L7 formulating objectives and research questions

L7 formulating objectives and research questions

1. Formulating Objectives & Research Questions Lecture 7 Level 8 Year 4

2. OBJECTIVES What are the research objectives? How to make research objectives SMART? Research Questions: What is a research question Criteria of a good research question Sources of research questions Elements of a research question Criteria for a bad research question Example of a research question WRITTEN AND COMPILED BY COURSE COMMITTEE 2

3. Why do we need OBJECTIVES ? These are the statements that establish what the research project should achieve after its completion Properly formulated specific objectives will facilitate: the development of the research methodology help to orient the collection, analysis, interpretation and utilization of data. WRITTEN AND COMPILED BY COURSE COMMITTEE 3

4. Classification of OBJECTIVES WRITTEN AND COMPILED BY COURSE COMMITTEE 4

5. GOAL /AIM : The goal is a short and general sentence defining: The overall aim of the project and the contribution of the project in a bigger context; thereby describing the purpose of the project. It is therefore a very general statement . WRITTEN AND COMPILED BY 5

6. EXAMPLE An example of a project goal may be: “TO STUDY THE FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN THE COLLEGE OF MEDICINE FOR THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2017/2018".

7. General vs. specific Objectives General objective (aka goal / aim ) Specific objectives It identifies in general terms, what is to be accomplished by the research project and why It state what is expected to be achieved by the study in general terms. Identify in greater details the specific aims of the research project; often breaking down what is to be accomplished into smaller logical components. the specific objectives are the breakdown of the general objectives into smaller logically connected parts

8. Good specific objectives : Objectives should be closely related to the statement of the problem. Cover all aspects of the problem and its contributing factors in a coherent way and in a logical sequence. Answering three questions (3 Ws) in operational terms, specifying exactly what ( work to be done), where (place) and when (time ). Realistic (feasible) with regard to local conditions (time period, financial resources etc .). Use of action verbs which can be measured e.g. determine, compare, verify , calculate , describe, measure, and identify. Avoidance of the use of vague non-action verbs such as appreciates, understand , study , notice, observe and believe.

9. specific objectives should be SMART S S pecific M M easurable A A chievable R R ealistic/ R esource T T ime-specific. It is good to include timelines in objective . However , If not in the objective, timelines can be defined in the indicator(s ) correspondent to that objective

10. EXAMPLE For the project goal : “TO STUDY THE EEFECT OF UTILIZING THE LIBRARY SERVICES ON THE STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN THE COLLEGE OF MEDICINE FOR THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2017/2018". Examples of Specific objectives: To compare the level of utilization of the library services among various levels of academic performance groups; To establish the pattern of utilization of the library services in two semesters of the year; To verify whether increasing use of library services increased the students’ grades in the academic year 207-2018; To describe students’ perception of the quality of the library services provided at the college .

11. Quick TASK Divide yourselves in groups of 4-5 Develop a research project goal LIST 3-5 specific objectives for your research project Present it to your colleagues

12. CLASSIFICATION OF OBEJCTIVES Depending on the research questions to be answered by the study specific objectives are either: Estimation objectives : Estimating certain features e.g. to determine incidence rates, prevalence rates , level of utilization of services etc ., Association objectives : Investigation of the association between a factor of interest and a particular incidence e.g. to identify whether there is association between the utilization of child welfare clinics, and the different seasons, or Evaluation objectives : Evaluate the effect of an intervention

13. Formulating a research question

14. 1. What is a research question A research question is a concise question which expresses what the research project aims to address; it is the question the researcher wishes to answer . The first step in any research project is to clearly define the research question, since it will be the basis for developing and conducting the research project.

15. 2. Criteria of a good research question Should attempts to fill a knowledge gap in the literature , Enough to be answerable and researchable Should be relevant to the study’s objective Should avoid duplication of previous work Should be feasible and cost effective should be doable within a specified time frame allocated for the research project. Moreover , it needs to meet the minimum ethical standards.

16. 3. Sources of research questions The researcher formulates a research question through different means. Literature reading might help a researcher identify the areas that need further study , and thus a hint towards a research question. Patients’ observation through clinical experience which might pose different researchable questions. Peers: previous research, journal clubs, and conferences

17. 4. Elements of a research question A "well-built" research question should include four elements of a research question that need to be addressed ; referred to as PICO The PICO concept is important in narrowing down the research question , providing search terms, and saving time in literature search.

18. PICO PICO letters stand for: a. P : P atient or P opulation . The first step in the PICO process is to identify the patients or population to be studied. More specifically, it describes patients’ characteristics , such as age, gender, disease status, or any other patient-related characteristic .

19. PICO (2) b. I: I ntervention to be tested. Identifying the intervention is the second step in the PICO process. It is important to identify the exposure intended to be studied in the research project. This may include the use of a specific diagnostic test, treatment, adjunctive therapy, medication, etc.

20. PICO (3) c. C: C omparison used in the research project. It is the alternative exposure to which the intervention will be compared, which might be the standard of care or a placebo. The comparison component is the only optional one in the PICO question, since the researcher might study the intervention alone because either due to no interest in comparison or the lack of a comparable group. d. O: O utcome to be measured as a result of the intervention. It is the evaluation of the intervention’s effect. This may include cure or level of control of a disease , efficacy of a medication or a diagnostic test, etc.

21. 6. Example of a research question Topic of interest : Narrowed topic: Focused topic: Women’s health Women and cancer Women smokers and breast cancer PICO: P = Women (age more than 35) I = Cigarette smoking C = No smoking O = Breast cancer

22. 5. Criteria for a bad research question Vagueness of the research question. The research question is too broad to reach conclusive results. The research question might fail to reveal the relevance of the topic under investigation. Other criteria which are related to the logistic aspects of the study, such as the time needed to carry out the study, high cost with limited funding, limited resources such as availability of expertise, special equipment, and/or information. Research question might be limited by ethical considerations or requirement of authorities’ approval.

23. GROUP WORK Within the same groups you made in the previous task, using the same topic you chose: Develop one PICO research questions for your topic

24. References Introduction to Clinical Research for Residents, Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, 2014 National Ministry Of Health in collaboration with the World Health Organization, Health Research Methodology: a guide for Researchers Part I, December 2010 Health Research Methodology- A Guide for Training in Research Methods, 2 nd Ed WHO, 2001 24