Research begins when the researcher decides to examine a particular topic or answer an important question. Where do ideas for research come from? Perhaps one of the most common sources is a known problem in the practice area. The researcher’s first task is to take the problem and write the research question, or ‘terms of reference’. This is a clear statement of the aim of the project. Atkinson (2008) emphasises that the role of the research question is absolutely central to the development of successful research, and so a great deal of effort is placed on getting it right. At the preliminary stage, the researcher may think in terms of a question that they want to answer that begins with ‘why’ ‘what’ ‘when’ or ‘how’?Wood and Ross-Kerr (2006) call these words the stem of the question and what comes after them, the topic. An example would be ‘what are the factors that influence women to give up breastfeeding?’ or ‘who is likely to decide on a home birth?’ Giving up breastfeeding, and deciding on a home birth would be the topics and ‘what’ and ‘who’ would be the stem.

These questions are then converted into the research aim by removing the stem and replacing it with ‘to identify’, ‘to compare’, ‘to determine’ or a similar phrase. So, for instance, we could say the aim of our study was ‘to identify the factors that influence women to give up breastfeeding’, or ‘to determine the characteristics of women who are likely to decide on a home birth’. Table 3.1 illustrates questions that have been developed into research aims.

In experimental and some correlation studies, the researcher will usually state a hypothesis, or even more than one. A hypothesis has been defined by Schmidt and Brown (2009: 64) as a formal statement regarding the expected or predicted relationship between two or more variables in a specific population. In more simple terms, it is the ‘hunch’ that the researcher has about the outcome of the study. In experimental studies, the aim is to predict the nature of the relationship between the independent and dependent variables.

Although a hypothesis is not required in descriptive research, as the purpose is not to test the relationship between variables, it is sometimes helpful for the researcher to consider what assumptions they have about influencing factors. These can be used in deciding what information to gather. So in describing what attracts some women to a home birth and not others, the researcher might hypothesise that factors such as social class, age and parity may be influential. These would then be included as questions in the tool of data collection.

An important consideration at this stage is whether the question is researchable. This relates firstly to the practical aspect of the study in terms of whether it is the kind of question that could be tackled by research reasonably easily – what Punch (2006) refers to as whether it is feasible and ‘doable’? Secondly, it is important to realise that not all questions are amenable to investigation. Philosophical questions, or ethical issues, cannot be answered through research. Such questions as ‘should midwives wear a uniform’ or ‘should midwives reserve the right to strike’ belong in this category and are really the subjects of debate, not research.

The first stage of research is complex. The type and nature of the question are important, not only from the professional point of view of do we need to know the answer, but also in relation to the research method. Many of the other stages in the research process will be influenced by the way the aim is written. So, for instance, the broad approach, the method of data collection, the sample and method of data analysis can all be implicitly influenced by the aim of the study.

Studies are not undertaken in isolation from previous research; therefore the second stage of the research process consists of a critical review of current literature on the topic. The purpose of this is to gain more information about the topic being examined. The literature also helps to clarify the research question and possible ways of answering it (see Chapter 7). It also confirms that there is a need for such a study. As Lacey (2010) points out, there is no point in carrying out research if the question has already been competently answered. Although this stage is an essential element in quantitative research, in qualitative research the literature is not always consulted at this point; instead it is used at the analysis stage to help make sense of the data. Qualitative researchers sometimes avoid examining the literature too early in case their own views are influenced by what they read, and so restrict the topics and issues included in data collection and analysis.

In quantitative research, reviewing the literature is an important part of clarifying one’s ideas, and a necessary early stage in the research process, particularly in justifying the need for such a study. Midwifery is extremely fortunate in having such resources as the MIDIRS information system and the Cochrane Collaboration database available to access information on published midwifery research. Accessing databases through local midwifery and nursing libraries and on-line resources are also part of the process of gathering information on previous studies (Chapter 6).

The review is important not only to provide information on the topic, but also to provide guidance on the approach and methods used by those who have studied a particular topic previously. The ‘methods’ section of research articles provides useful guidance on the way data can be gathered in a study and any possible pitfalls that might be attached to some methods. Most authors provide some details of problems encountered and comment on what they would have done differently with hindsight. All these are valuable to the researcher planning a study. Once this stage is reached, it is worth the researcher stopping and asking the following three questions:

Unless the answers to these questions are in the positive, there may be little point in moving on to the next stage of planning the study.