Guide to Health Research Methodology

Introduction:
Scientific research plays a very important
role in our efforts to maintain health and
combating diseases. Research helps us
create new knowledge and develop proper
tools for the use of existing knowledge.
Not only does it enable health care
providers to diagnose and treat diseases,
research also provides evidence for policies
and decisions on health and development.

What is research?
Research is the systematic collection, analysis
and interpretation of data to answer a certain
question or solve a problem.
Characteristics of research:
1. It demands a clear statement of the problem.
2. It requires clear objectives and a plan (it is not
aimlessly looking for something in order to
come across a solution).
3. It builds on existing data, using both positive
and negative findings.
4. New data should be systematically collected
and analyzed to answer the original research
objectives.

Steps of conducting a health research:
A. Prioritizing and selecting a research topic
B. Review of literature and other existing
information
C. Development of a research proposal
D. Implementation of study:
i. Data collection
ii. Data processing and analysis
iii. Interpretation of results
iv. Final report writing
v. Presenting the results: Scientific
publication, presentation at meetings,
seminars, workshops or conferences, and
presentation for administrators and policymakers

A. Prioritizing and selecting a research topic
Criteria for selecting a research topic:
1. Relevance: The topic you choose should be a
priority problem. Questions to be asked include:
How large or widespread is the problem? Who is
affected? How severe is the problem?
2. Avoidance of duplication: Before you decide to
carry out a study, it is important that you find out
whether the suggested topic has been investigated
before, either within the proposed study area or in
another area with similar conditions. If the topic has
been researched, the results should be reviewed to
explore whether major questions that deserve
further investigation remain unanswered. If not,
another topic should be chosen.

B. Literature review
Why is it important to review already available
information when preparing for a research?
•It prevents you from duplicating work that has
been done before.
•It helps you to find out what others have learned
and reported on the problem you want to study.
This may assist you in refining your statement of
the problem.
•It helps you to become more familiar with the
various research methods that might be used in
your study.
•It should provide you with convincing arguments
for why your particular research project is needed.

C. Development of a research proposal
Contents
I. Title of the research
II. Introduction: Background information and
Statement of the research problem
(Scientific justification for the study)
III. Research objectives
IV. Research hypothesis
V. Methodology
VI. Work plan
VII. Plan for utilization and dissemination of
research results
VIII. References
IX. Annexes

I. Title of the research
•A good title should be short, accurate, and
concise.
•It should make the central objectives of the
study clear to the reader.
•It is important to specify what population
will be investigated, and where it will be
conducted.

II. Introduction (Background information and
Statement of the research problem)
This section should convince the reader of
the relevance of the study (magnitude,
severity of the problem). It should provide
enough background data for an outsider to
understand the different aspects of the
problem, or the different factors influencing
the problem and the context in which it
occurs. Your review of available literature and
reports should further illustrate why the
problem is important, not only in your own
working area but probably also beyond.

III. Research objectives
Research objectives are the goal to be achieved by
a research.
- Why should research objectives be developed?
The formulation of objectives will help you to:
1. Focus the study (narrowing it down to essentials)
2. Avoid the collection of data which are not strictly
necessary for understanding and solving the
problem you have identified
3. Organize the study in clearly defined parts or
phases
- Properly formulated, specific objectives will
facilitate the development of your research
methodology and will help to orient the collection,
analysis, interpretation and utilization of data.
- How should you state your objectives?

IV. Research hypothesis
A hypothesis can be defined as a prediction or
explanation of the relationship between one or
more independent variables
(PREDISPOSING/RISK FACTORS) and one
dependent variable
(OUTCOME/CONDITION/DISEASE)). A hypothesis,
in other words, translates the problem statement
into a precise, clear prediction of expected
outcomes. It must be emphasized that hypotheses
are not meant to be haphazard guesses, but
should reflect the depth of knowledge,
imagination and experience of the investigator.
Therefore, in the process of formulating
hypotheses, all variables relevant to the study
should be identified.

V. Methodology
This section summarizes the most important
points of the research design including:
• Variables: It is necessary to identify the variables
that will be involved in the research project being
designed. Four types of variable are important in
research: Independent (predisposing/risk factors),
Dependent (outcome/condition/disease),
Confounding, and Background variables. It is also
necessary to specify whether these variables are
Numerical (continuous/discrete), or Categorical
(ordinal/nominal). Operational definition of different
study variables should be clearly phrased.

VI. Work plan
- A work plan is a schedule that summarizes,
in a clear fashion, various components of a
research project and how they fit together.
- It should include:
1. The various tasks to be performed
2. When the tasks will be performed
3. Who will perform the tasks

VII. Plan for utilization and dissemination of
research results
- The proposal should indicate what reports or
other means of disseminating research findings
are planned.
- Any or all of the following are appropriate for
disseminating the results of the study:
⇒ Progress reports
⇒ Final report
⇒ Publications
⇒ Seminars, workshops, and conferences
⇒ Discussion with policymakers and program
managers

VIII. References
The references in your text can be
numbered in the sequence in which they
appear in the report and then listed in
this order in the list of references
(Vancouver system).
Please refer to the 'Reference' section of
the final report described below.

IX. Annexes
These may include:
- Interview schedule/ questionnaires
(and/or other data collection tools).
- Informed consent form
- Institutional/Ethical approval for the study

D. Final Report Writing
Main components of a research report:
I. Title or cover page
II. Abstract
III. Introduction
IV. Objectives
V. Methodology
VI. Research results (findings)
VII. Discussion
VIII. Conclusions
IX. Recommendations
X. References
XI. Annexes or appendices (data collection
tools, tables)

I. TITLE OR COVER PAGE
Cover page includes: research title, names
of the authors with their titles and positions,
and the institution that is publishing the
report.
The research title could consist of a
challenging statement or question, followed
by an informative subtitle covering the
content of the study and indicating the area
where the study was implemented.

II. ABSTRACT (SUMMARY)
The abstract/summary should be written only
after the final draft of the report has been
completed.
It should contain:
- a very brief description of the problem (WHAT)
- the main objectives (WHY)
- the place of study (WHERE)
- the type of study and methods used (HOW)
- major findings and conclusions
- the major recommendations


III. INTRODUCTION
It should certainly contain some relevant
background data related to the problem,
then the statement of the problem should
follow. It should contain a paragraph on
what you hoped to achieve with the results
of the study.
Note: Be selective, remembering that this
section serves to justify your study, not to
display your ability to read literature.

IV. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The general and specific objectives should
be included as stated in the proposal.
If necessary, you can adjust them slightly
for style and sequence. However, you
should not change their basic nature.
If you have not been able to meet some of
the objectives, this should be stated in the
methodology section and in the discussion
of the findings.

V. METHODOLOGY
The methodology you followed for the collection
of your data should be described in detail.
The methodology section should include a
description of:
⇒ the study type
⇒ major study variables on which data was
collected
⇒ the study population, sampling method and
the size of the sample
⇒ data-collection techniques used
⇒ how the data was collected and by whom
⇒ procedures used for data analysis, including
statistical tests (if applicable)

VI. RESEARCH RESULTS (FINDINGS)
- The systematic presentation of your
findings in relation to the research
objectives is the crucial part of your report.
- A description of the findings may be
complemented by a limited number of tables
or graphs that summarize the findings.

VII. DISCUSSION
- The findings can now be discussed by
objective or by cluster of related variables.
- The discussion may include findings from
other related studies that support or
contradict your own.
- It is important to present and discuss the
limitations of the study.
- Some general conclusions may be
included as well.

VIII. CONCLUSIONS
- The conclusions should follow logically
from the discussion of the findings.
- As the discussion will follow the sequence
in which the findings have been presented
(which in turn depends on your objectives)
the conclusions should logically follow the
same order.

IX. RECOMMENDATIONS
- The recommendations should follow logically
from the discussion of the findings.
- Recommendations may be summarized
according to the groups towards which they are
directed, for example:
⇒ policy-makers
⇒ health and health-related managers at different
levels
⇒ health and health-related staff who could
implement the activities
⇒ potential clients
⇒ the community at large

X. REFERENCES
-References should be written in 'Vancouver style'.
-Citing References
1. Number references consecutively throughout
the body of the text in the order in which they are
first mentioned.
2. DO NOT include references in your abstract.
Identify references in text, tables and legends by
numerals in parenthesis e.g. (1), (2,3) or (3-6).
3. Some journals require references to be
indicated in superscript which makes typing more
difficult.
4. DO NOT use abstracts as your source of
information, you must consult the full text of the
article before using it as a cited reference.

XI. ANNEXES OR APPENDICES
- The annexes should contain any additional
information needed to enable professionals
to follow your research procedures and data
analysis.
- Examples of information that can be
presented in annexes are:
⇒ Tables referred to in the text but not
included in order to keep the report short.
⇒ Interview schedule/ questionnaires
(and/or other data collection tools).