A Research Primer, Part 2: Guidelines for Developing a Research Project

Abstract

In this article, the second in a series on the basic concepts of research, the authors review aspects of research design including participant considerations, randomization, reliability and validity of measurements, and data collection and management. The authors also discuss considerations for research using questionnaires and tests. The goal of this article is to assist the novice researcher in identifying potential problems that must be addressed during the design of a research project.

How the distinctive cultures of osteopathic and allopathic medical schools affect the careers, perceptions, and institutional efforts of their anatomy faculties: A qualitative case study of two schools

“…As noted by Gevitz, “Over the course of their history, osteopathic medical colleges and hospitals have not been research‐oriented, and many have not even been research‐friendly” (Gevitz, ). However, this historical artifact may be giving way to new thinking, as there have been numerous calls from within the osteopathic community for more research into the biomedical mechanisms and clinical efficacy of osteopathic manual medicine and practice (Gevitz, ; Shannon and Teitelbaum, ; McGrath, ), as well as increased emphasis on training osteopathic physicians in research methods (Degenhardt and Standley, ; Yens et al, ; Collins et al, ). There have been more recent calls for an expanded emphasis on research, including basic science and traditional clinical research, within osteopathic institutions (Clark and Blazyk, ), and there is anecdotal evidence that the American Osteopathic Association has increased expectations for support of institutional research to meet accreditation standards.…”

Clinical utility of the LANSE-A in adolescents with traumatic brain injury.

“…The current study used correlation and regression analyses to determine the potential benefit of adding a measure or procedure to current routine practice, consistent with recent recommendations (Yens, Brannan, & Dumsha, 2014). It was determined a priori that clinical utility of the LANSE-A would need to be demonstrated by all of the following:…”