Dear Editor,
Health research is the systematic process of collecting and analyzing data with the aim of generating generalizable knowledge. It involves the systematic gathering or analysis of data to advance public knowledge, understand health challenges, and propose preventive or therapeutic solutions. Health research guides medical advancements and informs health policies and plans. It assists policymakers, managers, and health professionals in optimally allocating limited resources, expanding access to services, improving service quality, and reducing costs.
Given the complexities of health systems, employing a valid scientific model as a research guide is essential. Research models are conceptual frameworks that organize the stages of inquiry and help researchers select appropriate approaches. For example, Saunders' "Research Onion" model, which describes philosophical, strategic, and methodological layers, has been used as an educational tool in health sciences. However, such models face critiques, including a rigid, linear view of what is often a non-linear research process, complexity for novice researchers, insufficient attention to ethical considerations, inadequate coverage of practical challenges, and oversimplified categorization of research philosophies.
The Research Wheel model is a cyclical conceptual framework that envisions research as a dynamic, non-linear process. It comprises four main cabins: Insight, Design, Action, and Reflection. Its core includes Context, Ethics, and Constraints. This model views research like a Ferris wheel, where the researcher can enter at any point and navigate the path without a fixed start or end. Health research often deals with sensitive data and must lead to applicable outcomes. The Research Wheel model assists researchers in planning, executing, and completing their projects in a structured manner. By emphasizing the non-linear nature of research, it allows for iteration and revision and aids policymakers in translating evidence into action.