1. 2.4 Common problems and how to avoid them
Elizabeth Oddone Paolucci
Community Health Sciences & Surgery

2. Objectives By the end of this session, learners may be able to:
Identify potential problems common to planning and conducting a scholarly project; and
Present potential ways to mitigate or overcome anticipated problems.

3. Common problems (and solutions)
Project planning phase:
Unfocused, unclear, or unrealistic research questions;
Inappropriate methods;
Findings and methods lack generalizability; and
Lack of expertise
Choose your topic and methodology
Interdisciplinary teams and advisors

4. Other common problems (and solutions)
Recruitment and response rates
Leverage your network and pursue alternatives
Short, easy, clear surveys in the right format
Data entry problems
Software access, training, and support
Well-trained, detail-oriented personnel
Outside analyst

5. Other common problems (and solutions)
Making sense of data
Research question focus
Listen to the data
Inconsistent protocol or change in plan
Consult with advisors to amend
Notify ethics board
Be ethical, clear, and transparent

6. Other common problems (and solutions)
Miscalculated timelines
Plan and confirm what’s realistic and sensible
Use project management tools (Session 2.1)
Errors in budget
Plan in advance
Review and confirm costs

7. Other common problems (and solutions)
Declining motivation or morale
Passion and interest
Stay positive
Reward yourself

8. Summary
There are some common problems that you may encounter in scholarly work.
It’s important to avoid or mitigate them when possible so as not to jeopardize the quality of your data or conduct of your project.

9. 2.4 Common problems and how to avoid them
Elizabeth Oddone Paolucci
Community Health Sciences & Surgery