Getting started in research: designing and preparing to conduct a research study

Matthew D Macfarlane; Steve Kisely; Samantha Loi; Stephen Macfarlane; Sally Merry; Stephen Parker; Brian Power; Dan Siskind; Geoff Smith; Jeffrey C Looi

doi:10.1177/1039856214562075

Getting started in research: designing and preparing to conduct a research study

Australas Psychiatry. 2015 Feb;23(1):12-5. doi: 10.1177/1039856214562075. Epub 2014 Dec 11.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Committee for Research, Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP), Melbourne, VICGraduate School of Medicine, University of Wollongong and Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, Wollongong, NSW, Australia mmacfarlane1@gmail.com.
² Committee for Research, RANZCP, Melbourne, VICProfessor, University of Queensland School of Medicine, Woolloongabba, St Lucia, QLD, Australia.
³ Committee for Research, RANZCP, Melbourne, VICStaff Specialist, Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age, St Vincent's Health, University of Melbourne, St George's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
⁴ Committee for Research, RANZCP, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
⁵ Committee for Research, RANZCP, Melbourne, VICAssociate Professor, Werry Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
⁶ Committee for Research, RANZCP, Melbourne, VICSchool of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WAStaff Specialist, South Metropolitan Area Health Service, Perth, WA, Australia.
⁷ Committee for Research, RANZCP, Melbourne, VICStaff Specialist, School of Medicine and Metro South Addiction and Mental Health Service, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
⁸ Committee for Research, RANZCP, Melbourne, VICDirector, WA Centre for Mental Health Policy Research, School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.
⁹ Committee for Research, RANZCP, Melbourne, VICAssociate Professor, Academic Unit of Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine, Australian National University Medical School, Canberra, ACTStaff Specialist, Mental Health Service, ACT Health Directorate, Canberra Hospital, Woden, ACT, Australia.

PMID: 25504402
DOI: 10.1177/1039856214562075

Abstract

Objective: To discuss common pitfalls and useful tips in designing a quantitative research study, the importance and process of ethical approval, and consideration of funding.

Conclusions: Through careful planning, based on formulation of a research question, early career researchers can design and conduct quantitative research projects within the framework of the Scholarly Project or in their own independent projects.

Keywords: ethics; research funding; research methods; study design.

MeSH terms

Biomedical Research / ethics
Biomedical Research / methods*
Humans
Psychiatry*
Research Design*