LO
Describe various research methods
Research:
Definition:
The creation of new knowledge and/or the use of existing knowledge in a new and
creative way so as to generate new concepts, methodologies and understandings.
Importance of Research:
1. Research expands the knowledge base
2. Research gives the latest information.
3. Research builds credibility
4. Research helps to narrow down the scope
5. Research teaches better discernment
6. Research introduces to new ideas
7. Research helps with problem-solving
8. Research helps to reach people
9. Research encourages curiosity
Epidemiologic methods:
Epidemiology:
The study of the distribution and determinants of health -related states or events in
specified population and the application of this study to the control of health problems.
• Epidemiological study can be classified as
a) Observational studies
b) Experimental studies
Observational studies
• Descriptive studies
1)Cross sectional
2)Ecological
• Analytical studies
1)Case control
2)Cohort
Experimental studies
1)Randomized control trials
2)Field trials
3)community trials
Descriptive study
• Descriptive study describes the disease by
a) Time
b) Place
c) Person
DESCRIPTIVE STUDY DESIGN:
It describes the prevalence of a disease in a specific population.
ADVANTAGES:
• Help to generate hypothesis
• Help to plan programs
• Assess the health status of a community or a group of people
• Help in planning allocation of resources or evaluate health services
DESCRIPTIVE STUDY DESIGN:
CASE REPORT: Describe rare clinical events or unusual manifestations of disease
CASE SERIES: Study of a large group of patients (e.g. 10 or more) with a particular health
condition.
CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY:
DEFINITION:
Observational studies that analyze data from a population at a single point in
time
It estimates the prevalence of a disease in a specific population.
Steps to perform cross sectional study:
1. Formulate research questions and hypotheses. You will also need to identify your
target population at this stage.
2.Design the research. You will need to leverage observation rather than
experiments when collecting data
3.Conduct the research
4.Analyze the data.
Advantages of cross-sectional studies:
They are less expensive and time-effective
they are more appropriate for gathering data from large populations at one
moment.
Prevalence can be measured
It is easy to establish trends or associations between variables, thus
providing a meaningful understanding.
They give a temporal snapshot of data, which can be used to easily point out
trends and associations within populations.
This is quite helpful for hypothesis generation.
cross-sectional studies are often quicker and cheaper as compared to the
longitudinal study.
Limitations of cross-sectional study
The limitation that comes with determining causality has been a basic
characteristic of cross-sectional studies.
Researchers in this field may identify such associations; however, they are
unable to ascertain whether the second variable induces the first, as they
possess only a singular snapshot of their data.
These studies are also prone to bias. Selection bias arises when the selected
sample does not properly represent the larger population and therefore can lead
to a distorted representation of the results.
Most of the cross-sectional studies do not establish causative relations. Since
data is captured at one point, it is not easy to determine whether one variable
causes the other or they are just correlated.
References
Emmaline Soken-Huberty. "10 Reasons Why Research is Important." The Important Site, 2020-
04-18, available at: https://theimportantsite.com/10-reasons-why-research-is-important/.
