Developing A Research Question

Before you follow the guide....

Take some time and read the following article which looks into creating a research question, hypotheses and objectives: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2912019/

Develop a Research Question, Aims and Objectives

Where to begin? Pick a topic of interest........

Pick a topic of interest and search the University Library, PubMed (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/) or Google Scholar (https://scholar.google.com/) with some keywords and see what comes up. Take a look at the abstracts of relevant papers and read the “Aim” of the study. This is normally found at the end of the introduction/background or under its own heading. This will give you some inspiration.

Develop an Aim.

Develop an Aim: An aim is the overall purpose or general intention of your research. It's a broad statement that describes what you hope to achieve with your study. The aim provides direction and focus for your research.

Develop measurable objectives.

Develop Measurable Objectives: Objectives are specific, concrete goals that help you achieve your overall aim. They break down your aim into smaller, manageable parts. Importantly, these objectives should be measurable, meaning you can clearly determine whether you've achieved them or not.

Key points about developing measurable objectives:

They should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
They outline the steps you'll take to accomplish your aim.
They provide clear criteria for evaluating the success of your research.
They guide your methodology and data collection.

Pick a framework

If your research interest is more quantitative then use PICO. If your research interest is more qualitative then use PICo. Also consider SPIDER or SPICE or any other acronym you find online (there are lots!).

Further Reading a paper on the PICO framework Quantitative framework example

Further Reading a paper on the PICo Framework Qualitative framework example

Think about the specifics:

Population: Adults? Children? Specific condition? Setting? Clinicians? Patients?
Intervention: Device? Drug? Therapy? Pathway? Education? Endless possibilities…
Comparator: Standard care? Placebo?
Outcome: Mortality? Morbidity? Patient satisfaction? Quality of life? Recurrent episodes?
Population: Adults? Children? Specific condition? Clinicians? Patients?
Phenomena of Interest: Experience? Beliefs? Attitudes? Perceptions?
Context: Setting? Time period?

Organise the framework components into a research question

Create a first draft of your research question. Try to think about your overall aim. This is very important when developing a question.

Considerations

For experiemtnal designs: Can you clearly define your intervention? Interventions need defining in order to standardise an approach. This ideally needs to be defined in the literature
Can you define your population? Some pathologies are hard to define. For example there are numerous types of Stroke patients. Doing a study that dint classify the population would reduce the external validity of the study.
If you are planning to conduct a review of evidence, and very few relevant papers come up, you may need to change your topic. It might be worth picking a few different topics as a backup.

You're nearly there, now search the literature! You may need to refine your question based on this iterative process.

So to Summarise depending on your research type!! Research aims, objectives, questions and or hypotheses?

Here are some examples of research questions. Have a look at each of them. Try to consider what methodological approach you would use to answer the question. Use the drop down box to see what you might use.

Does the administration of pain medication at time of surgical incision reduce the need for pain medication twenty-four hours after surgery?

Methodology: Randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing two groups: one receiving pain medication at incision and another receiving placebo. Measure and compare pain medication usage at 24 hours post-surgery.

What maternal factors are associated with obesity in toddlers?

Methodology: Cohort study following mothers and children from pregnancy to toddlerhood. Collect data on maternal factors (diet, exercise, weight) and assess toddler obesity at a defined age. Use statistical analysis to identify associations between maternal factors and obesity.

What elements of a peer support intervention prevent suicide in high school females?

Methodology: Mixed-methods approach. Conduct a randomized controlled trial testing the intervention vs. control. Additionally, use qualitative interviews with participants to understand mechanisms of action of specific intervention elements.

What is the most accurate and comprehensive way to determine men’s experience of physical assault?

Methodology: Multi-phase approach. Start with literature review and focus groups to identify potential methods. Then, conduct pilot studies comparing different methods (interviews, surveys, diaries) on accuracy and comprehensiveness.

Is yoga as effective as traditional physical therapy in reducing lymphedema in patients who have had head and neck cancer treatment?

Methodology: RCT comparing two groups: one receiving yoga and another receiving physical therapy. Assess lymphedema volume, patient-reported outcomes, and cost-effectiveness in both groups.

In the third stage of labor, what is the effect of cord cutting within the first three minutes on placenta separation?

Methodology: Observational study recruiting women in third stage of labor. Randomly assign to immediate cord cutting or delayed cutting protocol. Measure time to placenta separation and other relevant outcomes.

Do teenagers with Type 1 diabetes who receive phone tweet reminders maintain lower blood sugars than those who do not?

Methodology: RCT with two groups: one receiving tweet reminders, one receiving standard care. Monitor blood sugar levels and compare groups over a defined period.

Do the elderly diagnosed with dementia experience pain?

Methodology: Observational study with validated pain assessment tools. Observe and interview individuals with dementia to assess pain presence and characteristics.

How can siblings’ risk of depression be predicted after the death of a child?

Methodology: Longitudinal study following siblings who lost a sibling. Collect data on pre-loss factors, grief reactions, and depressive symptoms over time. Use statistical models to identify predictors of depression risk.

How can cachexia be prevented in cancer patients receiving aggressive protocols involving radiation and chemotherapy?

Methodology: Clinical trial testing different interventions (nutritional, exercise, pharmacological) compared to standard care. Assess body composition, muscle mass, and quality of life in different groups.

Does the organization of renal transplant nurse coordinators’ responsibilities influence live donor rates?

Methodology:

Observational study: Collect data on transplant centers with different RN coordinator models and compare live donor rates, adjusting for relevant confounders.
Survey-based study: Conduct surveys of RN coordinators and center administrators to understand their work activities and then analyze association with live donor rates.
Mixed-methods approach: Combine quantitative data and qualitative interviews with coordinators and stakeholders to explore the relationship between work organization and donor rates.

What activities of nurse managers are associated with nurse turnover? 30 day readmission rates?

Methodology:

Retrospective cohort study: Analyze past data on nurse manager activities and staff turnover/readmission rates, controlling for other factors.
Observational study: Directly observe nurse managers and document their activities, then correlate with individual nurse or unit-level outcomes.
Survey-based study: Survey nurses and managers to assess perceived management behaviors and link them to reported outcomes.

What effect does the Nurse Faculty Loan program have on the nurse researcher workforce? What effect would a 20% decrease in funds have?

Methodology:

Quasi-experimental study: Compare data on researcher workforce trends before and after program implementation, analyzing impact and potential limitations.
Modeling study: Utilize existing data and economic models to simulate the likely effect of a 20% funding decrease on researcher numbers and research outputs.
Mixed-methods approach: Combine quantitative analysis with interviews of program participants and stakeholders to understand program impact and potential future scenarios.

How do psychiatric hospital unit designs influence the incidence of patients’ aggression?

Methodology:

Comparative study: Analyze data on aggression rates in units with different architectural designs, controlling for patient characteristics and staffing levels.
Environmental observation studies: Conduct systematic observations of unit activity and potential triggers for aggression in relation to physical design elements.
Experimental study: Conduct a controlled trial introducing design changes within a unit and assessing impact on aggression rates compared to a control unit.

What are Native American patient preferences regarding weight management counseling and how will meeting these preferences influence participation?

Methodology:

Community-based participatory research: Collaborate with Native American communities to design and conduct surveys or focus groups exploring patient preferences and participation barriers.
Mixed-methods approach: Combine quantitative surveys with qualitative interviews to gain richer insights into preferences and develop culturally appropriate interventions.
Intervention development and evaluation: Design interventions based on identified preferences and pilot test them in controlled settings to assess impact on participation and health outcomes.