WELCOME TO QUALITY RESEARCH

THEORETICAL DESIGN

19 May 2020

This is the first step in any research planning. It is a most crucial step that is often dealt with lightly because of the more luring second step. At this stage, a research question is designed to answer a clinical problem. Theoretical design of a research question invariably involves a thorough literature review and effective collaboration with the right experts and clinicians, and increasingly welcomes the input of the study’s end-users or patients. A well-developed research question will have an initial hypothesis of the possible relations between the causes and the outcome.

DATA COLLECTION DESIGN

19 May 2020

This is the second step where different methods for collection of data is considered and decided on in order to be most appropriate with regards to the theoretical design and efficient in its conduct. At a given level of validity, there are different options in the design of data collection. Nevertheless, the effort at this stage of design is to achieve the highest possible validity, the lowest risk of biases with respect to available resources, and existing constraints.

The designs of data collection can be described fully in three aspects of the following:
i.    Experimental or non-experimental
ii.    Census or sampling
iii.    Time feature

STATISTICAL DESIGN

19 May 2020

This step is usually almost pre-decided by the preceding two steps. However, pre-specified statistical strategy, including the decision to dichotomise any continuous data at certain cut-points, sub-group analysis or sensitive analyses are recommended in the study proposal and protocol to prevent data dredging and data-driven reports that predispose to bias results. Notwithstanding that the aforementioned practice is discouraged, epidemiological research is, by the very nature of its objects, statistical research. Hence, it should be acceptable that, in the presence of persistent associations between any variables in the exploration of the data collected, with plausible underlying mechanism; the statistical methods used to produce the results should be explicitly explained and are reported.

COMPLETE & COMPREHENSIVE REPORTING

19 May 2020

The ultimate of research reporting is to present findings succinctly and disseminate clinical research in timely manners through either conference proceedings or journal publication. Concise and explicit, with all the necessary details that enable replication and judgment of its applicability, are the guiding principles in clinical studies reporting. Reporting a clinical study has been likened to writing a compelling story in the introduction and discussion, sandwich the scientific description of the study methods and results in between. The gist of a compelling story in a clinical report or paper presents an overview of the research area and at what point and why the present study joins in the introduction section. In the discussion section, the paper reports how the present study has filled the story gap, and to what credible extend, concluding the key findings as to the morals of the story and the inevitable consequences of the present study to the contemporary clinical practice as the story-in-waiting. Nevertheless, a great research paper is almost always born out of a well-planned study, adorned by it being told persuasively and reported accurately and completely.