Presenting Your Research

This tool is designed to guide you through your research project.
This planner covers:
Defining a Topic
Reviewing the Literature
Developing a Researchable Question
Research Design
Planning and Practicalities
Research Ethics
Data Collection
Data Analysis and Interpretation
Writing Up
Dissemination

Students and researchers are often confused about their role in research, for instance, on questions of ethics, relations with respondents, issues of how to secure funding, submitting for publication and response to criticism. This book is intended to be an ‘accessible’ introduction to the experience of conducting research.

The studies that are most likely to provide meaningful and useful information about health care are the studies in which the most appropriate design for the setting and the most appropriate methods to answer an important research question are used. The most elegant studies are those that use the most robust study design, that use the most reliable methods to collect data and that incorporate strategies to overcome problems of bias and confounding. In addition, to attract funding, research studies must be entirely feasible to conduct, have adequate power to test the hypotheses, use appropriate statistical methods, and ensure that the conclusions that will be drawn are justified by the data.

Working as part of a community is the lifeblood of academia and, indeed, of most commercial organisations. Although there will be times, perhaps most of your time, spent working alone on a project, if you cannot stand up and present your findings, in one form or another, you will struggle to achieve the intellectual and professional success which will allow you to move on to even more interesting projects. Being seen to present successfully is part of being successful in professional and academic settings alike; this is something you need to get right.

The ability to effectively communicate and disseminate research is an integral part of any academic’s professional responsibilities. Unfortunately, many scientists and most physicians do not learn in any organized and systematic way how to write and publish their work. As part of its integrated medical school curriculum, in 2015 the University of Michigan introduced a course on Medical Writing and Editing, concomitant with the launch of a student-run medical journal, the Michigan Journal of Medicine, which would in essence serve as a “lab” for the class. This book was initially conceived based on this course. Based on student feedback, the breadth of the course evolved and expanded since the first time it was taught, as did ultimately the scope of our book.

The book helps scientists write papers for scientific journals. Using the key parts of typical scientific papers (Title, Abstract, Introduction, Visuals, Structure, and Conclusions), it shows through numerous examples, how to achieve the essential qualities required in scientific writing, namely being clear, concise, convincing, fluid, interesting, and organized. To enable the writer to assess whether these parts are well written from a reader''s perspective, the book also offers practical metrics in the form of six checklists, and even an original Java application to assist in the evaluation.

Dr. Zina O'Leary explains how to maximize the impact of research. O'Leary addresses how to organize and conclude research write-ups and how to reach audiences.