Devising and Revising Case

Devising and Revising Case
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Part 1
Descriptive Research Questions: Descriptive research questions differ from questions of relationship in that descriptive questions are the When? Where? What? and Who? Questions whilst questions of relationship are concerned with answering the question: How are two or more things related? Newton, Bower and Williams (2004) stated that with descriptive questions, descriptions basically form the foundation of every research, and all new areas of investigation have to begin by describing the phenomena. An example of a descriptive study is the investigation of the preferred roles of dental patients in treatment decision-making. Other examples are case studies, along with description of the prevalence and incidence of theillness (Richards, 2009).
Questions of Relationships: descriptive questions differ from questions of relationships primarily because, unlike descriptive questions, Questions of Relationship usually ask how phenomena are related. For instance, earlier research studies of fluoridation observed a relationship between the presence of fluoride in the water and low levels of caries (Newton, Bower & Williams, 2004). Within the primary care setting, associations between phenomena may offer valuable information for the planning of one’s practice. One may ask himself/herself: are failures to attend associated with the time when schools are on holidays? Are patients more probable to fail an appointment for the hygienist, or for a dentist?
Questions of Comparison: Descriptive research questions differ from questions of comparison in that questions of comparison usually ask about cause and effect. In essence, 2 things are compared in order to establish cause and effect. For instance, if one person or a grouping of people is given a certain treatment, does that treatment improve their outcome in comparison to a person or grouping of people who were not given that treatment? In demonstrating cause and effect, it is essential to make sure that the only possible cause is the variable of interest (Newton, Bower & Williams, 2004).
Part 2
A researcher has to determine if earlier research exists on his/her intended research topic by consulting numerous sources such as the Cochrane Library so as to knowifa systematic review of the subject matter or topic has been published. The researcher will search in various sources of information including the following computerized databases: Health information for London Online; back copies of the BDJ; computer...