A process of systematic investigation of a subject for the purpose of adding to the body of knowledge about that subject.

1. scientific Research
Dr. Dalia El-Shafei
Associate professor, Community Medicine Department, Zagazig University

2. What is the scientific Research?

3. What is the scientific Research?
A process of steps used to collect and analyze
information to increase our understanding of a
topic or an issue.
Includes any gathering of data, information and
facts for the advancement of knowledge.
When done among a group of population, its
called “an epidemiological research”.

4. Research
A process of systematic investigation of a subject for
the purpose of adding to the body of knowledge about
that subject.
It is a systemic way of thinking & knowing.

5. Research is a
process:
Carried out in
stages.
Investigation
is carried out
systematically:
Investigation is
planned.
Research is
intended to
add to the body
of knowledge:
Purpose of
research is to
inform

6. Importance of the scientific research

7. Why it is needed?
Builds
knowledge.
Impact on
health policy
& service
delivery.
Improves
daily
practice.

8. Health research has high values to societies.
Provide
important
information
Disease trends & risk
factors
Patterns of care
Outcomes of ttt or public
health interventions
Health care costs
& use

9. Has a significant role in the
information revolution.

10. Provide important
information about disease
nature, trends & risk
factors as well as new life
problems & events.

11. Provide important
information about outcomes of
ttt or public health
interventions for diseases &
health problems.

12. Provide valuable information
for reducing medical errors
by implementing health
information technology.

13. Lead to significant
discoveries that helps in
developing new therapies
& improving patient care
and public health.

14. Reduce morbidity &
mortality at reasonable
costs via new diagnosis &
ttt procedures.

15. Provide evidence for
policies & decisions on
health & development.

16. Medical doctors
Must understand & appreciate the research process.
Must be able to critically appraise scientific literatures. This is
very important today, since patients get all kinds of information
through the Internet; where there are so many articles out there,
and most of them are published without checking for quality.
Must know what is legitimate & what is not, as the patients will
ask about things they read about in the newspapers, or in
journals, or on the Internet.

17. Economists
Medical
research
Improved
health &
longevity
↑
Population
productivity
↑
National
economy

20. Overview of research process
Identification of
research
problem.
Reviewing the
literatures.
Determine
specific research
questions &
hypothesis and
specifying
research aim &
objectives.
Choosing the
study design &
sampling
method.
Data collection.
Analyzing &
interpreting the
data.
Reporting &
evaluating
research

21. Step (1):
Identification of the research problem

22. Overview of research process
Identification of
research
problem.
Reviewing the
literatures.
Determine
specific research
questions &
hypothesis and
specifying
research aim &
objectives.
Choosing the
study design &
sampling
method.
Data collection.
Analyzing &
interpreting the
data.
Reporting &
evaluating
research

23. Research problem
A problem or situation
that a researcher wants to
solve.
An area of concern where
there is a gap in the
knowledge base needed
for professional practices.

24. Research
problems begin
with an idea.
Once an idea has
been formulated,
you can then
brainstorm
about this idea.
The next step is
to review the
literatures.
Finally, you can
formulate the
research
question &
hypothesis.
The following steps may be
useful in defining the research
problem:

25. Sources of research problems
Practical
experience
Review of
literatures
Brainstorming Expert
consultation

26. Significance Researchability Feasibility
Criteria of selecting the problem

27. Criteria 1: Significance
The problem
studied should
advance
knowledge.
It should be recent
& new.
It must be
understandable to
others in the
scientific
community.
It should yield
significant
contributions to
the science or the
discipline in a
meaningful way.

28. Criteria 2: Researchability
A study problem
imply the
possibility of
empirical testing.

29. Criteria 3: Feasibility
Suitable Time
Availability of
subjects & their
cooperation
Cooperation of
related sectors &
personnel
Available facilities
& equipment
Money (sufficient
budget)
Experience of the
researcher
Acceptability &
ethical
considerations

30. Step 2:
Reviewing the literatures

31. Overview of research process
Identification of
research
problem.
Reviewing the
literatures.
Determine
specific research
questions &
hypothesis and
specifying
research aim &
objectives.
Choosing the
study design &
sampling
method.
Data collection.
Analyzing &
interpreting the
data.
Reporting &
evaluating
research

32. Literature Review
Identifies what is currently known about the subject under
study
Reflects relevant background information necessary to support
justification for the study.
An updated literature review is extremely important to validate the
need for a study.

33. Limitations in current thought regarding the problem may be
identified in this section.
The literature review section usually gives the reader background
information on a theoretical/conceptual framework, which
helps guide the study.

34. Purpose of a Review of Literature
Determines what is known & what is not known about a subject,
concept, or problem.
Determines gaps, consistencies, and inconsistencies in the
literatures about a subject, concept, or problem.
Discovers unanswered questions about a subject, concept, or
problem.
Describes the strengths & weaknesses of designs/methods used in
earlier work.
Generates useful research questions or problems for the discipline.
Determines an appropriate research design/method (instruments,
data collection, and data analysis methods) for answering the
research question

35. Step 3:
Determine specific research questions
& hypothesis and specifying research
aim & objectives.

36. Overview of research process
Identification of
research
problem.
Literature
review.
Determine
specific research
questions &
hypothesis and
specifying
research aim &
objectives.
Choosing the
study design &
sampling
method.
Data collection.
Analyzing &
interpreting the
data.
Reporting &
evaluating
research

37. A research question
An explicit query about a problem or issue that can be
challenged, examined, analyzed, and will yield useful new
information.
If a researcher makes a specific prediction regarding the
answers to the research questions, he or she poses a
hypothesis that is tested empirically.

38. Research question
Focused on a
single
problem or
issue.
Researchable
using 1ry
and/or 2ry
sources.
Feasible to
answer within
the timeframe
& practical
constraints.
Specific
enough to
answer
thoroughly.
Relevant to
your field of
study

39. Hypothesis
A statement
about the
expected
relationship
between
variables.
It is a
prediction of
expected
outcomes of
the research.
The problem
statement
identifies the
phenomena
of interest
(under study).
Predicts how
the
phenomena
will be
related.

40. Most research hypotheses fall into 2 broad categories:
Relationship between or
among variables “As values of
X change, so do values of Y”.
The onset of diabetes is related to
obesity.
The severity of diabetes is
positively related to obesity.
People or objects that differ
on X will also differ on Y.
Children who are normal weight
will have a later onset of diabetes
than children who are obese.
Obese diabetic adults will
experience more complications
due to diabetes than diabetic
adults who have normal weight.

41. Research problem vs Research question
Research
problem
• Major issue that leads to the need for a study
• This should come from the literature and is laid out in your
literature review.
Research
question
• Specific question which you are working to answer.
• Comes directly from the problem.
• Word it in one sentence!!
• May only address part of the problem.

42. Aim & Objectives
Aim
• Expresses in a single
sentence what you hope to
achieve at the end of a
research project.
• Focus on a research long-
term outcomes
• Relatively broad
• Single sentence or short
paragraph
Objectives
• The specific outcomes you
expect to achieve through
your research and most
importantly, the objectives
should be attainable
• Immediate, short-term
outcomes
• specific
• Should be written as a
numbered list

43. Characteristics of the objectives

45. Represent circumstances in which
professional judgments or actions regarding a
1ry interest, such as the responsibilities of a
medical researcher, may be at risk of being
unjustifiably influenced by a 2ry interest,
such as financial gain or career advancement.
1ry
interest
2ry
interest

46. Examples:
 A conflict between financial gain and meticulous completion
and reporting of a research study
 A conflict between responsibilities as an investigator and as a
treating physician for the same trial participant.
Declaring conflicts of interest is critical for maintaining the
integrity of unbiased professional editorial assessment of the
publications.

47. Step 4:
Choosing the study design & sampling
method

48. Overview of research process
Identification of
research
problem.
Reviewing the
literatures.
Determine
specific research
questions &
hypothesis and
specifying
research aim &
objectives.
Choosing the
study design &
sampling
method.
Data collection.
Analyzing &
interpreting the
data.
Reporting &
evaluating
research

49. The research design
The plan of how the
research question or
hypothesis is to be
tested.
Specifies the approach
that will be taken &
controls that will be used
to check different
explanations to the
results of the study.

50. Researchmethods
Quantitative
Observational
Descriptive
Analytical
Experimental
Qualitative Descriptive

51. Step 5&6:
Data collection & analysis

52. Overview of research process
Identification of
research
problem.
Reviewing the
literatures.
Determine
specific research
questions &
hypothesis and
specifying
research aim &
objectives.
Choosing the
study design &
sampling
method.
Data collection.
Analyzing &
interpreting the
data.
Reporting &
evaluating
research

53. Implementing the research
Collecting
the data.
Preparing
the data for
analysis.
Analyzing
the data.
Interpreting
the results

54. Step 7:
Reporting & evaluating research

55. Overview of research process
Identification of
research
problem.
Reviewing the
literatures.
Determine
specific research
questions &
hypothesis and
specifying
research aim &
objectives.
Choosing the
study design &
sampling
method.
Data collection.
Analyzing &
interpreting the
data.
Reporting &
evaluating
research

56. Utilizing the research & disseminating findings
Research report:
• Research abstract.
• Research published in journals.
• Papers – Thesis – Dissertations.
Utilization of findings:
• Application to clinical practice & education.

58. Overview of research process
Identification of
research
problem.
Reviewing the
literatures.
Determine
specific research
questions &
hypothesis and
specifying
research aim &
objectives.
Choosing the
study design &
sampling
method.
Data collection.
Analyzing &
interpreting the
data.
Reporting &
evaluating
research