Research Process

Navigating the Research Process

NIMICT's List of Questions EVERY Researcher Should Think About Before Executing Research Projects

What is the neurological condition you are studying?

• Alzheimer’s Disease
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• Autism
• Brain injuries and trauma
• Epilepsy
• Huntington's disease
• Migraine
• Multiple sclerosis
• Parkinson's disease
• Stroke
• Tremor

What is the funding source?

• Industry
• Federal
• Internal
• Unfunded/Internal
• Other

What is the study design?

• Best Evidence
• Clinical trials
• Cohort Studies
• Case Control
• Case series
• Case study/case report
• Observational
• RCT

What is your patient population?

Sex/gender?

• Male
• Female
• Both

Age groups?

• Under 18 years
• 18 to 44 years
• 45 to 64 years
• 65 years and over

Racial and ethnic groups?

• American Indian or Alaska Native
• Asian
• Black or African American
• Hispanic or Latino
• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
• White

Vulnerable populations?

• Adults unable to consent
• Individuals with HIV
• Individuals who are not yet adults
• Wards of the State
• Pregnant women

What is the catchment area?

• Urban
• Suburban
• Rural

What type of institution? Is it the same as the recruitment site(s)?

• Academic Institution / Hospital
• Non-Academic Institution / Hospital
• Private Practice
• Clinical Research Organization (CRO)
• Other

Do you use the following resources as a part of your research plan to recruit participants?

• CTSA
• Institution communications department
• Office of clinical trials
• PR/advertising firm
• Other

What is the PI and your institution's relationship with local community?

Do you conduct participant follow-up(s)?

What is the length of study?

What is your enrollment period?

• Acute (24-48 hour period)
• Secondary
• Rehabilitation
• Other

What is the time interval of follow-up(s)?

• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly
• Annually
• Other

What are your enrollment hours?

• Weekdays (9am – 5pm)
• Weekdays with weekend coverage
• 24 hours a day/7 days a week

What is the method of follow-up(s)?

• In-person
• Phone calls
• Emails
• Home visits
• Direct mailings
• Other

How do you and your research team recruit potential participants?

• Advertisements (television ads, radio ads, newspaper ads)
• Direct mass communications (telephone, mail, email, newsletters)
• General Public
• ED/ER
• In-direct mass communications (flyers, posters, brochures)
• Patient registry
• Physician Referral
• Pre-existing database
• Other

What type of services you provide in efforts to support trial participation?

• Daycare services
• Food
• Memento(s)
• Transportation
• Travel Reimbursement
• Compensation
• Other

Does your research staff have the ability (e.g. translation services, translators, bilingual staff) to enroll non-English speaking patients?

All of these questions are critical to ask yourself and colleagues before you execute a research project