Design of the research proposal There are key elements when designing a research proposal. A suggested template, written by the Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust is outlined below. 1. Title Clearly identifying the study and may contain a description of the study design as well as the objectives. 2. Inve st igat ors The named investigators on the research proposals, ie.all those with valuable contribution to the work. 3. Ba ck ground The background of the project including a critical review of the current knowledge, published and unpublished work, gaps in the evidence and the potential value of furthering knowledge in this field. The research hypothesis should also be included in this section, with the explanation ofreasons for undertaking the work. 4. Aims Expressed as a small number, i.e. 1-4. Concise and precise objectives that should follow logically, from the rationale hypothesis for a quantitative study and toward the hypothesis for a qualitative study. 5. St ud y Desi gn Description of the important elements of the methodology. It may include some or all of the following: o The process by which subjects will be sampled o The number of groups studied o Whether subjects/investigators will be aware of which intervention is being administered o Whether patients will receive all or only one intervention o Whether past or current data are collected o Methods to reduce bias o The tools used for sampling 6. Subj ects/Pat ients All the following information about the study groups should be included: o A description of the study population, including a rationale o The methods by which they will be found and recruited o Inclusion/exclusion criteria o Sample size 7. Interv en ti ons A full description of the study intervention should be provided: o Treatment or investigation; the dose, timing, method ofproviding, administering and receiving the treatment should be detailed. Questionnaire or interview; reasons for method and possible contamination should be discussed. o Necessary safeguards and potential risks should be made apparent, including the methods by which intervention will be monitored.
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8/7/2019 Design of the research proposal (1) piyush
There are key elements when designing a research proposal. A suggestedtemplate, written by the Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust isoutlined below.
1. TitleClearly identifying the study and may contain a description of the studydesign as well as the objectives.2. InvestigatorsThe named investigators on the research proposals, ie.all those withvaluable contribution to the work.3. BackgroundThe background of the project including a critical review of the currentknowledge, published and unpublished work, gaps in the evidence and thepotential value of furthering knowledge in this field. The research
hypothesis should also be included in this section, with the explanation of reasons for undertaking the work.4. AimsExpressed as a small number, i.e. 1-4. Concise and precise objectives thatshould follow logically, from the rationale hypothesis for a quantitativestudy and toward the hypothesis for a qualitative study.5. Study DesignDescription of the important elements of the methodology. It may includesome or all of the following:
o The process by which subjects will be sampled
o
The number of groups studiedo Whether subjects/investigators will be aware of which intervention is
being administeredo Whether patients will receive all or only one intervention
o Whether past or current data are collected
o Methods to reduce bias
o The tools used for sampling
6. Subjects/PatientsAll the following information about the study groups should be included:
o A description of the study population, including a rationale
o The methods by which they will be found and recruited
o Inclusion/exclusion criteria
o Sample size
7. InterventionsA full description of the study intervention should be provided:
o Treatment or investigation; the dose, timing, method of
providing, administering and receiving the treatment should bedetailed.Questionnaire or interview; reasons for method and possiblecontamination should be discussed.
o Necessary safeguards and potential risks should be made
apparent, including the methods by which intervention will bemonitored.
8/7/2019 Design of the research proposal (1) piyush
8. End-PointsMeasurement outcomes used to confirm/reject or generate the hypothesis.They should be separated into primary and secondary:
o Primary end-points: those most important to the hypothesis,
there should only be 1 or 2.
o Secondary end-points: provide some support to the hypothesis,but without the expected primary outcome would not prove thetheory.
o The number of end-points should be kept to a minimum, the
inclusion of many variables may hinder the interpretation of thefindings.
o The expected effect of the end-points should be described.
9. MeasurementsAll relevant measurements, investigations and techniques should beclearly and fully described. When there are a variety of acceptedtechniques possible for use, the exact procedure should be defined. Adetailed list of any equipment used should also be included and thereliability of the measurements must be taken into account.10.Study PlanDetails of the order, site and timing of all study procedures. Anyinformation, equipment, treatment and documentation to be given to thepatient or to be collected by the investigator, must be detailed.11. AnalysisThe method of the data analysis should be specified within the protocoland should include:
o timing of data collection, entry and statistical analysis
o method of data entryo data analysis package
o presentation of demographic and outcome data summaries
o the arithmetic, graphical and statistical manipulation of the data
o criteria for statistical and clinical significance of data
12. Ethical IssuesThese are matters relevant to and the methods by which thepatient/subject’s interests will be safeguarded. They include risk limitation,patient study information and confidentiality, methods of monitoring andpossible adverse side effects. (for more detail see section on EthicalApproval)13.Resource RequirementsThe resource implications to the host organisation and any other involveddepartments should be defined in this section. If the study involves co-operation by individuals other than the researchers, or use of equipment or any other resource, then permission for the use of these services must beobtained form the relevant person.In addition the following must be displayed if not stated explicitly on theResources form:
o Timetable/schedule of the research
o Names of the staff
o Staff involved peripherally, such as outpatient/ward staff o All costs (both fixed and semi-fixed)
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14. SupervisionThe proposal should name the individual(s) who will supervise theresearch project and the intended arrangements for the supervision. Alsoany details of a steering group, for example, the role, frequency of meetings, monitoring arrangements and the membership of the group.
15.Dissemination and OutcomeThe intended route for internal and external publication should bespecified. Any implications for future practice and patient care should alsobe suggested.
Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust Research Study Pack
SPECIAL REPORT February 1, 2010, 5:01PM EST
The Value of DesignThe catalyst for this report on the value of design in business
was the outpouring of reader comments that arrived after a
mitigating risk; boosting marketing and branding; and driving sustainable
business practices.
Angel investor Dave McClure is heavily involved in the Silicon
Valley community of consumer Internet companies and technology-driven
startups. He writes a spirited argument in which he makes the case
that design and marketing are, in fact, way more important than
engineeringfor the firms with which he works. And Dr. Jay Parkinson, a
pediatrician and preventive medicine specialist, outlines the role that design
(and disruptive innovation) can play in retooling the U.S. health-care system.
Finally, we put together a list of the 27 most influential designers and design
thinkers making an impact on business today. Featuring the likes of Apple's
industrial design guru Jonathan Ive and British service design specialist Hilary
Cottam, our slide show aims to shine a light on the breadth and scope of the
profession as well as to highlight those whose work is influencing global
business and policy.
Clearly this is just another chapter in an ongoing discussion, but I hope you
find the report useful. Let us know what you think.
User-Driven Brand Design: Establishing a
Convergent Brand ExperienceWritten by Jon Kolko and Ashley Menger
Introduction
Technology-driven interaction design projects have traditionally been built by graphic
artists, usually trained in the classical methodologies of print design, and run by
project managers, usually trained in the classical methodologies of advertising and
marketing. The scope of these projects tends to reflect the corporate cultural
understanding of the importance of brand; traditionally in-your-face, lowest commondenominator companies have neglected the web's inimitable benefits as a marketing
and communication tool and have instead simply mimicked their offline campaigns
online.
And on the most primitive levels, this methodology appears to work. Yum! c Brands
has positioned Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and KFC online in a very traditional and simple
fashion, giving customers the opportunity to view their menu, learn about the fat
content in a thigh of fried chicken (25 grams), and most recently, order a pizza online
But this strategy ignores basic trends in technology and design: trends towards
convergent media, immersive brand experiences and a world where consumersparticipate in and generally shape the way a company fits into their lives. Established
brand leader Nike has positioned their online experiences as just that - experiences -
and directs consumers from their print ads to their websites, from their websites to
Nike Town, and from these stores back to more printed collateral. Overnight brand
success Mini Cooper has integrated PDA technology in-dash, allowing consumers to
transfer data between their pocket PC and the electronics of the car. And presidential
hopeful Howard Dean has established himself as the first-ever political brand; his
online web-presence incorporates mobile alerts and blogging, and is overshadowed
in impact only by his use of the internet to schedule real-life meetings.
These immersive, multidimensional brand experiences transcend (and sometimes
reject completely) the "web browser" as the method of delivery and instead exploit
each unique medium's capabilities - cellular as portable, print as static, television as
obnoxious and in-store as opportunity. The overwhelming and intangible nature of
designing these large strategies demand attention from individuals with extremely
diverse skill sets. These designers passionately explore from a user, goal and brand
perspective outwards rather than from a product or campaign perspective inwards,
giving them the latitude to allow process to drive product.
The methodology required to understand and develop convergent brand strategy
demands a new, broad and total understanding of three areas of expertise: visual
design, interaction design and user-centered product design. These skills are often
manifested in the fields of Print or Graphic design, Interactive or Web Design and
Industrial Design, respectively. But the demands of the convergent design problem
blur the lines between disciplines, and have created a requirement for process
centered holistic design - a repeatable methodology centered around a thorough
understand of the target user.
In her MFA thesis, Ashley George Menger explores the impact of User-Driven Brand
Design as a way to create a cohesive brand experience targeting a specific enigmatic
audience: teenage girls. As described below, her research and process requires an
in-depth understanding of contextual-based user research, graphic design, logo and
mark creation, industrial design, and interaction design. By allowing user goals and
higher level needs to drive the design process, Menger has created a multi-
dimensional brand that fits dramatically well into the lives of her users, and has
illustrated the success of a User-Driven Brand Design process.
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Process Driven Contextual Design: Teenage Girls Hold
the Keys to Brand?
Designing for teenage girls has long been viewed a daunting task; understanding the
complexity of identity as teens search to integrate Maslow's hierarchy of needs iscompounded in young woman as they struggle to cope with a media blitz of self
image beautification. Popular music, teen magazines and blockbuster movies all
emphasize the need to be thin, popular and successful; teenage self-mutilation is at a
historical high. There is clearly an opportunity to affect social change within this
group while offering products or services to these young woman.
This clinical analysis, while academically correct, does little to direct a designer
towards a solution; pointing out existing problems and identifying a niche market is
only the first, and easiest step, in a long iterative process of design thinking. Given
the emotional quality of the target audience, as well as the technical prowess the
majority of this demographic have grown up with, the only guaranteed method of
understanding the end user is to become one. Menger joins the girl scouts for over a
year, utilizing Goodall-style ethnographic research techniques; she alters her
clothing, her musical preferences and her reading material to mimic that of a thirteen
year-old-girl. By exploiting traditional contextual-based user research methodologies
in search of brand identity, Menger becomes one with her target audience and
accurately identifies a design direction: alleviation of fear within teenage girls,
encouraging woman to purchase and utilize empowering services and products.
Similar to any other brand proposal, Fearless Girl has a logo, a color style and a
rollout plan. But the proposed Fearless Girl brand has a foundation grounded in a
conceptual and pragmatic understanding of audience, needs and goals, and the
planned viral introduction of the brand truly illustrates an understanding of convergent
user-driven design and branding. Quite simply, Menger proposes an introduction of
the brand through chewing gum: simple, cheap, ubiquitous and easily accessible to
the target market. The gum, found in a unique tin, promotes exemplary woman role
models on the back of the container and encourages display of the package; a
"prize" inside (in the form of a sticker, fake tattoo, or hair scrunchy) further promotesthe brand. And the brand itself, marked with the devious Valkyrie-inspired viking
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over time and utilizing a flavor of memory morphing. After creating a journal entry, the
teenage girl mails the postcard to Fearless Girl. The company holds the postcard for
a period of time, and then mails it back to the user.
Brand impression aside, the journal continues the socially conscious message of
enhancing self-image amongst teenage girls; the postcards feature "fearless" woman
chosen from recent history. These woman, although not highly political or well
known, illustrate specific figures chosen for charisma, lifestyle and inspiration; these
include Joyce Hoffman, World Champion surfer, and Peggy Oki, a prominent
skateboarder from the late seventies.
Technology supports the brand, as the back-end organizational techniques
necessary to maintain a successful rapport with the target audience directly mirror
that of a customer-relationship management system. Yet this technical interaction is
a support function for the organization rather than a visible aspect of the product; theuser interaction, although conceptually complex, is broken down into easy-to-follow
instructions.
Fearless Girl : Convergent Thinking Embodied in Brand
The contextual research process discussed above calls for the designer's integration
into the user's culture in order to acquire a primary understanding of the lifestyle and
semiotics. As Menger explores from a user, goal and brand perspective, she is able
to utilize process centered holistic design - a repeatable methodology centered
around a thorough understanding of her target audience. Crossing this cultural divide
enables a unique understanding of the users' emotions and then, returning to the
position of designer, offers the ability of perspective. This process elucidates a true
user-centric criteria to begin the design conceptualization phase and leads to a
product of inherent cultural resonation.
The Fearless Girl brand has been developed by an Industrial Designer, yet focuses
on visual and graphic design to establish a highly unique and focused relationship.
This combination - product, graphic and interaction - is essential to successfully
develop an immersive, multidimensional brand experience. Products can have a
momentary effect on the way people think and feel about themselves. Convergent
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