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Research

Research lifecycle

This guide will help you with the key stages of the research lifecycle:
Clarifying your research question
Where to look? Identifying appropriate information sources and databases 
Effective searching
Evaluating the information you find (including evidence summaries and systematic reviews)
Managing the information you find (including Endnote)
Getting published
Measuring your research impact (and polishing your research profile)
Keeping up to date.
Getting funding

Don't forget Library staff are here to help you. Contact your Library to make an appointment for a research consultation.
See also the WSLHD Research and Education Network web pages for assistance with research ethics and governance, statistics and more.

 

Conducting research

Research is "diligent, systematic inquiry or investigation to validate and refine existing knowledge and generate new knowledge" (p. 233 Research into practice / Crookes & Davies (Eds), 2004)) and should be "a normal aspect of professional nursing and health care practice" (p. xii, ibid)

The research lifecycle outlines the various stages and activities of a research project. The process begins with an idea; the idea should be framed in current research, identified gaps and clinical relevance. The question can emerge from your clinical observations, anecdotes you hear, identified trends and patterns you see. Its ok not to be clear exactly what you want to do. You can talk to people about your general idea and develop it.  Choose a topic that interests you so you can stay committed! 

The next step is to formulate the research question using a model such as PICO. This will enable you to conduct a literature search to establish what research has already been undertaken on this topic and where the gaps lie. You can continue to refine your question and discuss with mentors, people with relevant experience, experts knowledgeable about research methodology and statisticians.  Then you can develop your research methodology and draft your research protocol. 

 

Research design

What kind of research is appropriate for my study?

  • Basic or discovery science - identifies and develops understanding of new phenomena. 
  • Applied science - develops basic science findings so that they can be applied to real world settings
  • Translational research - aims to "translate" basic and applied research into meaningful health outcomes
  • Implementation research - identifies methods to improve the uptake of evidence-based findings into routine practice

What method will I use?

  • Exploratory:  An exploratory design is conducted about a research problem when there are few or no earlier studies to refer to. The focus is on gaining insights and familiarity for later investigation or undertaken when problems are in a preliminary stage of investigation.
  • Observational:  Researchers observe subjects and measure variables of interest without assigning treatments to the subjects. The treatment that each subject receives is deemed beyond the control of the investigator. 
  • Experimental: Researchers apply treatments to experimental units (people, animals, plots of land, etc.) and then proceed to observe the effect of the treatments on those experimental units. A blueprint of the procedure is intended to enable the researcher to maintain control over all factors that may affect the result of an experiment. In doing this, the researcher attempts to determine or predict what may occur. True experiments must have control, randomization, and manipulation.

Analysis methods:

  • Quantitative models: e.g. randomised controlled trials (RCTs), cohort, and pre-post studies, case-control, cross-sectional surveys
  • Qualitative models: e.g. grounded theory, phenomenology, ethnography, thematic analysis, may be individual interviews or focus groups
  • Mixed methods: combined and / or complementary quantitative and qualitative. Uses both quantitative and qualitative methods to inform and / or complement the other
  • Case control: compares people who have the outcome of interest (cases) with people who do not (controls). Usually matched on potentially confounding lifestyle and demographic variables. Retrospective data on potential risk factors is used to identify whether there may be a relationship between the risk factor and the outcome
  • Cohort study: prospectively follows participants who have and have not been exposed to a particular factor to identify whether that factor may be associated with the outcome of interest
  • Randomised controlled trials: randomised controlled trials (RCTs) limit the potential for biases by randomly assigning people to different groups e.g. intervention and placebo groups. RCTs may not be suitable in all cases
  • Systematic reviews and meta-analyses: synthesise all relevant published and unpublished studies that fit the review inclusion criteria which are designed to minimise bias and ensure reliability.
  • Meta-analysis is a statistical technique used in systematic reviews to combine the findings from different studies
  • Qualitative studies: interviews and focus groups
  • Cross-sectional: a type of observational study that collects data from a specific population at one point in time e.g. surveys, audits

Reporting guidelines: There are now a number of internationally recognised reporting guidelines which can inform research design: