Do you have an idea for research? How to develop a research priority

2012 Conference

Abstract:
This workshop aims to equip service users with the tools to develop their own research ideas and priorities into researchable questions. We will use our experiences of developing a research question and a pilot study from the ideas and interests of a member of the Service User Research Forum. We will present the process we used to develop this collaborative study, which investigated the infection prevention and control education of undergraduate healthcare professionals, and use this as a template for the workshop.

Delegates will be asked to work in small groups to look at a given topic/issue with the aim of developing this into a researchable question/set of questions. We will facilitate the process by breaking the task down into a series of exercises, asking delegates to consider: what is feasible, practical, useful and ethical? Groups will think about how to develop research questions and will undertake a brief facilitated review of relevant literature – gaining an understanding of what evidence already exists and how we might build on that evidence/identify gaps in it. Finally, each group will be asked to explain their ‘mini’ research proposal/idea and, if time allows, a ‘winner’ will be decided through a mock funding allocation.