A research protocol details various issues that are carried out and must be considered when carrying out investigative work.
A research protocol is a guide that details different issues that are considered when developing a research work. Its purpose is to agree on common procedures for all researchers , in such a way that the analysis of the results is facilitated and that the conclusions of the work can be shared in a simple way.
Before moving forward with the meaning of the concept, it is necessary to determine the etymological origin of the two main words that give it shape:
- Protocol derives from the Greek protokollon , formed by the prefix protos (the first) and kollea (tail).
- Investigation , for its part, comes from the Latin investigatio . This word, which means "action and effect of finding out" , is made up of three different parts: the prefix in- (inward), the noun vestigium (footprint) and the suffix -cion (action and effect).
About research protocols
Protocol is a concept with several uses. It is generally used to refer to the set of instructions or rules that, whether by agreement or tradition, guide behavior. Research , for its part, is the process and result of investigating (the methodical action that is carried out with the intention of increasing knowledge about something or with the aim of making a discovery).
A research protocol, in this framework, establishes references for the work that is intended to be carried out and establishes under which parameters the results of the project will be interpreted.
Once the research is done, another scientist can take the protocol in question and study the documentation used and the steps followed. In this way, the scientific community is in a position to consider the validity and quality of the research developed. Thanks to the research protocol, on the other hand, the investigative work can be verified and repeated step by step.
A research protocol allows common procedures to be agreed upon by all researchers.
Most common structure
Specifically, the structure that is considered essential that a research protocol must have is the following:
- Title of the research and summary of the same.
- Justification.
- Final objectives and how the results obtained can be applied.
- Theoretical foundation.
- General and specific objectives of this research work.
- Methodology.
- Methods for analyzing results.
- Literature
We can say that this is the basic structure of any research work that is carried out. However, we cannot ignore that it is also necessary to include other sections or elements such as the annexes , the schedule of activities that have been followed, the sources used and even the financing .
Pillars of a research protocol
In the same way, we must not forget that it is considered essential that a research protocol be characterized by being complete, serious, responsible, flexible and even recyclable . And this is how you will achieve the proposed objectives.
That is, a research protocol must include a summary of the investigative work, the statement of its problem, the details of the objectives, the theoretical framework followed, the techniques that were applied and the methodology used to analyze the results, among other data.