2. OUTLINE
 PURPOSE OF RESEARCH
 NATURE OF RESEARCH TOPIC
 CRITERIA FOR SELECTING RESEARCH TOPIC
 STRATEGIES FOR IDENTIFYING A RESEARCH
TOPIC

3. Purpose of research
To answer a certain question
To solve an identified problem

4. Research Topic
Might be:
A phenomenon of interest
 Example: Opinion of voters for
presidential candidates
A problem

5. Research problem
 There are countless problems
within any system
 But not all problems require research for
them to be solved; some just needs action
 Potential research situation arises
if three conditions exist (see next
slide)

6. Conditions for a problem to be researchable
 A perceived discrepancy between what is and
what should be
 Reasons for the discrepancy must be unclear
 There should be more than one possible and
plausible answer to the question or solution
to the problem

7. Example 1
Average attendance in Facility X has been
300 people per month. But last month’s
statistics showed drop of attendance to 100.
 Discrepancy: drop of attendance from 300 to
100
 Problem Question: What are the reasons for
attendance drop?
 Answer: There was heavy rainfall last month
leading to damage of roads and disruption of
transport

8. Example 2
Leprosy patients are diagnosed late (with disability
grade 2 or above)
 Discrepancy: Late diagnosis
 Problem question: What factors contribute to late
delay in Leprosy diagnosis ?
 Possible answers:
 Inadequate knowledge of early symptoms and signs of
Leprosy among patients and service providers
 Negative attitudes towards modern health care
 Existence of stigma about Leprosy in the community

9. Criteria for selecting a research topic
 Relevancy (public health importance, operational
problem, etc)
 Avoidance of duplication (how much
information exist)
 Feasibility (consider resources needed: Personnel,
time, materials, finances)
 Political acceptability (interest and support of
authority)

10. Criteria for selecting a research topic
 Applicability of results and
recommendations (blessing by authority and
availability of resources for implementing the
recommendation)
 Urgency of data needed
 Ethical acceptability (research participants’
acceptability)

11. Strategies for Identifying a research topic
 Observation of events at work place (e.g. Service
provision)
 Talking to people (community, service providers,
managers, researchers)
 Critical Reading (reports, articles)
 Carrying an exploratory study

12. Nature of Topic Vs Type of research
Topic Type of research
Phenomenon of Basic (fundamental)
interest research
Problem Applied (operational)
research