Abstract
Conventional algorithms for selecting study designs are difficult to use for a novice researcher, especially the postgraduate students. An inherent limitation of using the existing algorithms is the requirement of a priori knowledge of the characteristics of various study designs. We propose a simple and novel 3-question approach to select study designs. The questions are asked in a stepwise manner with answers in ‘yes’ or ‘no’. The responses to each of these questions lead the researcher towards choosing the appropriate study design. We believe that this 3-question approach would be useful for unexperienced researchers in selecting study designs, besides serving as a tool to teach-learn selection of study designs.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Oxford Centre for Evidence Based Medicine. Oxford: Nuffield Department of Primary Health Care Sciences; c2018. Study Designs. Available from: http://www.cebm.net/study-designs/. Accessed May 08, 2018.
Evidence Analysis Library. Chicago: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics; c2018. Research Design Algorithm. Available from: https://www.andeal.org/vault/2440/web/files/Research_Design_Algorithm.pdf. Accessed June 07, 2019.
Indrayan A, Satyanarayana L. Designs of medical studies. Indian Pediatr. 1999;36:691–6.
Andrews J, Likis FE. Study design algorithm. J Low Genit Tract Dis. 2015;19:364–8.
Evans SR. Clinical trial structures. J Exp Stroke Transl Med. 2010;3:8–18.
PubMed Health. Bethesda (US): US National Library of Medicine. Observational Study. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMHT0025839/. Accessed May 11, 2018.
Oprea TI, Bauman JE, Bologa CG, Buranda T, Chigaey A, Edwards BS, et al. Drug repurposing from an academic perspective. Drug Discov Today Ther Strateg. 2011;8:61–9.
Thiese MS. Observational and interventional study design types; an overview. Biochemia Medica. 2014;24:199–210.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Centres for Health Statistics. Descriptive Statistics; updated 2013. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/tutorials/NHANES/NHANESAnalyses/descriptivestatistics/descriptive_statistics_intro.htm. Accessed May 11, 2018.
Sedgwick P. Before and after study designs. BMJ. 2014;349:g5074.
Goodacre S. Uncontrolled before-after studies: Discouraged by Cochrane and the EMJ. Emerg Med J. 2015;32:507–8.
Acknowledgement
Dr Navjeevan Singh, former Professor of Pathology, UCMS, and Coordinator, Medical Education Unit, UCMS and GTB Hospital, Delhi, for his valuable contribution to this article.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Contributors
AMK, PG: conceptualized, designed, drafted, and critically revised the work; DM: contributed in drafting the article and critically revising the work. All the authors approved the final version to be published.
Funding
None
Competing interests
None stated.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Khan, A.M., Gupta, P. & Mishra, D. The 3-Question Approach: A Simplified Framework for Selecting Study Designs. Indian Pediatr 56, 669–672 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13312-019-1591-6
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13312-019-1591-6