Research Planning Guide

Overview

The Research Planning module provides a visual canvas for defining, organizing, and tracking your research objectives and hypotheses. It helps you build a structured research plan that can be shared, modified, and tracked throughout your study.

Key Concepts

• Objectives: The core questions or goals of your research
• Sub-objectives: More specific goals that support the main objectives
• Hypotheses: Testable predictions that can be validated through research
• Evidence: Data that supports or refutes hypotheses

Interface Components

The Research Planning interface consists of:

1. Control Panel (left side)

   • Objective controls
   • Hypothesis controls
   • View options

2. Visual Canvas (right side)

   • Interactive nodes representing objectives and hypotheses
   • Connections showing relationships between elements
   • Type lanes for organizing different node types

3. Evidence Panel (bottom right, appears when a hypothesis is selected)

   • Literature evidence
   • Statistical evidence
   • Other evidence types

Basic Workflow

1. Create a Research Objective

1. Click the Add Objective button (bullseye icon)
2. Enter your research question or goal
3. Select the appropriate objective type:
   • Research Question
   • Goal
   • Problem Statement
   • Other

2. Add Sub-objectives (Optional)

1. Select an existing objective
2. Click the Add Sub-objective button (diagram icon)
3. Enter details for the sub-objective
4. Position it on the canvas in relation to the parent objective

3. Create Hypotheses

For each objective or sub-objective:

1. Select the objective
2. Click the Add Hypothesis button (lightbulb icon)
3. Enter your hypothesis statement
4. Define variables if applicable
5. Position it on the canvas

4. Generate Hypotheses with AI

For automated hypothesis generation:

1. Select an objective
2. Click the Auto-Generate Hypotheses button (CPU icon)
3. Review the generated hypotheses
4. Keep or discard as appropriate

5. Manage Evidence

For each hypothesis:

1. Select a hypothesis node
2. Click the Manage Evidence button (journal icon)
3. Add literature evidence from the Literature Search module
4. Add statistical evidence from the Data Analysis module
5. Add other types of evidence as needed

Advanced Features

Auto-arrange Layout

Click the Auto Arrange button to organize your research plan elements in a clean, hierarchical layout.

Lane Organization

Use the Create Type Lanes button to organize nodes by type (objectives, hypotheses) in vertical lanes.

Importing from Studies

If you already have studies in the Studies Manager, click Import from Studies Manager to create a research plan based on existing study designs.

Auto-Generate and Test

Use the Auto-Generate and Test feature to have the AI create hypotheses and immediately test them against available data.

Example Workflow

1. Create a primary research objective: "Investigate the effect of medication adherence on blood pressure control in hypertensive patients"
2. Add sub-objectives:
   • "Identify factors affecting medication adherence"
   • "Quantify the relationship between adherence and blood pressure"
3. Generate hypotheses for each sub-objective
4. Collect evidence from literature search
5. Test hypotheses with patient data
6. Update hypothesis states based on evidence

Tips and Best Practices

• Start with broad objectives and refine into more specific sub-objectives
• Create clear, testable hypotheses that specify relationships between variables
• Use the AI generator for inspiration but review all suggestions carefully
• Connect your hypotheses to literature evidence before testing with data
• Update hypothesis states (validated, rejected, inconclusive) as new evidence emerges

Next Steps

After completing your research plan, you can:

• Navigate to Literature Search to find supporting evidence
• Use the Protocol section to define your study protocol based on the plan
• Set up Data Collection to gather data for testing your hypotheses
• Return to the Research Plan to update hypothesis states as your research progresses