Dr. Amin Bredan - Highlights on some aspects of research/ Writing research papers & theses.

Dr. Amin Bredan

-Scientific field: MSc Bioengineering, USA, PhD molecular biology (vaccinology) Belgium

-Most recent position: Science editor at Ghent University and VIB Inflammation Center, Belgium

-Previous positions: Researcher at Free University Brussels; Researcher at Center for Health and Drug Research Tripoli

-Current: Senior editor with Libyan Journal of Medicine; Independent editor and instructor in scientific writin

Dr. Amin Bredan - Highlights on some aspects of research/ Writing research papers & theses. from SCMRteam

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Requirements for undergraduate researcher: The skills

Research is pretty easy – visit a website or two, find some quotes and your research is on its way, right?

That's true, but if you put in a little more effort, you'll find better information faster and hand in a better work.

A significant number of students are overwhelmed by the academic process and do not even know that research is an option for them, let alone how to get involved.  Many students get involved in research late in their undergraduate careers, often by chance and learning the hard way that there are opportunities for determined students, others show an interest but might not know how to get involved.

There is a special set of traits that will equip an undergraduate researcher to help them build strong intellectual and practical connections between research frontiers and their own learning; Creativity, judgment, communication, organization, and persistence are all equally important skills to make the leap from gaining knowledge from others’ discoveries to making discoveries on your own.

It is difficult to find a definition of research that does not contain terms such as original, authentic, or unique. Clearly, then, creativity is a constant for the undergraduate research process.

Students researchers should learn to make judgments in a fluid environment by not over-utilizing a mentor’s valuable time; instead, strike a balance between independence and seeking assistance. Forming the ability to discern their own and other's’ needs .

Well organizational skills facilitate effective research and good science, as well as it allows balancing classes, studying, research, socializing, hobbies, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Persistence is the drive to never give up. But it is important to realize that persistence involves facing failure as well,  failure is a normal part of progress, and we often learn more from our mistakes than our successes, especially in research.

So an undergraduate researcher should be creative, has the ability to use knowledge and skills to devise solutions to unfamiliar problems, analyse and critically evaluate arguments and evidence, knowledge of research methods to interpret findings, but should also need a basic knowledge of ethics and safety rules, for all researchers, from students to faculty, must participate in safety and ethics training before engaging in research. Another important skill in many areas of research is statistical training. Having the suitable research reference and writing guides is also important. And lastly, you need to be able to present your research well in the right venues.

Applying the skills outlined above will help an undergraduate transition from being a student to becoming a researcher and move from learning to discovering.

References: cornell
griffith
cur

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Types of research

Researchers have different worldviews or belief systems which guide them in their research, this influences the decisions they make about how to conduct their studies, what counts as valid knowledge, what is the right way to obtain that knowledge, how it should be analysed (e.g. using quantitative or qualitative based methods), there are various ways to conducting research.

The difference between research and other ways of obtaining answers to questions is that in a process that is classified as research, you work within a framework of a set of philosophies, use methods that have been tested for validity and reliability, and attempt to be unbiased and objective.

Types of research can be looked at from three different perspectives :

1. Applications of the findings of the research study;
2. Objectives of the study;
3. Mode of inquiry used in conducting the study;

There are two broad categories of research based on its applications pure research and applied research.

Pure research ( also called basic research) involves developing and testing theories and hypotheses that are intellectually challenging to the researcher but may or may not have practical application at the present time or in the future. The main motivation is to expand man’s knowledge, not to create or invent something. Many scientists believe that basic research lays the foundation for the applied research that follows.

Applied research is designed to solve practical problems of the society. It can be argued that the goal of applied research is to improve the human condition.

Applied research is increasingly gaining favour as it is helps to address the problems facing the world today such as overpopulation, pollution, depletion of natural resources, drought, floods, declining moral standards and disease. Action research is a unique form of applied research. Action implies that the practitioner is involved in the collection of data, analysis, and the interpretation of results. He or she is also involved in implementing results of the research and is thus well placed to judge the effectiveness of the interventions.

If you examine a research study from the perspective of its objectives, broadly a research endeavour can be classified as descriptive, correlational, explanatory or exploratory.

A research study classified as a descriptive study attempts to describe systematically a situation, problem, phenomenon, service or programme,Its main characteristic is that the researcher has no control over the variables, He only reports the situation as it is at the time.

In a correlational study the aim is to discover or establish the existence of a relationship/ association between two or more aspects of a situation. 

Explanatory research attempts to clarify why and how there is a relationship between two aspects of a situation. Here the researcher begins with ideas about the possible causes of a phenomenon, then plans a study that can provide systematic evidence supporting (or not supporting) these initial ideas about cause.

Whereas Exploratory research is when a study is undertaken with the objective either to explore an area where little is known or to investigate the possibilities of undertaking a particular research study.

The third perspective in research typology concerns the process you adopt to find answers to your research questions, the structured  approach to inquiry is usually classified as quantitative research and the unstructured as qualitative research. 

Qualitative research deals with designs techniques and measure that do not produce discrete numerical data. It involves extensive narrative data in order to gains insights into phenomena. Data analysis includes the coding of the data and production of verbal synthesis (inductive process). Examples include historical research, ethnographic research, participant observational research and the case study.

Quantitative research includes designs, techniques and measures that produce discrete numerical or quantifiable data. Data analysis is mainly statistical (deductive process).

Although, theoretically, a research study can be classified in one of the above objectives–perspective, inquiry mode categories, in practice, most studies are a combination of all of them.

References:

Wikieducator
Alzheimer-europe
KUMAR, R. 2010. Research methodology: A step-by-step guide for beginners, Sage Publications Ltd.

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The scientific method

The scientific method is a system of exploring the world around us, asking and answering questions, and making predictions. It is a method that has characterized natural science since the 17th century, consisting of systematic observation, measurement, experiment and the formulation, testing, and modification of hypotheses.

Scientists use the scientific method because it is objective and based on evidence, unlike intuitive, philosophical or religious methods for acquiring knowledge, the scientific method relies on empirical, repeatable tests to reveal the truth.

There are several ways to break down the steps of the scientific method, but it always involves forming a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis, and determining whether or not the hypothesis is correct.

As mentioned, the number of steps varies from one description to another,but this is a fairly standard list of 6 scientific method steps:
- Observation
- Question
- Hypothesis
- Experiment
- Data/Analysis
- Conclusion

Observation:
The first step of the scientific method involves making an observation about something that interests you, This step could also be called "research." It is the first stage in understanding the problem.

Question :
The scientific method carries on by asking a specific question about what you observed : How, What, When, Who, Which, Why, or Where?

Hypothesis :

The hypothesis is a key component of the scientific process. It is an educated guess about the answer to your specific question. You should be able to test your hypothesis through experimentation, A good hypothesis allows you to then make a prediction.

Experiment:

Design and perform an experiment to test your hypothesis. An experiment has an independent and dependent variable. You change or control the independent variable and record the effect it has on the dependent variable.

Data analysis:

Record observations and analyze what the data means. Using a table or a graph of the data is often needed.

Conclusion:

This is where a determination is reached about the hypothesis. Did the experiment support or reject your hypothesis? If your hypothesis was supported, great. If not, repeat the experiment or think of ways to improve your procedure.

However sometimes a failing hypothesis will be your conclusion, and the result will be that you disproved the hypothesis, a concept that has been summed up beautifully by Thomas Huxley:

"The great tragedy of science - the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact”

Even though we show the scientific method as a series of steps, keep in mind that new information or thinking might cause a scientist to back up and repeat steps at any point during the process. A process like the scientific method that involves such backing up and repeating is called an iterative process. In other words, the scientific method is a cycle rather than a straight line. The result of one go-round becomes feedback that improves the next round of question asking.

References:
oxforddictionaries
Chemistry.about
Biology.about
Sciencebuddies
Khanacedemy

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Who are we?

Who are we?

Medical students, who share an interest in scientific research; trying to stay updated and following everything new in the field in general , while holding a special interest in its applications in health care.

Because we believe that scientific research is the official language for all countries aiming to develop and progress, and adhering to international quality standards for universities and educational institutes in the world, knowing well that scientific research is one of its top criteria ; we have decided to found this Council, to contribute to the advancement of our faculty in the academic and scientific field, help improve its international ranking, and keep its credibility as one of the recognized medical educational institutes in the world.

* The student Council was founded in April 2016 by the Academic Office of the students union of the Faculty of Medicine - University of Tripoli.

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Research and its importance

"Research can shed light on issues we didn't even know existed, and can raise questions we hadn't realized even needed asking" 

Research is the systematic investigation and study of materials and sources to establish facts and reach new conclusions, so it shapes people's understanding of the world around them, It is different than other forms of obtaining knowledge, because it uses a systematic process called the Scientific method.

The value of the research depend on how well it is designed and done. Therefore, one of the most important considerations is to follow the design or plan that is developed by and experienced researcher.

Through research findings knowledge can be increased and used to devise new applications.

Research in the field of psychology made it possible to explain individual's behaviors including how people think and act in certain ways. This helps to determine disorders and their impact on the person and society, thus developing appropriate treatments to improve the individual's quality of life.

A more personal gain of research is that it works as a seed to love reading, writing, analyzing and sharing valuable information. It entails both reading and writing. These two literacy functions help enable computation and comprehension. Reading opens the mind to a vast horizon of knowledge, while writing helps a reader use his/her own perspective and transform this into a more concrete idea that s/he understands.

Apart from reading and writing, listening and speaking are also integral in conducting research, interviews, attending knowledge-generating events, and casual talks with anyone certainly aid in formulating research topics.

The most relevant importance of research to us medical students and doctors lays of course in the way it makes our practice better, Research has led to the introduction of new medical treatments and cures that have helped counter several diseases, thus increasing human life expectancy. It is now possible to live 10 years longer than in the 1960's and 20 years longer than in the 1930's.

Clinical research has improved health care practice;

The explosion of technological advances and scientific efforts and opportunities to disseminate new knowledge in the last decade is placing healthcare professionals in a challenging position to keep themselves abreast of the state of the science. Therefore, it is necessary to use quick criteria to establish priorities regarding publications to be read and to have sufficient knowledge.

Evaluation and appraisal of findings from clinical research is a fundamental role of health care professionals. This will lead to the evaluation of current clinical practice and the adoption of the best scientific evidence, which translates into evidence-based practice. Health care providers must know how to evaluate the effect of a proposed intervention in reducing morbidity and improving quality of life in patients from a health care service.

So whether you love it or hate it, you need to do it. Finding out the facts about your assignments, your job, or your life will allow you to make better decisions and gain more knowledge. In fact, the more research you do, the more you can do with your life.

References:
The office of research integrity

Scielo
References

Owlcation

Universal class

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