L2: Developing research questions and study plan

Question 1

How do we use the FINER criteria to develop a good research question?

Answer 1

Feasible: adequate number of subjects, adequate technical expertise, affordable in time and money, manageable in scope

Interesting: Intrigues investigator, peers and scientific community

Novel: Confirms, refutes or extends previous findings, provides new findings

Ethical: Amenable to IRB approval

Relevant: To scientific knowledge, to clinical and health policy and to future research

Question 2

How do we apply the PICOT approach to frame a research question?

Answer 2

Population
Intervention 
Comparison 
Outcome 
Timeframe

Question 3

How do we construct a hypothesis from a research question?

Answer 3

Hypothesis is a speculative statement that suggests an answer to the research question.
It must be testable.

Question 4

How do we formulate study objectives from a research question?

Answer 4

A study objective is the aim that the investigator sets out to achieve with the research e.g. to investigate the clinical efficacy of LIPUS in the management of PT symptoms

Question 5

How do we develop a study plan?

Answer 5

• write an outline of the study plan

- write research proposal