4 Steps To Starting A Research Project

Breaking Down Barriers to Research (Part II)

Pharmacy preceptors have the opportunity to engage students on rotation in scholarship and research. Preceptors often find themselves tied up with the day-to-day clinical operations, preventing them from starting research projects. This article will provide tips on how to plan a research project while incorporating students into these scholarly activities.

Step One: Develop a Research Question. To have quality data at the end of the project, considerable thought should be spent on developing a focused, answerable question. One method to help guide this process is the PICO[1] method.

Step one should not be rushed. Discuss your research question with colleagues and members of your project team to thoroughly vet the components of your idea. Consider multiple iterations before identifying the final research question. When you have students on rotation, involve them in this process to actively contribute to refining the research question.

One approach to evaluating a research question is the FINER[2] method.

To evaluate your research question with the FINER method, ask your student to dive into the literature and conduct a search on the topic to ensure your research question is novel and relevant. MCW librarians are available to help in the comprehensive search process.

Step Two: Write a Protocol. Protocols can vary widely in length; from one- to two-hundred pages in a clinical research protocol to four to seven pages in a student or resident practice-based research protocol. The basic elements of a protocol include sections that cover background information, objectives of the study, sample size determination, detailed methods of what data will be collected, and what statistical tests will be used to analyze the data. Templates are available to help guide what information needs to be included in each section. Based on the type of research project, the elements of the protocol may need to be modified to accommodate the goal (objective) or the project. Students may contribute by drafting the initial protocol. Keep in mind the initial literature search conducted while generating the research question will be key to writing the background section and informing the reader of why the project is relevant.

Step Three: Navigating the Institutional Approval Process. Each practice site has its own departmental approval process for projects. If a project is truly considered research, and not a quality improvement (QI) initiative, then institutional review board (IRB) approval prior to initiating any research activities is necessary to comply with federal regulations. At MCW, there is also an option to submit QI projects for IRB review, if you know you want to publish the results of your completed project because you consider it novel and of interest to others. Submitting your QI project for IRB review prior to starting, will ensure you have an approval letter to provide the journal at the time of manuscript submission.

Step Four: Data Collection Planning. Before diving into data collection, consider your research question again, review all the variables needed, and from where the data will come. To ensure usable data at the end of your project, invest time up front creating a data collection tool that collects your data consistently and accurately. How you collect data will directly relate to how easy it will be to analyze your data. Consider how long your data collection will take and enlist the help of students to give them hands-on experience if they are interested in practice-based research in the future.

For preceptors interested in getting more involved in practice-based research, following the steps outlined here and incorporating students along the way will get you started on the right foot! Please feel free to reach out (kbusse@mcw.edu) if you are interested in research and need additional help getting started.

[1] Brown D. A Review of the PubMed PICO Tool: Using Evidence-Based Practice in Health Education. Health Promot Pract. 2020 Jul;21(4):496-498. doi: 10.1177/1524839919893361. Epub 2019 Dec 24. PMID: 31874567.

[2]Cummings SR, Browner WS, Hulley SB. Conceiving the research question and developing the study plan. In: Hulley SB, Cummings SR, Browner WS, Grady D, Newman TB. (eds) Designing Clinical Research. Fourth ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2013.​