Chapter 2

Question 1

A good first step toward selecting a research topic is to think about the various questions about health that have arisen from

Answer 1

personal experiences, coursework, clinical or public health practice, and informal reading about subjects of interest

Question 1

Practical questions about who, where, when, what, why, and how often point toward unmet demand for

Answer 1

descriptive studies, needs assessments, program evaluations, clinical effectiveness studies, and other types of health-related research

Question 2

Interests

Answer 2

What are my interests? What health-related conditions have significantly affected me, my family, my friends, my patients or clients, my community, and/or other populations that I care about?

Question 3

Aptitudes

Answer 3

What knowledge and skills do I already have? What topics am I prepared to study in depth? What methods am I prepared to apply? What methods am I eager to learn?

Question 4

Applications

Answer 4

What studies would help improve health-related practices or policies? What are the gaps in the literature that I can fill?

Question 5

Mentors

Answer 5

What are the areas of expertise of my supervisors, professors, and/or other mentors? What source populations and/or data sources might be available to me through professors, supervisors, colleagues, and other personal and professional contacts?

Question 6

Goals of brainstorming

Answer 6

The first step of the mapping process. To create a list of possible topics not to eliminate any ideas

Question 7

MeSH

Answer 7

Medical Subject Headings