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Research Toolkit

A quick start guide to conducting, writing, publishing, and presenting your research.

How a Literature Search Helps with Research/Project Design

As you start to develop your research question, it is essential to do a literature search.1

Searching the literature at the earliest stages of your project can help:

1. Set the context for your study, 2. Inform your research design and methodology, and 3. Identify areas for advancing the body of knowledge in that field of study

1. Polgar S. Introduction To Research In The Health Sciences. 6th ed. Churchill Livingstone;2013.
2. Efron SE, Ravid R. Writing The Literature Review: A Practical Guide. 1st ed. Guilford Press;2019.

There are three main types of scientific literature: primary, secondary, and tertiary. See our Evidence-Based Medicine guide for where to find these different literature types.

  Strengths Limitations

Primary

(e.g., clinical studies, abstracts/proceedings, theses/dissertations, patents, etc.)
  • Most current source of information
  • Able to obtain complete, detailed, and most relevant information about a topic
  • Can independently evaluate information
  • Translating findings to patient care​
  • Time and expertise needed to locate and evaluate information

Secondary

(e.g., PubMed, Google Scholar, etc.)
  • Many sources/options for searching​
  • Regularly updated​
  • Unique search features to enhance search strategies
  • Some resources require subscriptions​
  • PubMed is free to use, but some articles are behind a paywall

Tertiary

(e.g., guidelines, review articles, compendia, textbooks, package inserts, etc.)
  • Convenient​
  • Easy to use​ and translate findings to patient care
  • Generally authored by panel of experts
  • May become outdated quickly​
  • May not include all details​
  • Potentially subject to bias and misinterpretation of research

Below are a few databases where you can start your search for information. A librarian can help you identify additional sources and assist in the development of search strategies. You can also review our Evidence-Based Medicine guide for where to find different types of scientific literature.

Overview of PICO: P - Population, I - Intervention, C - Comparison (if any), O - Outcomes(s)

PICO is a framework for developing clinical questions, also known as foreground questions, which is an important step in the evidence based medicine cycle. It can help you:

  • Form a question that focuses on the most important issue for a patient or population1
  • Identify key terms to use when searching for the best evidence1
  • Select evidence that directly relate to the question1

UNC Health Sciences Library notes three limitations to PICO: it privileges interventions, experimental research, and dominant voices.1

A recent review identified more than 38 question frameworks,2 including PICO, that are used to format research and clinical questions.

The CHSU Health Sciences Library team is happy to assist you with crafting a searching strategy.

1. https://guides.lib.unc.edu/pico/about 
2. Booth A, Noyes J, Flemming K, Moore G, Tunçalp Ö, Shakibazadeh E. Formulating questions to explore complex interventions within qualitative evidence synthesis. BMJ Glob Health. 2019;4(Suppl 1):e001107. doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2018-001107

Research or Quality Improvement (QI)?

Both quality improvement (QI) and research projects are published.

What is the difference between them? The Chilidren's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute1 outlines key differences between research and quality improvement.

  Human Subjects Research Quality Improvement
Purpose Designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge Designed to implement knowledge, assess a process or program as judged by established/accepted standards
Starting Point Knowledge-seeking is independent of routine care and intended to answer a question or test a hypothesis Knowledge-seeking is integral to ongoing management system for delivering health care
Design Follows a rigid protocol that remains unchanged throughout the research Adaptive, iterative design
Benefits Might or might not benefit current subjects; intended to benefit future patients Directly benefits a process, system or program; might or might not benefit patients
Risks May put subjects at risk Does not increase risk to patients, with exception of possible patients' privacy or confidentialty of data
Participant Obligation No obligation of individuals to participate Responsibility to participate as component of care
Endpoint Answer a research question Improve a program, process or system
Analysis Statistically prove or disprove hypothesis Compare program, process or system to established standards
Adoption of Results Little urgency to disseminate results quickly Results rapidly adopted into local care delivery
Publication/Presentation Investigator obliged to share results QI practitioners encouraged to share systematic reporting of insights

1. https://irb.research.chop.edu/quality-improvement-vs-research 

Hypothesis vs SMART Aim

Hypothesis

A hypothesis is an educated guess to help answer the research question(s).​ It is a clear, concise, and focused statement (NOT a question) of the anticipated results you predict will be demonstrated through the research method.​ E.g., "If I do X, then Y will result;" or​ “We hypothesize…”​

SMART Aim

A SMART Aim is an explicit statement that describes what a team hopes to achieve over a specific amount of time including the magnitude of change that will be achieved. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. E.g., By May 2023, there will be a 50% in clinic patients with hypertension participating in the home blood pressure monitoring program."

Research Designs/Methodologies

There are many different research designs or methodologies, some of which require IRB approval. Medical research can be primary (experimental or observational studies) or secondary (literature reviews).

Each study type has strengths and limitations to consider before starting a research project.

Diagram of how medical research consists of primary and secondary research, which is further broken down

Graphic created by Katie Hoskins. CC-BY-NC.

Hierarchy of experimental studies

Graphic created by Katie Hoskins. CC-BY-NC.

Hierarchy of observational studies

Graphic created by Katie Hoskins. CC-BY-NC.

Onion diagram of literature reviews

Graphic created by Katie Hoskins. CC-BY-NC.

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Basics

The Institutional Review Board (IRB) submission process can feel opaque and overwhelming – but it doesn’t have to be! Learn from an IRB member more about how the IRB works, what the IRB is looking for when reviewing your application, how the IRB can be an unexpected ally in the research process, and common mistakes that will stall your submission. Presented by: Kelli Hines, MLIS Western University of Health Sciences.

For questions about the IRB process at CHSU, please contact Karin Chao-Bushoven, Director of the Office of Sponsored Research and IRB Human Subject Research Compliance Officer.

Critical Appraisal

See the slides below for an overview of different article types, including their strengths and weaknesses, along with an introduction to the hierarchy of evidence. This is an important consideration when appraising the evidence, which is the third step in the evidence-based practice cycle (see our EBM/EBP Guide for more information).

Some of our Scholarly Snippets webinars review biostatistical concepts needed for critical appraisal. The playlist embedded below is titled "Evaluating Resources and Statistics."

The Health Sciences Library has electronic and print books on biostatistical concepts and evidence-based practice. Here are some of the books that may be helpful:

Consider using critical appraisal worksheets to evaluate articles and recording your notes on an evidence analysis log if doing a literature review.

Survey Design

Before reusing survey instruments, in part or in their entirely, be sure to contact the authors for permission.

Searching for Surveys/Questionnaires

Some questionnaires or surveys are published within an article. To find them, conduct an article search in a bibliographic database on the topic of interest and add in the Keywords: survey* or questionnaire*

In some cases the actual questionnaire or survey is not published with the article, but referred to within the text. In this case look at the bibliography and find the reference to the questionnaire/survey itself, or to the original article where the instrument was published. From that information track down the instrument.

Some instruments are not free. They can be purchased from the developer.

Tips for searching for an already established survey or questionnaire. Be sure to read the definition if there is one and also look to see if there is a broader or narrower concept that might be more specific to your needs.

  • In PubMed using MeSH terminology
    • Use the subheading for Statistics and Numerical Data (sn) with your topic
    • In conjunction with your topic use the term AND to combine the topic with any of the terms below.
    • There is a broader term Data Collection or a narrower term Self Report, if those are more appropriate.
    • There are more discipline specific subject headings or MeSH, such as the ones below. Be sure to read the definitions of these terms to make sure they are correct for what you want to find.
      • Health Surveys
      • Dental Health Surveys
      • Health Status Indicators
      • Nutrition Surveys
      • Diet Surveys
      • Health Care Surveys
      • Nutrition Assessment
      • Questionnaires

Data Management

In January 2023, the NIH Policy on Data Management and Sharing (DMSP) went into effect for all grant applications. Other organizations and publishers may enact similar policies, but having a DMSP is a good practice even if it's not required by a funder or publisher.

The following resources were created or curated by the Working Group on NIH DMSP Guidance: