Concise, readable, and easy to navigate—a practical and thorough guide to conducting efficient and effective medical research  A Doody's Core Title for 2024 & 2023! Whether you’re a student, scholar, faculty member, or practicing healthcare professional Research Methodology in the Health Sciences helps you improve your research skills and critically appraise original research and apply it in evidence-based patient care. This peerless guide describes the principles of biostatistics and provides detailed examples to build your comprehension of the utility and applicability of bio-statistical tests, without going into the mathematical details of such tests. You’ll find accessible coverage of the principles of biomedical ethics in research and publication, review of the medical literature, how to write a dissertation, how to prepare and submit a research manuscript for publication in a journal, how to apply for a research grant to funding agencies, and much more. To enhance the learning process, all examples drawn exclusively from real healthcare scenarios. Research Methodology in the Health Sciences covers: Planning a research study Writing a dissertation Types of studies in clinical research Observational and interventional studies Approaches to qualitative research Ethics in medical research Biostatistics and descriptive statistics Approaches to statistical inference

Table of Contents:
Preface Acknowledgment PART ONE CHAPTER 1. Introduction     CHAPTER OBJECTIVES     DEFINITION OF RESEARCH         Examples of Clinical Observations         What Is Common among These Observations?     DEFINITION OF TERMS         Research Methodology         Research Methods     CHALLENGES IN RESEARCH IN THE HEALTH SCIENCES     RESEARCH CANNOT BE DONE HAPHAZARDLY         Research Planning         Different Types of Study Designs and Their Functions         Example of an Important Case Series         Analysis and Interpretation of Data         Clinical Application of the Results     WHY STATISTICS IN THE HEALTH SCIENCES?         Example of the Use of Statistics         Statistical Issues in Medical Research         Practical Use of Statistical Concepts and Tests     MEDICAL LITERATURE SEARCH AND CLINICAL DECISION MAKING         Questions Arising from Common Clinical Problems         How and Where to Get the Answers     PURPOSE OF THIS BOOK CHAPTER 2. How to Plan a Research Study     CHAPTER OBJECTIVES     HOW TO START A RESEARCH STUDY         How to Develop the Research Question         Generating a Hypothesis         Defining the Research Objectives         The Study Example     STUDY DESIGN     STEPS INVOLVED IN UNDERTAKING A RESEARCH STUDY         Preinvestigational Steps         Writing the Protocol         Investigational Steps         Postinvestigational Steps     ERRORS IN REPORTING RESEARCH         Example of a Reporting Error     LEVELS OF MEDICAL RESEARCH CHAPTER 3. Types of Studies in Clinical Research — Part I: Observational Studies     CHAPTER OBJECTIVES     RESEARCH DESIGN AND STUDIES         Types of Studies     STUDIES OF RISK ASSESSMENT: OBSERVATIONAL STUDIES         What Are Observational Descriptive Studies?         Utilities of Descriptive Studies         Advantages and Limitations of Descriptive Studies         Types of Descriptive Studies         Types of Observational Analytical Studies         Cross-Sectional Studies         Case–Control Studies         Cohort Studies         Hybrid Study Designs CHAPTER 4. Types of Studies in Clinical Research — Part II: Interventional Studies     CHAPTER OBJECTIVES     DIFFERENT TYPES OF INTERVENTIONAL STUDIES         Interventional Trials in Basic Science         Interventional Trials in Community Settings         Interventional Trials in Clinical Settings     JUSTIFICATION FOR CLINICAL TRIALS     RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS     TERMINOLOGY USED IN A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL         Participant         Investigator         Intervention         Outcome         Intervention and Control Groups     HISTORY OF RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS     STEPS IN A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL     ADVANTAGES OF RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS     SPECIAL ISSUES IN RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS         Planning the Intervention and Control Conditions         Planning the Outcomes of the Study         Selection of the Study Groups         Baseline Characteristics and Random Allocation of Participants to Intervention and Control Groups         Blinding         Implications of Eligibility Criteria in Sampling         Efficacy and Effectiveness         Analytic Methods Used         Ethical Issues     TYPES OF RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS         Randomized Controlled Trials Based on Participants’ Exposure and Response to the Intervention         Randomized Controlled Trials Based on the Number of Participants         Randomized Controlled Trials Based on Different Aspects of Interventions Evaluated     BEYOND CLINICAL TRIALS: APPROACH TO SECONDARY RESEARCH         The Need for Review of Clinical Trials         Types of Reviews CHAPTER 5. APPROACH TO QUALITATIVE  RESEARCH IN HEALTH SCIENCES     CHAPTER OBJECTIVES     FOCUSING ON QUALITATIVE ASPECTS IN RESEARCH     WHAT IS QUALITATIVE RESEARCH         When to Use Qualitative Approaches in Research     METHODOLOGIC APPROACH TO QUALITATIVE RESEARCH         Appropriate Research Questions in Qualitative Research         Methodology in Qualitative Research         Methods of Data Collection in Qualitative Research         Types of Qualitative Data Collection Methods         Qualitative Data Analysis     COMPARING QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS         Can Qualitative Research Methods Complement Quantitative Methods?         Rigor in Qualitative Research         Limitations of Qualitative Research Methods CHAPTER 6. ETHICS IN MEDICAL RESEARCH     CHAPTER OBJECTIVES     WHAT ARE ETHICS AND MEDICAL ETHICS         What Is Ethics?         What Is Medical Ethics?     ETHICAL REQUIREMENTS IN MEDICAL RESEARCH         Why Research Is Essential in Medical Science         Conflict of Interest between Doctor as Caregiver and as Researcher     HISTORICAL BACKGROUND         Treaties and Declarations to Safeguard Medical Ethics     PRINCIPLES GUIDING CONDUCT OF ETHICAL RESEARCH         Independent Ethics Committee         Functioning of the Ethics Committees         Ethics Committee Review         Research on Vulnerable Subjects and Other Special Groups         Ethical Issues Specific to Randomized Controlled Trials         Limitations of Ethics Committees     PUBLICATION ETHICS CHAPTER 7. LITERATURE REVIEW, TRACKING THE BEST EVIDENCE, AND LITERATURE SEARCH     CHAPTER OBJECTIVES     WHAT IS A LITERATURE REVIEW?     WHY IS LITERATURE REVIEW NECESSARY?     PRIORITIES IN THE LITERATURE REVIEW PROCESS     HOW TO ANALYZE THE LITERATURE         Format and Level of the Literature Review         Association between the Research Question and the Literature Rev iew     EVIDENCE FROM CLINICAL RESEARCH         Evidence from Reviews         Different Types of Reviews         Clinical Guidelines and Their Utility in Evidence-Based Care         Synopsis of Clinical Guidelines     HOW TO TRACK THE BEST EVIDENCE         Challenges in Evidence-Based Clinical Practice         How to Get the Best Answers?         Difficulties in Getting the Right Information         Literature Search for Evidence-Based Patient Care     HIERARCHY OF CLINICAL EVIDENCE         Primary Research         Secondary Research         Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS)     HOW TO SEARCH THE EVIDENCE, AND ELECTRONIC DATA SEARCH         Literature Search Techniques         Electronic Databases         Compiling the Review Material CHAPTER 8. HOW TO WRITE A SCIENTIFIC PAPER     CHAPTER OBJECTIVES     PREPARATION OF A SCIENTIFIC PAPER         Evolution of the Manuscript-Writing Process     DIFFERENT TYPES OF ARTICLES AND THEIR STRUCTURES         Original Research Articles and the IMRAD Format         The Structure of the Original Research Article         Additional Formats for Original Research Articles         Variations of the IMRAD Structure         Structure for Reviews     PREPARATION OF THE MANUSCRIPT         Background Information         Selection of Target Journal         Authorship Issues         Ethical Concerns     HOW TO START WRITING THE MANUSCRIPT     FINAL PRESENTATION OF THE ARTICLE         Title, Key Words, and Abstract PART TWO CHAPTER 9. INTRODUCTION TO BIOSTATISTICS AND APPROACH TO DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS     CHAPTER OBJECTIVES     WHY STATISTICS IS NECESSARY FOR BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES     SOME BASIC ELEMENTS OF BIOSTATISTICS         Variable and Data         Types of Data         Data Measurement Scales     PRESENTATION OF THE DATA         Different Formats for Data Presentation     MEASURES OF CENTRAL TENDENCY AND DISPERSION         Measures of Central Tendency         Measures of Dispersion CHAPTER 10. APPROACH TO STATISTICAL INFERENCE—I     CHAPTER OBJECTIVES     DEFINITION OF TERMS         Population and Sample         Statistical Inference         Descriptive Measure         Parameter and Statistic         Element         Probability     POPULATION AND SAMPLES         Population         Sample     TYPES OF SAMPLING         Random Sampling         Nonrandom Sampling         Type of Sampling Design to Be Selected for Any Research     HYPOTHESIS TESTING         Types of Hypotheses         Hypothesis Testing and the p Value         Types of Error         Statistical Interpretations and Power         The p Value in Practice         Statistical Significance versus Clinical Importance         Limitations of Hypothesis Testing     ESTIMATION         Rationale for Estimation in Research in the Health Sciences         Types of Estimates     CONFIDENCE INTERVALS IN INTERPRETING STUDY RESULTS         Confidence Intervals     BIAS AND CHANCE         Bias         Chance         Comparing Bias and Chance     VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY         Validity         Reliability CHAPTER 11. APPROACH TO STATISTICAL INFERENCE—II     CHAPTER OBJECTIVES     DEFINITION OF TERMS         Measures of Frequency         Association and Causation         Correlation and Regression     INCIDENCE AND PREVALENCE         Advantage of Objective over Subjective Reasoning         Incidence         Prevalence         Comparing Prevalence with Incidence     ASSOCIATION AND CAUSATION         What Is an Association?         Types of Variables in an Association     MEASURING ASSOCIATION     MEASURES OF ASSOCIATION         Absolute Measures of Association         Relative Measures of Association         Practical Application of Measures of Association     CORRELATION AND REGRESSION         Correlation         Regression         Regression Analysis     CONCEPT OF CAUSAL ASSOCIATION         Establishing Association between Variables         Establishing the Causality of Association         Importance of Establishing Causality of Association         Association between Variables CHAPTER 12. APPROACH TO STATISTICAL  INFERENCE—III     CHAPTER OBJECTIVES     DIAGNOSIS OF DISEASES         What Are Diagnostic Tests?         Relation between Diagnostic Test Result and Disease     DEFINITIONS OF COMMON TERMS         Sensitivity         Specificity         Positive Predictive Value         Negative Predictive Value         Likelihood Ratios         Prevalence     SENSITIVITY AND SPECIFICITY         Sensitivity         Specificity         Clinical Utility and Limitations of Sensitivity and Specificity     PREDICTIVE VALUES         Positive Predictive Value         Negative Predictive Value         Predictive Value and Prevalence of the Disease     LIKELIHOOD RATIO     ESTIMATING PROBABILITY OF DISEASE         Pretest and Posttest Probabilities         Bayesian Probability     TRADE-OFF BETWEEN SENSITIVITY AND SPECIFICITY         How to Select the Optimal Cutoff Value     STATISTICAL TESTS AND TECHNIQUES USED IN THE MEDICAL LITERATURE         Commonly Used Statistical Tests in Clinical Research         Analogy between Diagnostic Tests and Clinical Research         Application of Statistical Tests in Clinical Research         How to Select a Statistical Test     SAMPLE SIZE CALCULATION FOR VARIOUS STUDIES         Planning the Sample Size         Importance of the Sample Size         Statistical Issues in Determining the Sample Size         Sample-Size Determination for Different Types of Studies Index