Exam Material Research Methods
Lecture 1 - Perspective, research objective and research questions
In order to understand and address complex problems in Health Sciences, we need a range of
methods, methodologies, theoretical perspectives and epistemologies.
Epistemology
Epistemology = study of knowledge
- How do we know what is true?
- What counts as knowledge?
Objectivism
Reality exists independently of consciousness, in other words: there is an objective reality out there.
Research is about discovering this objective truth.
● Positivism and post-positivism
Constructivism
Knowledge is constructed as they interact with the world and interpret experiences (contextual).
● Interpretivism
Subjectivism
Knowledge depends entirely on the individual’s personal perceptions, feelings and interpretations
● Truth is completely personal and meaning is constructed from cultural and religious beliefs
● Postmodernism
,Theoretical perspectives/paradigms
Positivism
Reality exists independently of human perception
● Objective and measurable
● Survey/questionnaire
Interpretivism
● Phenomenology: subjective/lived experiences
● Contextual and socially constructed, multiple realities
● Main goal: to understand and interpret people’s perspectives and experiences on their own
terms
● Interview/focus group
Postmodernism
There is no single truth
● Constructed meanings are shaped by power, language and discourse
● Main goal: to question, deconstruct and destabilise taken-for-granted truths
● Feminism
○ Dynamical fields aim to address gender relations, power dynamics and social justice.
What a person knows is largely determined by their social status.
● Critical inquiry
○ Doesn’t only understand it, but also wants to change things. It questions values and
assumptions.
○ Action research
Research process
Research topic
- Contributes to understanding and/or problem solving
Research objective
- Has practical/societal and/or theoretical relevance
, - The research objective is … (a) … by …. (b)...
a) External objective: contribution of your research project to solution of the
problem/what results can be expected
b) Internal objective: the way in which this will be done/insights, information,
knowledge needed (similar to research question)
Introduction
- What is the broad area of research
- What is known/done about it
- What is not know/done about it
- Why is this a problem
- Therefore, the aim of this study is …
Research question
- One or more research questions
- Tight connection between literature/theories and research questions
- Defining the investigation: discovering, exploring, understanding, explaining, comparing
- Establish boundaries
- Concise and unambiguous
, Lecture 2 - Research priorities and agendas
Research Priority Setting
- Organizations conducting or funding public health research have to select research priorities
while often facing competing demands and scare resources;
- Therefore a collective activity or deciding which uncertainties are most worth trying to
resolve through research is warranted;
- Uncertainties considered may be
problems to be understood or solutions
to be developed or tested; across broad
or narrow areas
The Cochrane Agenda and Priority Setting
Methods Group aims to inform Cochrane
entities on the empirical evidence available for
methods to set research agendas or priorities, in
particular (but not limited to) methods to set a
research agenda for systematic reviews.
This is often a challenge and some studies show:
- These results confirm… that consumers
have little understanding of the
priority-setting process, little knowledge
of health R&D priorities, & relatively
poorly formulated priorities of their own
- These views may bolster the opinion that consumers have little to contribute to R&D
priority-setting
→ Alternatively, they may be seen as evidence that closer involvement of consumers with
priority-setting processes could lead to useful inputs of views and experience
Challenges
● Power imbalance
- Traditional hierarchies in healthcare and research often place researchers, clinicians,
and policymakers in positions of authority, while patients may have less influence
● Heterogeneity of patient populations
- Patients are not a homogenous group, different individuals may have conflicting
priorities
● Underrepresentation of marginalized groups
- Minorities and low-income individuals may be underrepresented
● Lack of training and support
- Make it difficult to effectively participate in technical, complex research discussions
● Time and resource constraints
National Health Care Institute (Zorginstituut Nederland)
Lecture 1 - Perspective, research objective and research questions
In order to understand and address complex problems in Health Sciences, we need a range of
methods, methodologies, theoretical perspectives and epistemologies.
Epistemology
Epistemology = study of knowledge
- How do we know what is true?
- What counts as knowledge?
Objectivism
Reality exists independently of consciousness, in other words: there is an objective reality out there.
Research is about discovering this objective truth.
● Positivism and post-positivism
Constructivism
Knowledge is constructed as they interact with the world and interpret experiences (contextual).
● Interpretivism
Subjectivism
Knowledge depends entirely on the individual’s personal perceptions, feelings and interpretations
● Truth is completely personal and meaning is constructed from cultural and religious beliefs
● Postmodernism
,Theoretical perspectives/paradigms
Positivism
Reality exists independently of human perception
● Objective and measurable
● Survey/questionnaire
Interpretivism
● Phenomenology: subjective/lived experiences
● Contextual and socially constructed, multiple realities
● Main goal: to understand and interpret people’s perspectives and experiences on their own
terms
● Interview/focus group
Postmodernism
There is no single truth
● Constructed meanings are shaped by power, language and discourse
● Main goal: to question, deconstruct and destabilise taken-for-granted truths
● Feminism
○ Dynamical fields aim to address gender relations, power dynamics and social justice.
What a person knows is largely determined by their social status.
● Critical inquiry
○ Doesn’t only understand it, but also wants to change things. It questions values and
assumptions.
○ Action research
Research process
Research topic
- Contributes to understanding and/or problem solving
Research objective
- Has practical/societal and/or theoretical relevance
, - The research objective is … (a) … by …. (b)...
a) External objective: contribution of your research project to solution of the
problem/what results can be expected
b) Internal objective: the way in which this will be done/insights, information,
knowledge needed (similar to research question)
Introduction
- What is the broad area of research
- What is known/done about it
- What is not know/done about it
- Why is this a problem
- Therefore, the aim of this study is …
Research question
- One or more research questions
- Tight connection between literature/theories and research questions
- Defining the investigation: discovering, exploring, understanding, explaining, comparing
- Establish boundaries
- Concise and unambiguous
, Lecture 2 - Research priorities and agendas
Research Priority Setting
- Organizations conducting or funding public health research have to select research priorities
while often facing competing demands and scare resources;
- Therefore a collective activity or deciding which uncertainties are most worth trying to
resolve through research is warranted;
- Uncertainties considered may be
problems to be understood or solutions
to be developed or tested; across broad
or narrow areas
The Cochrane Agenda and Priority Setting
Methods Group aims to inform Cochrane
entities on the empirical evidence available for
methods to set research agendas or priorities, in
particular (but not limited to) methods to set a
research agenda for systematic reviews.
This is often a challenge and some studies show:
- These results confirm… that consumers
have little understanding of the
priority-setting process, little knowledge
of health R&D priorities, & relatively
poorly formulated priorities of their own
- These views may bolster the opinion that consumers have little to contribute to R&D
priority-setting
→ Alternatively, they may be seen as evidence that closer involvement of consumers with
priority-setting processes could lead to useful inputs of views and experience
Challenges
● Power imbalance
- Traditional hierarchies in healthcare and research often place researchers, clinicians,
and policymakers in positions of authority, while patients may have less influence
● Heterogeneity of patient populations
- Patients are not a homogenous group, different individuals may have conflicting
priorities
● Underrepresentation of marginalized groups
- Minorities and low-income individuals may be underrepresented
● Lack of training and support
- Make it difficult to effectively participate in technical, complex research discussions
● Time and resource constraints
National Health Care Institute (Zorginstituut Nederland)
