Letters to the Editor
Vol. 20 No. 1 (2026)
The research question: a first, essential step in study design
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All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Published: 22 January 2026
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Authors
Dear Editor,
The process of building and refining a research question is the first and most important step in the study design, since a research question that is not well considered makes the subsequent work a waste of time...
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Citations
Stone P. Deciding upon and refining a research question. Palliat Med 2002;16:265-7.
Hulley SB, Cummings SR, Browner WS, et al. Designing clinical research. Philadelphia, PA, USA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2007.
Brian Haynes R. Forming research questions. J Clin Epidemiol 2006;59:881-6.
Farrugia P, Petrisor BA, Farrokhyar F, Bhandari M. Practical tips for surgical research: research questions, hypotheses and objectives. Can J Surg 2010;53:278-81.
Lipowski EE. Developing great research questions. Am J Health Syst Pharm 2008;65:1667-70.
Bland JM, Altman DG. One and two sided tests of significance. BMJ 1994;309:248.
How to Cite
The research question: a first, essential step in study design. (2026). Italian Journal of Medicine, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.4081/itjm.2026.2130
Copyright (c) 2026 the Author(s)
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