1. What is Research ? Research Methodology CHP400:
Community Health Program - lI gy
What is
Research ?
Research
Methodology gy
Mohamed M. B. Alnoor

2. What is Research ? Content Definition of Research
Research Methodology
What is Research ? gy
Content
Definition of Research
Steps in conducting Research gy
Research Objectives
Hypotheses
Title of the study
Take home message

3. What is Research ? The Pontiac Story ! Research Methodology
The Pontiac Division of General Motors received a complaint …
"This is the second time I have written you, and I don't blame you for not answering me, because I kind of sounded crazy, but it is a fact that we have a tradition in our family of ice cream for dessert after dinner each night. But the kind of ice cream varies so, every night, after we've eaten, the whole family votes on which kind of ice cream we should have and I drive down to the store to get it. " It is also a fact that I recently purchased a new Pontiac and since then, my trips to the store have created a problem. You see, every time I buy vanilla ice cream, when I start back from the store my car will not start. If I get any other kind of ice cream, the car starts just fine. "I want you to know I'm serious about this question, no matter how silly it sounds: 'What is there about a Pontiac that makes it not start when I get vanilla ice cream, and easy to start whenever I get any other kind?'
The Pontiac President was understandably skeptical about the letter, but sent an engineer to check it out anyway. The latter was surprised to be greeted by a successful, obviously well educated man in a fine neighborhood. "He had arranged to meet the man just after dinner time, so the two hopped into the car and drove to the ice cream store. It was vanilla ice cream that night and, sure enough, after they came back to the car, it would not start. "The engineer returned for three more nights. The first night, the man got chocolate. The car started. The second night, he got strawberry. The car started. The third night he ordered vanilla. The car failed to start.
"Was this man's car allergic to vanilla ice cream? The engineer, being a logical man, refused to believe that this man's car was allergic to vanilla ice cream. He arranged, therefore, to continue his visits for as long as it took to solve the problem. "And toward this end he began to take notes: he jotted down all sorts of data, time of day, type of gas used, time to drive back and forth, etc. In a short time, he had a clue: the man took less time to buy vanilla than any other flavor. Why? "The answer was in the layout of the store. Vanilla, being the most popular flavor, was in a separate case at the front of the store for quick pickup. All the other flavors were kept in the back of the store at a different counter where it took considerably longer to find the flavor and get it checked out.
"Now the question for the engineer was why the car would not start when it took less time. Once time became the problem – not the vanilla ice cream -- the engineer quickly came up with the answer: vapor lock. " It was happening every night, but the extra time taken to get the other flavors allowed the engine to cool down sufficiently to start. When the man got vanilla, the engine was still too hot for the vapor lock to dissipate.

4. What is Research ? Research Re / search Research is the
Research Methodology
What is Research ? gy
Research
Re / search
Research is the
systematic collection
analysis and
interpretation of data
to answer a certain question or solve a problem. gy

5. What is Research ? Research demands clear statement of the problem
Research Methodology
What is Research ? gy
Research
demands clear statement of the problem
requires a plan
builds on existing data
should answer the original research question gy

6. What is Research ? Steps in conducting Research Research Methodology
Selection / statement
of Research Problem 2
Literature review 1 3
Formulation of Objectives
Report Writing and Presentation 8 gy
S t u d y P r o t o c o l 4
Study Methodology gy
Study Protocol: 1. What is the problem and why should it be studied? 2. What information is already available? 3. What do we hope to achieve by research? 4. What additional data do we need to meet our research objectives? 5. How will we present our proposal to relevant authorities and potential funding agencies.
6. How to conduct the study after approval of proposal? 7. What to do after collection of data? 8. How to communicate /share the findings of your study? 7
Data Analysis 5
Proposal submission and approval
Field Work 6

7. Identifying Problems for Research
Research Methodology
What is Research ? gy
Identifying Problems for Research
Common Research Questions
Description of Health Problem
Magnitude of a health problem/disease
Distribution of the health problem in person, place and time
Identification of risk factors and causes gy

8. Identifying Problems for Research
Research Methodology
What is Research ? gy
Identifying Problems for Research
Common Research Questions
Effect of an intervention: Drug, vaccine, risk factor cessation, health education
Evaluation of on-going interventions: Coverage of Target Groups, Quality, Cost, Effect/Impact gy

9. What is Research ? Research Objectives What are study objectives?
Research Methodology
What is Research ? gy
Research Objectives
FORMULATION OF RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
What are study objectives?
The objectives of a research project summarize what is to be achieved by the study. gy
The objectives should be closely related to the statement of the problem.
eg. gy
the objective should be
if the problem is gy
low utilization of
child welfare clinics
to identify the reasons
for this low utilization. gy

10. Research Methodology
What is Research ? gy
Research Objectives
General objective: states what is expected to be achieved by the study in general terms.
Specific objectives: It is possible (and advisable) to break down a general objective into smaller, logically connected parts.
Specific objectives should specify what you will do in your study, where, and for what purpose. gy

11. Research Methodology
What is Research ? gy
Research Objectives
The general objective “to identify the reasons for low utilization of child welfare clinics in District X & to find solutions,” could be broken down into smaller more specific objectives, such as: gy

12. Research Methodology
What is Research ? gy
Research Objectives
1. Determine the level of utilization of the child welfare clinics in District X, over the years 1998 and 1999, as compared with the target set. gy
This first objective focuses on quantifying the problem.
Often use can be made of available statistics or of the health information system.

13. Research Methodology
What is Research ? gy
Research Objectives
2. Identify whether there are variations in utilization of child welfare clinics, related to the season, type of clinic, and type of children served. gy
Objective 2 further specifies the problem, looking at its distribution.

14. Research Methodology
What is Research ? gy
Research Objectives
3. Identify factors related to the child welfare services offered that make them either attractive or not attractive to mothers. gy
This objective may be divided into smaller sub-objectives focusing on other influencing factors (eg. distance between home and clinic, acceptability of services to mothers, quality of the services, etc.)
This objective examines possible factors that may play a role in the problem

15. Research Methodology
What is Research ? gy
Research Objectives
4. Identify socioeconomic and cultural factors that may influence the mothers’ utilization of services. gy
Again, this objective may be broken down into several sub-objectives.
It also examines possible factors that may play a role in the problem

16. Research Methodology
What is Research ? gy
Research Objectives
5. Make recommendations to all parties concerned (managers, health staff, and mothers) regarding what changes should be made, and how, to improve the use of child welfare clinics based on the findings of your study gy
This objective indicates how the results will be used, and should be included in every applied study.

17. Why should research objectives be developed?
Research Methodology
What is Research ? gy
Research Objectives
Why should research objectives be developed?
Formulation of objectives will help to:
Focus the study (narrowing it down
to essentials);
Avoid collection of data that are not
strictly necessary for understanding
and solving the problem. gy

18. What is Research ? Properly formulated, specific objectives:
Research Methodology
What is Research ? gy
Research Objectives
Properly formulated, specific objectives:
will facilitate the development of your research methodology
will help to orient the collection, analysis, interpretation, and utilization of data. gy

19. How should you state your objectives?
Research Methodology
What is Research ? gy
Research Objectives
How should you state your objectives?
Take care that the objectives of your study:
Cover the different aspects of the problem and its contributing factors in a coherent way and logical sequence;
Are clearly phrased in operational terms, specifying exactly what you are going to do, where, and for what purpose; gy

20. How should you state your objectives?
Research Methodology
What is Research ? gy
Research Objectives
How should you state your objectives?
Take care that the objectives of your study:
Are realistic considering local conditions; and
Use action verbs that are specific enough to be evaluated.
eg.: to determine, to compare, to verify, to calculate, to describe, and to establish.
Avoid the use of vague non-action verbs, such as: to appreciate, to understand, or to study. gy

21. How should you state your objectives?
Research Methodology
What is Research ? gy
Research Objectives
How should you state your objectives?
Take care that the objectives of your study:
Eg. Utilization of child welfare clinics, more specific objectives may be: gy
To compare the level of utilization of the child welfare clinic services among various socioeconomic groups;
To establish the pattern of utilization of child welfare clinic services in various seasons of the year;

22. How should you state your objectives?
Research Methodology
What is Research ? gy
Research Objectives
How should you state your objectives?
Take care that the objectives of your study:
To verify whether increasing distance between the home and the health facility reduces the level of utilization of the child welfare clinic services;
To describe mothers’ perceptions of the quality of services provided at the child welfare clinics. gy

23. What is Research ? Hypotheses:
Research Methodology
What is Research ? gy
Hypotheses:
A HYPOTHESIS is a prediction of a relationship between one or more factors and the problem under study, which can be tested. gy

24. What is Research ? Hypotheses:
Research Methodology
What is Research ? gy
Hypotheses:
Based on your experience with the study problem, it might be possible to develop explanations (formulate hypotheses) for the problem in addition to the study objectives. gy

25. What is Research ? Hypotheses:
Research Methodology
What is Research ? gy
Hypotheses:
Eg. low utilization of child welfare clinics
It would be possible to formulate and test the following hypotheses: gy
1. Utilization of child welfare clinics is lowest in the rainy season due to the high workload of mothers during that period.
2. Utilization of child welfare clinics is lowest in those clinics in which staff are poorly motivated to provide preventive services.

26. What is Research ? Title of the study
Research Methodology
What is Research ?
Title of the study gy
The title should be in line with your general objective.
Make sure that it is specific enough to tell the reader what your study is about. gy
NOT: “A study of utilization of child welfare clinics”
BUT: “A study of the reasons for low utilization of child welfare clinics in District X”

27. Research Objectives What is Research ? Research Objectives
Research Methodology
What is Research ? gy
Take home message
Research Objectives
Research Objectives gy
Research Objectives
Research Objectives
Research Objectives
Research Objectives