module 4 Purpose, Hypotheses, Questions, and Aims

Where Do Research Ideas Come From?

• Any research questions arise from ______________________.

First, reflect on:

Personal ______________________

• ______________________ (academic learning)

• Clinical or ______________________ practice

• Subjects of ______________________

1. observations

2. Experiences

3. Coursework

4. Public health

5. Interest

Where Do Research Ideas Come From?

Ask yourself practical questions:

• Who

• Why

• Where

• When

• How often

These help reveal unmet needs for:

• ______________________ studies

• ______________________ assessments

• ______________________ evaluations

• ______________________ effectiveness research

• Other ______________________ research

• Descriptive

• Needs

• Program

• Clinical

• Health related

Strategies:

• Brainstorm

• Create a ______________________ map

• Search the ______________________

• Identify the ______________________ in existing research

• Concept map

• Literature

• Gaps

Refining the Study Question

FOUR KEY QUESTIONS (Module 4):

1. What is the one well-defined ______________________ the study will answer?

2. What specific ______________________, ______________________, or ______________________ will allow

that question to be answered?

• Research question

• Aims, objectives, hypotheses

Refining the Study Question

3. Would a ______________________ ______________________ help guide design, analysis, and

interpretation?

4. Is the proposed study ______________________?

• Conceptual framework

• Feasible

Research Goal or Purpose

The research goal is:

• The main ______________________ the project seeks to answer.

• Should be established ______________________ in the research process.

• question

• early

Examples (from slides):

• To assess the perceived ______________________ needs of children in Columbus schools.

• To identify possible ______________________ factors for caries in college students.

• To test the effectiveness of the ______________________ water flosser.

• To examine the impact of a new ______________________ model.

• health related

• Risk

• Floss5000

• dental insurance

Hypotheses

A hypothesis is:

• An informed ______________________ about the likely ______________________ of a study.

• Written as an ______________________ / ______________________ statement.

• May be ______________________-tailed or ______________________-tailed.

• Assumption and outcome

• if- then

• one tailed or two tailed

Hypotheses

Independent variable = the ______________________

Dependent variable = the ______________________

• Cause

• Effect

A good hypothesis should remain ______________________ (able to go either direction).

neutral

Examples:

• If children are from lower ______________________ backgrounds, then they will have increased

______________________ rates.

• socioeconomic , caires rates

Examples:

• If college students use the ______________________, then they will have decreased

______________________ and ______________________.

• Flossser 5000

• bleeding, inflammation

Specific Aims or Objectives

specific aim/objective is: A carefully described ______________________ that helps achieve the main research goal.

• Most studies have ______ to ______ aims.

• Action

• 2- 4

Specific Aims or Objectives

• Written as a question or a “to” statement using an ______________________ verb.

• In experimental studies, aims may be written as ______________________.

• action

• hypotheses

Examples:

• To measure the ______________________ of children in grades 2–10.

• To determine if ______________________ or ______________________ factors are associated with

caries.

• To measure which ______________________ is preferred by college students.

• DMFT

• Socioeconomic , enviornmental

• toothpaste

SMART Aim Qualities:

• Clearly understood ______________________

• Measurable ______________________ verbs

• ______________________ (realistic)

• ______________________ (aligned)

• ______________________-bound

• specific

• action

• Attainable

• Relevant

• Time

Practice Scenario (Candy in Class)

Idea: Would dental hygiene students be ______________________ and get better test scores if given

______________________ during class?

• Happier

• Candy

Research goal:

To determine what makes DH students ______________________ and helps them ______________________

more course knowledge.

• Happy

• Retain

Hypothesis:

If I give students ______________________ during class, then they will be ______________________ and have

better ______________________.

• Candy

• happier

• test scores

Specific aims:

• To measure levels of ______________________ using the smiley-face scale on candy and

non-candy days.

• To determine whether ______________________ are higher on candy-given days.

• Happiness

• exam scores

Practice with Research Article (Anti-Inflammatory Diet Study)

Idea behind the study:

What effect does an ______________________ diet have on ______________________?

• anti-inflammatory diet

• gingivitis

Research goal:

To determine the influence of an anti-inflammatory diet on ______________________ parameters in

patients with ______________________.

• Clinical periodontal

• gingivitis

Hypothesis:

If patients change to an anti-inflammatory diet, then there will be a ______________________ in clinical

gingival inflammation and changes in ______________________ parameters and the ______________________

microbiome.

• reduction

• periodontal

• oral

Specific aim:

To determine the impact of an anti-inflammatory diet on ______________________, ______________________,

and ______________________ microbiome parameters.

• Gingival Inflammation

• periodontal paramaters

• Oral