Identification and Prioritisation of Research Problems/Areas
- Identifying and prioritising research problems or areas is one of the foundational steps in the research process, especially in the context of health research.
- Given the vast number of potential research topics, it’s essential to focus on problems that are not only scientifically relevant but also have significant social, economic, or health-related impacts.
- The identification and prioritisation process ensures that resources, such as time, funding, and expertise, are utilised effectively and that research efforts contribute meaningfully to solving pressing health issues.
- In health research, identifying problems often involves assessing public health needs, understanding disease burden, and considering emerging health challenges.
- Prioritising research areas ensures that the most significant and feasible problems are addressed first, maximising the potential for positive outcomes.
Criteria for Prioritizing Topics for Research
Selecting and prioritizing research topics is a critical step in ensuring that research is not only relevant but also feasible, impactful, and ethical. Prioritizing topics systematically helps to allocate limited resources effectively and ensures that research addresses the most urgent needs in the health field.
1. Relevance to Public Health Needs
- The primary criterion for prioritizing research topics is their relevance to public health.
- Research topics that address pressing health issues, such as emerging diseases, health disparities, or under-served populations, should be prioritized.
- This ensures that the research can contribute to solving problems that affect large populations and improve public health outcomes.
- For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, research focusing on vaccines, treatments, and public health interventions was a high priority due to the global health crisis.
2. Feasibility
- Feasibility assesses whether the research can be realistically conducted given the available resources.
- This includes the availability of research participants, data sources, funding, and expertise.
- A highly relevant research topic may not be feasible if there are significant constraints in terms of resources.
- Researchers need to evaluate if they can conduct the research within the available time frame, with sufficient funding, and if they have access to the necessary tools, technology, and expertise.
3. Impact
- The potential impact of the research is another key factor in prioritizing topics.
- This includes considering how the research will advance scientific knowledge, improve healthcare practices, or influence policy.
- Topics with the potential to have a broad and lasting impact, such as those that improve health outcomes or lead to new treatments, should be given higher priority.
- For example, research that explores effective treatments for chronic diseases like cancer or diabetes could have a significant impact on improving quality of life for millions of people.
4. Novelty and Innovation
- Research topics should aim to fill gaps in the existing body of knowledge.
- Novel topics that offer innovative approaches or solutions to health challenges are often prioritized.
- Novelty ensures that the research contributes new insights or methodologies to the field, rather than duplicating existing work.
- Innovative research could lead to breakthroughs in understanding disease mechanisms, discovering new drugs, or developing novel healthcare delivery methods.
5. Ethical Considerations
- The ethical implications of the research should be considered when prioritizing topics.
- Research should adhere to ethical standards, including informed consent, confidentiality, and the protection of research participants’ rights and well-being.
- Topics involving vulnerable populations or sensitive data should be carefully evaluated to ensure they comply with ethical guidelines.
- Ensuring that research is conducted in an ethical manner not only protects participants but also enhances the credibility and acceptance of the research findings.
6. Alignment with Stakeholder Interests
- Research priorities should align with the interests and needs of key stakeholders, including healthcare providers, policymakers, community members, and funders.
- Stakeholders have valuable insights into current health issues and can help ensure that the research is directed towards solving real-world problems.
- Collaboration with stakeholders can help guide research priorities and ensure that the research findings are relevant and actionable.
7. Social, Economic, and Cultural Context
- Research should be prioritized based on the social, economic, and cultural context of the target population.
- For example, some diseases may disproportionately affect certain geographic regions or communities, and research on these issues may have more significant local and global implications.
- Understanding the social determinants of health and how diseases impact different groups can help identify research topics that address health inequities and promote social justice.
Nominal Group Technique
- The Nominal Group Technique (NGT) is a structured and participatory method used for prioritizing research topics or problems.
- It is particularly useful when there is a need for input from multiple stakeholders or experts, and it ensures that each participant has an equal opportunity to contribute.
- NGT is widely used in healthcare settings to identify and prioritize important research areas or health issues.
Steps of the Nominal Group Technique
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Introduction and Explanation:
The facilitator introduces the problem or research question to the group. This step includes providing background information on the research area, objectives, and the process of the exercise. -
Silent Generation of Ideas:
Each participant individually generates ideas or suggestions related to the research topic. This process is done silently to prevent the influence of dominant personalities. Participants write their ideas down without discussing them with others. The aim is to ensure that everyone’s voice is heard and that all ideas are considered. -
Round-Robin Sharing:
After the silent generation of ideas, the facilitator asks each participant to share one idea at a time with the group. The ideas are written on a board or flip chart for everyone to see. This step allows for all ideas to be presented in an organized way, without any immediate evaluation or judgment. -
Clarification and Discussion:
Once all ideas have been shared, the group discusses each one in detail. This stage allows participants to clarify any ideas, ask questions, and explore the pros and cons of each suggestion. The facilitator ensures that the discussion remains focused and productive, with equal participation from all members. -
Voting:
After the discussion, participants are asked to prioritize the ideas by voting. Each participant is given a set number of votes (usually 3-5), which they can distribute among the ideas they believe are most important. Voting can be done by ranking, scoring, or simply choosing the top ideas. -
Final Ranking:
After the voting process, the ideas are ranked based on the number of votes they received. The top-ranked ideas are considered the most important or relevant to the group. These ideas are then used to determine the research priorities or next steps.
Advantages of the Nominal Group Technique
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Equal Participation: NGT ensures that all participants have an equal opportunity to contribute their ideas, preventing any single individual or group from dominating the discussion.
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Structured Process: The method is highly structured, making it easier to manage and ensuring that all ideas are systematically considered and evaluated.
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Prevents Groupthink: By having participants write down their ideas individually, NGT helps reduce the risk of groupthink, where participants might conform to the opinions of others.
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Efficient: NGT is a relatively quick method for gathering input and making decisions. It is particularly useful when there is a need to prioritize a large number of ideas or issues.
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Involves Stakeholders: NGT can be used with a wide range of stakeholders, including researchers, healthcare providers, patients, and policymakers, making it a versatile tool for identifying priorities in health research.
Applications of NGT in Health Research
In health research, the Nominal Group Technique is particularly useful for engaging diverse groups of stakeholders in identifying research priorities. For example:
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Healthcare Providers: In a hospital setting, NGT can be used to prioritize research on improving patient care, healthcare delivery systems, or treatment protocols.
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Policy Development: NGT can help policymakers identify the most urgent health issues to address through new policies, interventions, or funding.
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Public Health: Community health experts or public health organizations can use NGT to identify key areas for research, such as addressing health disparities or improving access to healthcare in underserved populations.
Principles for Formulating a Research Question
A good research question should follow certain principles to ensure it is clear, focused, and researchable. The key principles are:
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Clarity
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The research question must be clear and unambiguous. It should be understandable by others who are not directly involved in the research. Avoid overly complex or vague language. The question should leave no room for misinterpretation.
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Example: Instead of asking, “What are the effects of exercise?” you could ask, “What are the effects of aerobic exercise on cardiovascular health in adults over 50?”
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Focus
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The research question should be specific and focused, addressing one main idea or issue. A focused question helps guide the research methodology and prevents the study from becoming too broad or unfocused.
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Example: Rather than asking, “How do lifestyle factors impact health?” a more focused question would be, “How does a plant-based diet affect blood pressure in individuals with hypertension?”
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Feasibility
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The question should be researchable and feasible within the scope of the study. This includes considerations of available time, resources, and data.
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Example: If you’re researching mental health in adolescents, consider whether you have access to the target population, the ability to collect data, and the necessary resources to conduct interviews or surveys.
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Relevance
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The research question should address an issue that is relevant to the field and has practical or theoretical significance. A relevant question will contribute to solving real-world problems or advance understanding in a particular field.
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Example: In public health, a relevant research question could be, “What are the social determinants that influence vaccination rates among rural populations?”
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Answerability
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The research question should be phrased in a way that makes it possible to find an answer. This means the question should be structured so that data can be collected and analyzed to provide a clear answer.
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Example: “What is the relationship between air pollution and asthma prevalence in urban children?” is answerable by gathering and analyzing data related to air pollution and asthma rates.
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Types of Research Questions
The type of research question you formulate will influence the design and methods of your study. Below are the three main types of research questions, each requiring different approaches:
Descriptive Questions
Descriptive research questions aim to describe characteristics, behaviors, or phenomena. They often focus on “what” or “how” something occurs.
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Example: “What are the common risk factors for heart disease in women over the age of 60?”
Descriptive questions typically lead to surveys, observational studies, and case studies that gather data without attempting to manipulate variables.
Analytical or Relational Questions
Analytical research questions examine the relationship between two or more variables. They often focus on examining associations, correlations, or causations.
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Example: “What is the relationship between smoking and lung cancer incidence among individuals aged 40-60?”
These questions typically lead to studies that involve comparing groups, testing hypotheses, or correlating variables using statistical methods.
Experimental or Causal Questions
Experimental research questions focus on understanding cause-and-effect relationships. They attempt to determine whether a change in one variable causes a change in another variable. These questions are often linked to experimental or longitudinal studies.
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Example: “Does the use of daily low-dose aspirin reduce the risk of stroke in individuals with high blood pressure?”
These questions typically lead to randomized controlled trials (RCTs), laboratory experiments, or field studies where one variable is manipulated to observe changes in another.
Steps in Formulating a Research Question
Formulating a research question is often an iterative process. Here are the key steps to guide you:
1. Identify a Broad Topic
Start by selecting a general area of interest. This could be based on your academic discipline, societal issues, health concerns, or technological advancements. However, a broad topic is usually too general to investigate in-depth and needs to be narrowed down.
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Example: You might start with a broad topic like “mental health” or “public health.”
2. Conduct a Preliminary Literature Review
A literature review helps you understand the existing body of knowledge on your chosen topic. It will highlight existing research gaps, unresolved issues, or areas requiring further investigation. The review also ensures that your question is not already answered by previous studies.
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Example: You might review literature on mental health treatments for adolescents, identifying a gap in research regarding the impact of virtual therapy on mental health in teens.
3. Narrow Down the Topic
Once you’ve identified a broad topic and reviewed the existing literature, you can narrow your focus. Narrowing your topic makes the research question more specific, feasible, and focused.
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Example: Instead of focusing on “mental health,” narrow it to “the effect of virtual therapy on anxiety in adolescents.”
4. Identify Key Variables or Concepts
Think about the key variables or concepts that will be important in answering your research question. These might be characteristics, interventions, outcomes, or populations you plan to study.
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Example: In the case of virtual therapy, your key variables might be “virtual therapy” (independent variable) and “anxiety levels in adolescents” (dependent variable).
5. Formulate the Question
Now, combine the narrowed-down focus with the key variables to create a clear, concise, and answerable research question. It’s often helpful to write the question in a question form (who, what, when, where, why, or how).
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Example: “How does virtual therapy affect anxiety levels in adolescents aged 14-18?”
Ensure that the question is specific, clear, and feasible to answer within the scope of your study.
6. Test the Question
Finally, test the research question against the FINER criteria (Feasible, Interesting, Novel, Ethical, and Relevant). Consider whether you can conduct the research based on available resources, whether the question is interesting to the field, and whether it addresses an important gap in knowledge.
Tips for Refining Your Research Question
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Make it Specific: Ensure the question is narrow enough to be addressed in a single study. Avoid overly broad questions that cannot be adequately answered in the time frame or with the resources available.
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Consider the Population: When formulating your question, define the population you intend to study. For example, will you focus on children, adults, elderly populations, or a specific demographic group?
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Use Clear and Precise Language: Avoid vague terms and make sure the terms used in the research question are defined clearly. This will avoid confusion and improve the clarity of the research.
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Ask Feasible Questions: Ask questions that are realistic and possible to answer with the resources, time, and tools available to you.
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Avoid Complex Multiple-Part Questions: Try to keep the research question simple and to the point. Complex questions with multiple parts can complicate data collection and analysis.
Examples of Well-Formulated Research Questions
Here are some examples of well-structured research questions:
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Descriptive Question: “What are the dietary habits of individuals with type 2 diabetes in urban areas?”
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Relational Question: “What is the relationship between smoking and lung cancer incidence in adult females?”
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Causal Question: “Does daily physical activity reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in elderly individuals?”