1. Research problem A situation with a perplexing or enigmatic condition The purpose of research is to solve the problem/contribute to its solution Accumulating sufficient information to lead to an explanation/solution Polit D & Hungler B 1997 Essentials of nursing research Lippincott. New York

2. The research problem Is there a question which needs answering? Is the question answerable? Has anyone done this before? Will anyone be interested in the answer? How good/accessible are my sources of information?

3. Focussing on a research problem Find a broad subject area Narrow it to a plausible topic Question the topic State a rationale for your project Initial lit review

4. Sub problems What are the parts of the topic? What is its history? Does 1 aspect need to be researched before another? Are there sub categories in it? What can you use it for? 2 nd lit review

5. Research question A statement of the specific query the researcher wants an answer to address the research problem Guides the type of date to be collected Polit D & Hungler B 1997 Essentials of nursing research Lippincott. New York

6. Question Clear Specific Answerable interconnected Substantively relevant Robson C 2002 Real world research. Blackwell Scientific. Oxford

7. Hypothesis A specific tentative prediction of a research answer To be tested empirically ie quantitative study Specify relationships between measurable variables A priori EG older patients are more at risk of experiencing a fall than younger patients Independent variable – cause/antecedent ie AGE Dependent variable – effect or aspect of interest ie FALLS

8. Potential questions Side effects in chemotherapy patients What intervention can reduce the common side effects of nausea & vomiting in chemotherapy patients? The purpose of this study is to compare the effectiveness of pt controlled & nurse administered antiemetic therapy for nausea & vomiting in chemotherapy patients What is the relative effectiveness of patient controlled antiemetic therapy versus nurse controlled antiemetic therapy with regard to (i) amount of medication taken and (ii) the reduction of nausea & vomiting? Patients receiving antiemetic therapy through a patient- controlled pump will report less nausea than those receiving the therapy by nurse administration

9. Clinical research ? Patient/problem Intervention Comparison intervention outcomes

10. Summary- role of research question To organise the project – give it direction & coherence They delimit the project- giving it boundaries They keep the researcher focussed They provide a framework for writing up the project They point to the data needed