 answers correct “Reasonable”
7 to 10 answers correct “Good” 4
Operationalizing variables
Social class may be assessed based on
• Occupation
• Education
• Income
• Crowding index,
• Residence
• Home amenities
• Self perception

Clearly define the variables

• Age (age to the nearest year or age at last birthday?)
• Waiting time in a clinic (from time of entering clinic or
from time of getting a card?) 5
Dependent and Independent Variable

• Dependent variable
• Describes or measures the problem of the study
Class performance
HIV prevalence
Incidence of hospital acquired infections (nosocomial infections)

• Independent variables
• Describes or measures factors that are assumed to cause or at
least influence the problem
• Mother’s education
• Occupation
• Residential area
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The Relationship between Independent and
Dependent Variables
 Example

The higher the temperature of water, the faster

an egg will boil.
• Independent variable
• temperature of water.
• Dependent variable
• time to cook an egg.
FACTORS AND VARIABLES
• Looking at the analysis diagram, you will notice that what we called
“Factors” can be transformed into variables.
• Factors are variables that have “negative values”.

While factors are stated in negative form

variables must be stated in neutral form to
allow both negative and positive values
Transforming factors into variables

Insufficient
Peripheral
patient
Poor patient High rate of Peripheral
Compliance facilities
Complicated facilities
With malaria
therapy

Inappropriate
Management Delayed
Management rate
High rate
Of Health
Health
Of Of severe
complications Seeking
Seeking
complications malaria
behaviour
Simplified problem diagram
Poor
supply
supply
of
of spares
spares Poor
conditions
of vehicles
High incidence of
Inapprpreate Road accidents
cellUse of
phones
Poor
cellphones
use conditions
conditions
of
of roads
roads
Poorly
Training
trained
of
drivers
Poor drivers Corrupt
Alcohol
Alcohol licensing
Drivers’
driver licensing
uptake
abuse system
judgement
skills system
Study objectives
 What is a research objective?
• Research objective is a concrete statement
describing what the research is trying to
achieve.
• focuses on the ways to measure the
variables, such as to identify or describe
them.
• summarize what is to be achieved by the
study.
Why do we need research objectives?
• To focus the study and narrow it down to its essentials
• To avoid collection of data which is not necessary for understanding
& solving the problem defined.
• To facilitate the development of research methodology, plan the
collection, analysis, interpretation, & utilization of data.
Types of objectives
• General Objectives
• Specific Objectives
General objective(s)
• Broad goals to be achieved.
• State what the researcher expects to achieve by the study in
general terms.
• General objectives are usually less in number.
• They may also be referred to as the “Aim(s)” of the study
Specific objectives
• They are short term and narrow in focus.
• general objectives are broken into small logically connected parts to
form specific objectives.
• Specific objectives clearly specify what the researcher will do in the
study, where and for what purpose the study is done
How to state the objectives?
• Objectives should be clearly phrased in operational terms, specifying
exactly what the researcher is going to do, where and for what
purpose
• Use action verbs that are specific enough to be measured (to
determine, to compare, to explore, to calculate, to describe, to find
out, to establish etc.)
• Avoid the use of vague non-action verbs such as to appreciate, to
understand, to study, to believe etc…
• The objective should cover the different aspects of the problem and
its contributing factors in a coherent way and in a logical sequence.
General objective example
• General objective: To assess the knowledge of staff nurses working in
the radiology department regarding radiation protection.
• Specific objective:
• To determine the level of knowledge of nurses in radiology dept. regarding
radiation protection
• To evaluate the effectiveness of extended teaching on radiation protection
among nurses.
Specific Objectives and variables

• To determine the radiographic features that the Nakayama

view demonstrates better than the standard lateral hip view in
evaluation of hip injuries.
• To compare the image quality of the lateral hip radiograph
when using the air-gap and anti-scatter grid techniques.
• To evaluate the effects of weeds on the yield of crops in
farming.

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 For your group study state…

1. Formulate study variables and classify them as dependent and

independent variables.
2. Which variables can be measured as they are & which need to be
operationalized by choosing indicators?
3. What definitions are needed for the variables & indicators?
4. Formulate 2-3 clear and focused research objectives

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