All research is guided by the scientific method.
The scientific method provides a step-by-step process to finding new information. In health research, researchers ask questions that ultimately can improve people’s health. This can range from how do specific cells in the body to work, to what are effective treatments, to how can we support patients better manage their disease symptoms in everyday life.
Research questions can come from anywhere.
- Professional experiences
- Academic discussion
- Theory
- Personal experiences
- Previous research
- Funding agencies’ requests
Researchers apply for grants to pay for their research. This money can come from many different places, like the National Institutes of Health, Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute, foundations, think tanks, and pharmaceutical companies. Organizations typically fund a specific type of research.
Different kinds of studies are used to complete the steps of the scientific method.
Observational. Answering questions by studying what is happening, without changing any of the circumstances.
Intervention. The research team changes the circumstance purposefully, and then figures out if it had an effect.
Qualitative. Gathering and interpreting information that cannot be put into numbers (e.g. patients’ stories, opinions, pictures). Used to better understand the world and come up with new ideas.
Quantitative. Converts data into numbers to be analyzed using statistics. Used to figure out how things are related to one another and if those relationships are significant.
Retrospective. The thing that the researcher wants to study has already happened.
Prospective. The thing to be studied has not happened yet, so the research team has to watch for it.
There are rules to make sure research is done properly.
Research studies must follow a code of ethics. For example:
- All health research must be reviewed and approved by a board of experts (Institutional Review Boards or IRBs) who have participants’ safety in mind. Some studies build in an extra review board for more precautions.
- Studies must minimize harm and maximize benefit.
- Signing up for a research study is completely voluntary. Participants can also stop at any time.
- Research team members must disclose any conflicts of interest they have.
Research studies must build in steps to ensure rigor. For example:
- A plan must be set before starting the research, so it lessens the chance that someone accidentally affects the study findings.
- There are formulaic ways to analyze all kinds of data. In order to get funding for a research study, a team has to include at least one expert on their specific analysis.
- Having different types of experts collaborate on the study ensures that the research is actually studying what is intended.
There are many roles on research teams and patients can fill any of them.
Principal Investigator. The team lead who is responsible for everything that happens on the project.
Data Collectors. Those responsible for properly collecting and entering data from interviews, surveys, and other materials.
Admin Team. The team members who make sure all procedures are being carried out and documents are tracked properly.
Analysts. The ones who transform the data into meaningful chunks that can be interpreted for real-world use.
Consultants. Experts on the topic or methods in the study. The specifics of a consultant’s role can vary widely.
After a study is complete, researchers share what they’ve learned through a process called dissemination.
Most researchers aim to publish their studies in an academic journal. After the research team submits a draft paper of their study and its findings to their chosen journal, subject matter experts read and offer feedback on all aspects of the study: background, methods, analysis, conclusions, limitations, and next steps. This process is called “peer review.” The authors are then required to respond to every suggestion and question from the experts. Researchers also present their findings to others in and around their field at academic conferences.
