Abstract
This chapter provides advice on the identification, justification, and formulation of general study objectives. There are five major types of research topics that can be addressed: diagnostic, etiognostic, intervention-prognostic, descriptive-prognostic, and methods-oriented topics. Within each major type we discuss topics in clinical medicine separately from topics in community medicine. Commonly, the researcher has many research questions, perhaps as a result of previously conducted research, but needs to include into the study rationale the interests of stakeholders, the virtual importance for public health, and the availability of resources. Decisions to do a study may require an updated insight into existing evidence on the topic with the aim of identifying knowledge gaps. We therefore briefly discuss methods of the literature review. One considers at this earliest stage of planning that not all research requires new data collection; other potential sources of new evidence include existing research databases, and the joining of ongoing studies.
All men by nature desire knowledge.
Aristotle
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Van den Broeck, J., Chhagan, M. (2013). General Study Objectives. In: Van den Broeck, J., Brestoff, J. (eds) Epidemiology: Principles and Practical Guidelines. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5989-3_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5989-3_4
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