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Generally, the stages of the scientific research process are shown in the flow chart. Research process
should be explained in details, the purpose should be clearly defined, research design, methods of
data collection and analysis should be carefully planned and appropriate, the validity and reliability of
the data should be checked carefully, and the researcher should have a good knowledge and control
over research methodologies and should declare all the possible errors and limitations of the
research.
Review of Literature
Collect Data
Interpret &
Report
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Research Methods Lecture 2 Dr. Yassir Abdulkadhim Yassir
Review of Literature
Reviewing the literature can be time consuming and frustrating, but it is also rewarding. Reviewing
the literature is a continuous process. It begins before a research problem is finalized and continues
until the report is finished. The literature review can help in four ways. It can:
There are four sources that you can use to prepare a bibliography:
It is also important for the researcher to attend scientific meetings, be a good observer and
imaginative in order to conceive a good research topics.
Note: The term ‘non-peer reviewed literature’ includes ‘free’ journals, daily and weekly newspapers,
and online material such as Wikipedia. In general, they should not be quoted in a scientific paper as
they are not peer reviewed and may contain opinions that cannot be supported with objective
scientific facts.
Having performed a literature searching, the topic becomes more clarified and defined and the
research question/problem can be clearly stated.
1. Feasibility: The research can be done and completed in terms of the number of subjects required,
research facility, cost, investigators’ expertise, and the research objectives.
2. Interest: The research topic must be of interest to the investigators and to the scientific
community. If the investigators are not excited about the topic, or cannot get colleagues
interested in it, the project is probably not worth doing.
3. Novelty and Relevance (so-what?): Novel does not necessarily mean that the research has not
been done before. The progress of science is incremental, with knowledge gradually building up
from different studies. The question should not be about whether the study has been done
before, but whether it will have the potential to advance scientific knowledge, influence clinical
management, influence health policy, or guide further research.
4. Ethical: Ethical issues must be addressed at the early stage of selecting the research topic. Other
ethical issues will need to be addressed in planning the research.
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Research Methods Lecture 2 Dr. Yassir Abdulkadhim Yassir
The research question should be clear, simple, and direct (answerable). Questions that begin with
"why" are difficult to answer.
Once you sum up your research project in one sentence, discuss your sentence with your
supervisor and revise if there is any confusion.
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Research Methods Lecture 2 Dr. Yassir Abdulkadhim Yassir
Hypotheses can be derived from theory or suggested from previous research, clinical experience,
or observation. The purpose of the study is to test the hypothesis and, ultimately, to provide evidence
so that the researcher can accept or reject it.
There are two types of hypothesis; the null hypothesis (H0) or the hypothesis of “no effect” and the
alternative hypothesis (H1). The null hypothesis (H0) assumed that there is no difference between two
sets of data. If the difference could have arisen by chance (not real), then H0 is true and it cannot be
rejected. If the difference could not have arisen by chance (real difference), then H0 is false and it can
be assumed that there is a difference between the two data sets. In this case, the alternative
hypothesis (H1), namely that there is a difference between the two data sets, is adopted. To explain
the procedure statistically, we need to calculate the probability that the two sets of data are part of
the same population. If this probability is less than 5% (P ≤ 0.05), then the chance that there is no
difference between the two data sets (namely that H0 is true) is less than 1 in 20. In which case, H0
can be rejected and the alternative hypothesis (H1) can be accepted.