{"id":3033,"date":"2022-11-22T13:14:00","date_gmt":"2022-11-22T20:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/research.wpcarey.asu.edu\/carisca\/?p=3033"},"modified":"2022-12-28T14:13:46","modified_gmt":"2022-12-28T21:13:46","slug":"research-protocol","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/research.wpcarey.asu.edu\/carisca\/2022\/11\/22\/research-protocol\/","title":{"rendered":"Roadmap to Research: Creating Your Protocol"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A research protocol is the detailed plan for a study, and it comes with several benefits. First, it forces you to think through the details of your research project in advance. Second, it provides a manual for collaborators and staff training. Third, it can serve as the basis for funding proposals or institutional review board applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In CARISCA\u2019s Training Series workshop on Nov. 22, senior technical advisor Roseanne Schuster covered how to create a research protocol. Adopting her guidance on your next research project can provide you with a clear and well-documented methods section for your paper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following is an overview of the roadmap for your study that Schuster presented:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Background\/Rationale<\/strong>
Start out by identifying and describing what gap in knowledge your study will fill. This background and rationale should set up your research question, which is the second step on the roadmap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research Question or Study Objective <\/strong>
The research question is the overarching, intellectually interesting question you will answer. Depending on the journal you plan to submit to and the norms in your field, you may opt instead to list study objectives. These are specific steps that fall under the overarching question you plan to address.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In either case, the research question or study objective should be complex, clear, focused and answerable, Schuster said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Methodology<\/strong>
The methodology section is at the heart of the research proposal. \u201cYou\u2019ll set yourself up for success by thoroughly documenting your approach here,\u201d Schuster said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first part of the methodology section addresses the study design<\/strong>. Describe the setting\u2014the geographical or population spaces or context you are working in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then you\u2019ll specify the research design. Are you doing an intervention, a cross-sectional survey, an ethnographic or longitudinal study? Identify the strengths, limitations and considerations for that methodology. Finally, justify how you will choose your sample size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second part of the methodology section is about the study participants<\/strong>. Describe your ideal participants and what characteristics they share. Talk about the sampling frame and sample size. Explain how you will recruit participants and obtain informed consent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTaking time here will save you lots of time later on,\u201d said Schuster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The third part of the methodology section describes the tools or instruments<\/strong> to be used in the study. These might include survey questionnaires, interview or focus group discussion guides and observation protocols.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make sure to include headers (e.g., page number, date, participant ID) on paper surveys in case they come apart in the field, advised Schuster. Also consider developing introductory text and a thank you\/follow up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe actual instruments we will use to collect data are at the heart of our protocol,\u201d said Schuster. \u201cIt\u2019s on the forefront of our minds as researchers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next part of the methodology section covers data management<\/strong>. Once the study is done, where will the physical and electronic data be stored? How will it be protected? Who will manage it and have access to it and for how long?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is one of the parts of research that we don\u2019t really talk about,\u201d said Schuster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The final issues to be addressed under methodology are data quality and analysis<\/strong>. Consider who will do data entry and how it will be checked for accuracy. If participants are entering their own data electronically, you will still need to review that data and remove outliers when data doesn\u2019t look right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t skip this step,\u201d said Schuster. \u201cThere probably will be some errors, no matter how well you design the study. Any work you put into developing validity controls on electronic forms or taking other steps to ensure quality will really help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dissemination <\/strong>
Another section of the protocol should discuss dissemination of the research. Describe how you plan to get the word out about your findings. <\/strong>Will you share them with the participants or communities you studied? Do you plan to develop a journal manuscript or a policy brief?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

References<\/strong>
Cite references as you create your protocol so you don\u2019t have to look them up again later. Schuster recommended using a free, open-access reference management tool if you will be managing a large number of references. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These take effort to set up, but if you have to change the citation style for a target journal later on, the tool will automatically do that for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ethical Principles<\/strong>
Schuster\u2019s talk also covered the three primary ethical principles that research is evaluated on by ethical review boards and fellow scholars. These are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n