Protocol and Thesis Writing

8/13/2019 Protocol and Thesis Writing

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Overview of Protocol and Thesis

Writing


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Why research?

Advancement of medical science

Understanding of published research

Requirement for post-graduation


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Two essential ingredients of research

Curiosity Training


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Steps in conduct of research


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Identify the area of research

Broad area depends on the specialty of post-

graduation

Specific research question based on

Interest of supervisor/ student

Facilities/ funds available

Patient profile (in case of clinical research)

Duration of research


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FINER criteria for good research

question

F Feasible Adequate number of subjects

Adequate technical expertise Affordable in time and money

Manageable in scope

I Interesting To the investigator, peers and community

N Novel Confirms, refutes or extends previous findings

E Ethical Should be ethically acceptable

R Relevant To scientific knowledge

To clinical and health policy

To future research


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Finding the current knowledge

Literature review


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Primary literature

Research papers

Original data

Peer reviewed

Case studies

Normally peer reviewed

Conference proceedings Sometimes reviewed, sometimes not

Often preliminary data


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Secondary literature

Review articles

Information about primary sources

Compilation or synthesis of ideas and data

Should be reasonably objective (although often

arent)

Usually peer reviewed


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Tertiary literature

TextbooksPresent science theory rather than

contributing to it


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Look for the missing links


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How to write a literature review

Styles of writing review of literature

Chronological

Conceptual Methodological

Introduce the topic

Give important and relevant background information

Review the methods used in earlier studies

Review the results and conclusions of those studies


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Example

Basic principles of carcinogenesis

Cancer epidemiology

Migration studies

Fruit consumption and cancer risk

Chemoprevention

Dietary components (fat, fiber, micronutrients)

Mechanisms of chemoprevention

Examples

Methods for preparing/ standardizing extracts

Rationale for testing in animal model

Title: Cancer chemoprevention by Grape Seed and

Cranberry extract


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Review of literature is NOT annotated

bibliography


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Framing the research question,

hypothesis, aim and objectives


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PICO method

Eg. Problem/ patient Intervention Comparator Outcome

1 In patients with

bed sores

Does hydrocolloid

dressing

Compared to

gauze dressing

Give greater

patient comfort?

2 In patients afterlumbar puncture

Does 6 hour bedrest

Compared to 24hour bed rest

Increaseheadache?

3 In a rural hospital Does ambulatory

care unit

Compared to no

unit

Reduce the patient

load?

Framing the research question

Framing the hypothesis

1. Hydrocolloid dressing gives greater comfort to the patient

when compared to gauze dressing

2. Six hour bed rest after lumbar puncture does not increase the

risk of headache

3. ?


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Aim and objectives

Term Definition Example

Aim General research

question

To compare antibiotics X & Y for surgical

wound prophylaxis

Primary

objective

Specific statements

Sample size calculated

on this objective

1. Compare in inguinal hernia repair

2. Compare in inguinal versus neck

surgery

Secondary

objective

Additional information

to be generated

1. Compare cost of treatment

2. Compare the adverse effects of X & Y


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Methods


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When (x date to y date)

Where ( Department and Institution)

Type of study Prospective/ Retrospective

Descriptive/ Analytical

Observational/ Interventional

Population (subjects of the study) Inclusion & exclusion criteria

Control/ comparison group

Randomization, how?

Details of intervention/ methods

Outcome measures

Analysis/ statistical methods


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Introduction


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Structure of Introduction

Most general information at the top

Specific information at the bottom

Lacuna in the current status of knowledge

How you will approach the problem

C l t f di i d d t b t t d t 6


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Complementary feeding is recommended to be started at 6

months along with continued breastfeeding

Malnutrition sets in usually at 6-12 months in many

children. Poor intake from complementary foods is theusual reason for malnutrition

Breast milk and complementary foods given together

interfere with each others intake. Energy density,

frequency and consistency believed to be important

determinants of this relation

Studies have established optimal energy

density and frequency of complimentary feed.

No recommendation about the consistency

Lead the reader from the knownto the unknown


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Deciding the title of the study


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Brief and informative (12-15 word) Important words towards the beginning

May include research hypothesis, study

population, research design Do not include place and period of study

Use PICO + Study design format


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Example

Title: A randomized placebo controlled double blindcrossover trial of local application of nitroglycerine

in healing of fissure in ano

Design Patient Intervention Control Outcome

A

randomized

double blind

crossover

trial

fissure in

ano

local

application of

nitroglycerine

placebo

controlled

healing of


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References


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Why are references necessary? Gives credibility

Avoids plagiarism Vancouver style is preferred

Ensure all citations in main text have acorresponding reference

Reference only those articles which you haveread

Prefer current articles

Include indigenous research papers

Reference vs Bibliography

Referencing software: Endnote, Refworks


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Results


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Aim of Results section

Presents

Main data collected

Analyses and interprets results

Guides the reader through the questions

investigated

Sets the stage for discussion in the next

section


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Analyzing and interpreting results

Determine the relevant data

Results relevant to the research questions

Important

Present all relevant data, whether they support thehypothesis or not

Outcome of every item mentioned in the material andmethods should be presented (and vice versa)

Analysis includes descriptive statistics and resultsof statistical tests

Do not present raw data

Do not discuss the data


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Handling Tables and Figures

Decide the best way of presenting analyzed

dataText, table, figure or graph

Do not duplicate the same data, presenting it

in a different way

Each table or figure must be referenced in

text, which must highlight key resultscontained in these


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Writing The Results Section

Introduce the result section mentioning

The objective and rationale of the research

Broad reference to the methodology

Sequence of tables and figures is usually

In the order of methodology

Should be written in past tense


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When To Present Data In A Table?

Precise numerical data rather than proportion

or trends

Large numbers of related data

Complex information that would be clearer in

a table than in text form or graph


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When To Present Data In Graphs

Show trends and patterns in data (not

otherwise)

Reveal relations between variables

Make a visual impact

Used for extensive or complicated data


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Compare


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Graph preferred over table

Economic activity rate

Czech Republic, 2008

Age (years) Women Men

15-19 6.3 8.420-24 44.4 60.8

25-29 66.4 90.9

30-34 66.0 96.8

35-39 80.0 97.6

40-44 91.0 96.5

45-49 92.5 94.6

50-54 87.7 91.7

55-59 55.7 84.8

60-64 15.1 40.7

65-69 6.5 13.3

70+ 2.5 5.9

Source: UNECE Statistical Database


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My busy chart

10

25

15

0

10

20

30

A B C

Series1 My clearer chart

10

15

25

0

10

20

30

A B C

A good and a bad chart


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Discussion


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Objectives of discussion

Explain your findings

Compare with other similar research

Discuss important differences

Identify limitation of the study

Direction for future studies

Follow the same sequence as results

Each paragraph

Begins with result

Ends with explanation/ recommendation

Has comparison with other studies in the middle


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Example

Result: Thirteen out of 60 (21%) premature babies developed

retinopathy of prematurity (ROP)

Beginning Middle End

At 21%, the incidence of

ROP in this study was

lower than that

described in the

literature.

Other studies from India

have reported incidences

as high as 37-41%.2,3,6,9

These studies, conducted

in well established NICUs,include babies that are

smaller and younger than

those seen in our

nursery.

Thus, every nursery could

conduct audits, and

establish their own

screening criteria for

early diagnosis of ROP.

Discussion:


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Conclusion


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Move from specific (your research) to general

Summarize

What was learned based on the aim and

objectives

What remains to be learned

Limitations of what was done

Benefits, advantages, applications of the research,and recommendations


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Thesis title: Masters theses from a University Medical

College: publication in indexed scientific journals

Specific Less specific General

Publication rates of theses

related research conducted

in a University medical

college, and factors

promoting publication, were

studied.

Only thirty percent of theses

were published in indexed,peer reviewed journals.

None of the factors that we

studied had a significant role

in encouraging publication.

This study was performed in

the local setting of one

medical college in India.

Though each institution is

unique, the malaise is global.

Thus, the findings might be

useful when considering

interventions in PG training.

Perhaps institutional

endorsement, and reward

for published work may help.

Example


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Annexures


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Consent form

Patient information sheet

Data entry sheet

Master chart


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Summary of the talk


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Steps in conduct of research

Steps How

Identify the area of research Self interest, guided, FINER

method

Find the current knowledge in that area Review the literature

Identify the lacunae in the current knowledge Identify the missing links

Frame the research question/ Title PICO methodDecide the methodology Feasibility

Write the introduction General to specific

Write the references Vancouver style

Compile the results Text, tables, figures

Discuss the results Compare, discuss

Summarize the research Specific to general

Annexures Consent, Patient information

sheet, data entry form, master

chart


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Thank You!

Questions are welcome

Protocol and Thesis Writing

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