How to Choose a Study Design for Health Science Research
You need to consider ethics, assess a design’s hierarchy, and consider factors like the research objectives, population/sample size, etc. to choose a study design for health science research. Choosing the appropriate study design for health science research makes it easy to conduct valid and reliable studies with impactful results.
Researchers must choose the appropriate study design to conduct rigorous research across many topics. The study design helps define the methods, structure, and instrumentation used in a research.
In this guide, we’ll get to see the major steps to choose a study design for health science research. You can take advantage of the information below to select an appropriate study design that delivers significant results in your research.
How to Choose a Study Design for Health Science Research
1. Understand study designs
You need to know about all study designs that apply to health science research before making your choice. Clear understanding of all types of study designs makes it easy to choose the best one for your research.
The most common study designs used in health science studies include:
- Case-control studies,
- Randomized control trials,
- Qualitative studies,
- Cohort studies, and
- Cross-sectional studies
These designs are applicable in unique situations, so it is essential to know which one works best for your research. Your preferred study design should align with your research question and seek to consider the features of your target population.
2. Clarify research objectives
You must clarify objectives of your research before choosing an appropriate study design. Your research question should be defined and be in line with all main and specific objectives of your study. You can clarify the research objectives by asking the following questions:
- Do your objectives aim to evaluate causality?
- Does your research aim to explore associations between variables?
- Does your research aim to evaluate a method of intervention?
- Does your study plan to describe a particular phenomenon?
Proper articulation of your objectives is a smart way to guide the selection of a design and address selection of your study objectives.
3. Consider feasibility and available resources
You need to assess the viability of a design before choosing it to conduct your health science research. Authors need to outline the resources available (budget, time, personnel, participants, etc.) to know how viable implementing a particular design will be to complete your research.
For example, randomized control trials (RCTs) could require more resources while others like qualitative studies may need fewer infrastructure to complete. You should balance the appropriate study design with available resources at this stage.
4. Consider ethics
Your chosen study design must be in line with ethical guidelines as this plays a vital role in your research. Ensuring your study aligns with standards promotes the validity of your findings. Your study should also consider issues like the privacy of participants, confidentiality, protection of the identity of vulnerable groups, etc.
For example, RCTs that involve human subjects should provide informed consent forms to all participants. Such trials should also provide measures to limit potential harm that may arise from participating in these studies.
5. Assess the design’s hierarchy
Research for a study design should consider the hierarchy of evidence available. For example, many researches will adopt the process involved in an RCT since the process is backed with valid evidence. Most RCTs are ideal for establishing a causal relationship between or among variables.
Research also exists that back cohort studies as ideal for assessing long-term outcomes and the history of diseases. You should understand the hierarchy of evidence to guide you towards choosing an appropriate study design for your research.
6. Consider the population and sample size
You must consider the features of your target population along with a representative sample size while choosing a study design. Some designs could be suitable for some population groups or samples than others.
For example, qualitative studies are useful to explore the perceptions and experiences of individuals while cross-sectional studies aim to estimate the prevalence level of a particular condition on a population.
You should consider the size of your study population, available of the population for selection into a sample, and the diverse nature of your target group. Considering these elements will help you choose an appropriate study design that aligns with your sample and target population.
7. Balance validity
You should assess the two basic forms of validity (internal and external) while choosing a study design for your research. Internal validity refers to how studies accurately measure related parameters
8. Collaborate with experts
Collaborating with experts is the penultimate step involved while choosing a study design for health science research. Experienced researchers can point you in the right direction and help you choose a valid study design without much hassle.
9. Engage a pilot test
A pilot test can help you assess the validity of a particular study design. You can engage the pilot test to:
- Identify issues,
- Refine methods to collect data,
- Estimate your required sample size, and
- Prepare a detailed study protocol
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing a Study Design for Health Science Research
Authors must choose the best study design for their research to increase its chances of success and overall validity to the health sciences. Some researchers may make mistakes during the selection of a study design. Awareness of these mistakes can help authors improve the quality of research and prevent inconsistent or incorrect results.
Common mistakes you should avoid while choosing a study design for health science research include:
- Failure to align the design to research question
- Poor or no feasibility studies
- Overlooking ethics
- Ignoring the population and sample
- Failure to consider the hierarchy of evidence
- Ignoring a longitudinal study
- No pilot testing
- Lack of collaborations or consultations with experts
Final Word
You can take advantage of the information above to select an appropriate study design for your health science research. Selecting the right study design ensures your research produces meaningful findings and contributes to health science in general. Seek advice from experienced collaborators to choose a valid study design for your research and conduct your studies with ease.