Research Objectives | Life Journey

Importance of Research Objectives

Empowering Healthcare Through Research

"As a medical student, my research is not just a journey of learning; it's a commitment to improving lives and elevating our healthcare system"

Why establishing research objectives is important for a research proposal?

As a medical student, I've come to realize the pivotal role that research objectives play in crafting a compelling research proposal. These objectives not only provide clear direction but also infuse the study with purpose. In the research team's proposed study on trauma cases at Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center from 2017 to 2023, well-structured objectives act as guiding beacons, ensuring that the research remains focused and impactful.

Crucially, research objectives enhance the study's relevance and potential benefits to stakeholders. They define the core questions the research aims to answer and emphasize the positive impact, such as improved healthcare practices and optimized resource allocation. In the proposal, these objectives underscore the importance of understanding trauma cases to enhance patient care and healthcare efficiency. This inherent value proposition not only secures support and funding but also aligns the research with broader healthcare improvement goals.

Hence, research objectives are vital for structuring and directing a research proposal. For the research team, they are the compass that ensures the research contributes significantly to healthcare. Well-defined objectives not only shape the study but also hold the potential to positively impact patients, healthcare professionals, and the healthcare system. Recognizing their importance is fundamental to successful and impactful research endeavors.

S.M.A.R.T. Objectives

In research, we often use the SMART acronym to describe what effective research objectives or goals should be like. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Let's break down each part of SMART:

Specific: Research goals should be clear and focused. They need to precisely state what you want to achieve without being vague or too general. Specific goals should answer the who, what, where, when, and why questions, giving your research a clear direction.
Measurable: Research objectives should be quantifiable or have a clear way to measure progress and success. This means setting concrete criteria to evaluate the outcomes of your research. Measurable goals let you track your progress and see if you've reached your targets.
Attainable: Objectives should be realistic and possible to attain considering the available resources, time, and constraints. While aiming high is good, setting goals that are too far out of reach can lead to frustration. Your objectives should be challenging but doable.
Relevant: Research objectives should match the main purpose of your study. They need to relate directly to the research question or problem you're addressing. Avoid setting goals that are off-topic or don't contribute to your research's main focus.
Time-bound: Research objectives should have a clear timeframe or deadline. This adds a sense of urgency and helps you manage your time effectively. Setting deadlines also lets you check your progress and determine if you've met your goals.

Dissecting the Team's Established Objectives...

During the course of planning for the research topic, different perspectives, constraints, limitations, and other contributing factors were considered in formulating the objectives of the study. The list of objectives that you can see below might be adjusted depending on unforeseen factors and changes brought upon the institutions involved in this study.

General Objective: To provide a retrospective analysis of the characteristics of trauma cases at VSMMC during the period of 2017 to 2023.

Specific objective 1: Investigate the demographic profiles of trauma patients by age and gender
Specific objective 2: Identify injury mechanism
Specific objective 3: Analyze incidence and timing of trauma types
Specific objective 4: Examine prevalent referral patterns among trauma admissions
Specific objective 5: Locate trauma hotspots and its proximity to primary and secondary government hospitals

Now, we begin to dissect the specific objectives of the study to determine whether it adheres to principles of S.M.A.R.T. objectives.....

Dissection....

Specific: The general objective of this study is to provide a retrospective analysis of the characteristics of trauma cases at VSMMC during the period of 2017 to 2023. The objectives are specific since it displays what the study aims to achieve. Each objective provides a clear focus on a particular aspect of the retrospective analysis of trauma cases at VSMMC during the specified period.

Investigate the demographic profiles of trauma patients by age and gender

Specific Objective 1:

This objective specifically addresses the goal of the research which is to analyze the age and gender distribution of trauma patients. Particularly, this objective aims to determine the age group and gender with the greatest number of trauma cases for a targeted information drive. With this, the research sets a clear target for data collection and analysis.

Identify the injury mechanism

Specific Objective 2:

This objective specifically aims to identify the top five (5) injury mechanisms of trauma patients in VSMMC. This is specific as the study aims to determine the 5 most common nature of trauma recorded from 2017-2023.

Analyze the incidence and timing of trauma types

Specific Objective 3:

This objective specifies that the study will not only assess the frequency of different types of trauma but also when they occur. This provides a temporal dimension to the analysis vital in any retrospective analysis.

Examine prevalent referral patterns among trauma admissions

Specific Objective 4:

This objective focuses on understanding how patients come to VSMMC for trauma care. It sets a clear goal to analyze the patterns of referral of trauma patients that are treated or attended to in VSMMC by referring hospitals within and outside Cebu

Locate trauma hotspots and its proximity to primary and secondary government hospitals

Specific Objective 5:

This objective is clear in its intention to identify specific areas with a high incidence of trauma cases and assess their distance from primary and secondary government hospitals. It sets a geographical context for the study relevant to prevention strategies and policy development.

Hence, these objectives are well-defined and provide a structured approach to conducting the retrospective analysis of trauma cases. They offer clear guidance on the data that needs to be collected and the statistical analyses that have to be performed.

Measurable:

An objective is considered measurable when its progress is quantifiable using specific criteria or metrics. Making sure that objectives are measurable because they provide a concrete way to gauge the success or progress of the research project.

When crafting the objectives for our research project, we made sure that it is measurable and can be achieved in less than 6 months. All of our objectives involve data that is already available in the emergency department of VSMMC and ONEISS of the Department of Health. Once we are already approved by the ethics committee, we can start analyzing the data. Furthermore, our objectives will profile trauma patients in a span of 10 years. In our initial inquiry, there are about 6,000 trauma patients per year. The numbers may look big, but this can be analyzed fast using R programming.

We will quantify the number of individuals in each age group and gender in our first objective. In the second to fourth objectives, the number of individuals involved per trauma type, mechanism and referral will be counted and categorized. Descriptive statistics will be used to analyze them. The progress of the fifth objective will be divided into two parts. First, the number of individuals per city will be counted. Afterwards, the numbers will be visualized in a map to determine where the trauma cases are coming from.

Attainable:

An attainable research objective is one that is grounded in reality and can be accomplished within the confines of available resources, time constraints, and other relevant constraints. Consequently, an objective may be deemed attainable if it promises a valuable outcome despite the presence of restricting factors.

Each of the aforementioned objectives has been carefully developed, taking into consideration data from both the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) and the Department of Health (DOH). Furthermore, these objectives have been thoroughly adjusted to align with the expertise of our research team, spanning a variety of factors such as processes, data analysis, and the necessary statistical approaches that will be used during the study. Finally, the availability of digitized information from the aforementioned institutions has greatly increased the feasibility and practicability of the study project.

Realistic:

Realistic research objectives are those that are achievable within the constraints of resources, time, and expertise while considering ethical and practical consideration. The objectives of this research are realistic because of the research group’s comprehensive planning to ensure feasibility, which includes the consideration of available resources, careful assessment of the scope of the study, and strategic allocation of tasks among the group members.

It has been ensured that all the variables needed, such as the demographic profile of patients and injury mechanisms, are available and accessible at VSMMC. Moreover, the processes necessary for the analysis of data align with the researchers’ skill set and expertise. This also entails having the essential software required for data processing, graph generation, and statistical analysis. The scope of the research is also designed to ensure feasibility and timely completion.

Time Bound:

A research that is time-bound means that each objective can be met within the suggested time frame. Since this is a retrospective study, data from the VSMMC and DOH system can be obtained within the first month of data gathering. Statistical analysis can then ensue for the rest of the research period.

What is the difference of a Research Objective and Project Objective?

Project objectives and research objectives are related but serve different purposes in distinct contexts. Here's a simplified breakdown of the key differences:

Project Objectives:

What They Focus On: Project objectives are specific goals in a project that need to be reached within a certain timeframe. They mainly concentrate on practical outcomes or things that the project should create, like products or services.
What They Do: These objectives guide the actions needed to finish the project successfully. They are closely tied to how the project is managed and carried out.

Research Objectives:

What They Focus On: Research objectives are specific goals in a study that help guide the research. They're all about gaining new knowledge or understanding about a particular topic or issue.
What They Do: Research objectives lead the way in exploring and analyzing data and information. They're like a roadmap for the research process, helping to answer research questions or hypotheses.

References:

Leedy, P. D., & Ormrod, J. E. (2018). Practical research: Planning and design. Pearson.
Kerzner, H. (2017). Project management: A systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley & Sons.
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage publications.