Planning the Study

Wubareg Seifu (Assistant Professor)

Epidemiology and Biostatistics Department

Jigjiga University

October, 2019

1
 Presentation of Outline

• Title selection

• Problem statement

• Review of related literatures

• Designing objectives
3
 When do you think research is
indicated to address a problem?
 Title Selection

• Criteria for selecting a research topic

– Relevance topic should be a priority problem
– Feasibility issues
– Political concern
– Avoidance of duplication
– Applicability of possible results and recommendation
– Urgency of data needed to make decision
 Problem Statement
• Information included in statement of problem
– In which context the problem occurs
• Socio- demographic,
• health service coverage,
• health statistics
– Nature of the problem
• What is and what should be= Discrepancy
• Severity and distribution
• Possible consequences
– Factors influencing the problem
– Justification of the study
– Information expected
 Literature Review
• Is a systematic assessment of the information about
the problem under study

• An important part of the research process is to

investigate and summarize all that is known about the
research problem

• Provide current knowledge of the problem what is

known about the problem
 Importance of LR
• To learn about what is already known on the study
• To familiar with problem that others have faced
• To learn more about the study methods
• To shed light on neglected areas of the problem of
interest
• To minimize duplication of efforts
• To develop framework
 Sources of Literature Review
• Unpublished information
– Raw data, annual report, documentation

• Published information
– Books, journals

– Computer-based search

– Internet, MEDLINE, PUBMED

 Designing Objective
• Is a statement that clearly depicts the goal to be
achieved by a research project
• It summarizes what is to be achieved by the study
• Characteristics of a good objective:
– Logical and coherent
– Feasible, realistic, locally relevant and measurable
– Clearly linked to the purpose of the study
– In general it should be SMART
 Types of Research Objectives
General objective:
• Embrace what is expected to be achieved by the study in
general terms
• An over all summary of the problem statement
• Often linked to the title of the research
Specific Objective:
• The break-down of a general objective into smaller and
logically connected parts
• Specify what would do in your study
 Example
• Prevalence and associated factors for loss to follow
up among adult clients attending ART treatment at
MZMR Hospital, Jigjiga town, eastern Ethiopia,
2018.

• Specific objective:
– To determine the prevalence of LTFU….

– To identify factors associated with LTFU