COURSE CODE: BCH 4103

TITLE: ADVANCED BIOCHEMICAL METHODS

 Course Content

1. Evaluation and design of experimental biochemistry from

available information and data.

2. Analysis, interpretation and inference – drawing from

biochemical research data.

3. Familiarization with the operations of latest biochemical

equipment, methods of research,

4. Assimilation and dissemination of information.

5. Effective use of library, preparation of dissertations or theses,

papers for journal publication and conference.
 Course Objectives

By the end of this course students are expected to be able to:

1. Define research
2. List the various categories of research
3. Identify the elements of research
4. Explain data model relationship
5. Identify components of data model relationship
6. Design and Analyse biochemical research data
7. Interpret experimental research data
8. Deduce conclusion from experimental data
9. Summarize the operation of recent biochemical equipment
10.Design an experimental research
11.Write a journal article
12.Write a conference paper
13.Report research project
RESEARCH
 MEANING OF RESEARCH

Usually a research is said to begin with a question or a problem.

The purpose of research is to find solutions through the
application of systematic and scientific methods. Thus, research
is a systematic approach to purposeful investigation.

Research means technical and organized search for relevant

information on a particular topic. It is defined as an academic
activity that involves identifying the research problem, formulating
a hypothesis, collecting and analyzing data and reaching specific
conclusions and at last carefully testing the conclusions to
determine whether they agree with the formulated hypothesis (in
the form of solutions or general theories) or not.
The primary objective of research is to find solutions for problems
in a methodical and systematic way.

Researches primarily follow two approaches, quantitative and

qualitative.

The quantitative approach focuses on the quantity of the data

obtained from the research, while the qualitative approach is
concerned with the quality of the obtained data.
CLASSES OF RESEARCH
 Descriptive research

It is also referred to as to as “ correlational ” or “ observational” studies.

 It involves collection of information without changing the environment

(i.e., nothing is manipulated).

 The Office of Human Research Protections (OHRP) defines a descriptive

study as “Any study that is not truly experimental.”

 In human research, a descriptive study can provide information about the

naturally occurring health status, behavior, attitudes or other

characteristics of a particular group.

 Descriptive studies are also conducted to demonstrate associations

or relationships between things in the world around you.

 Thus descriptive research are questionnaire-based and practice-

based.
 Experimental research

1. This is a study in which a treatment, procedure, or program is

intentionally introduced and a result or outcome is observed.

2. It is a test under under controlled conditions that is made to

demonstrate a known truth, to examine the validity of a hypothesis, or

to determine the efficacy of something previously untried.

3. True experiment research has four elements: manipulation, control,

random assignment, and random selection.

4. The most important of these elements are manipulation and control.

 Experimental research

5. Manipulation means that something is purposefully changed by the researcher

in the environment.

6. Control is used to prevent outside factors from influencing the study outcome.

When something is manipulated and controlled and then the outcome happens,

it makes us more confident that the manipulation “caused” the outcome.

7. Another key element of a true experiment is random assignment. Random

assignment means that if there are groups or treatments in the experiment,

participants are
assigned to these groups or treatments, or randomly (like the flip of a

coin). This means that no matter who the participant is, he/she has an

equal chance of getting into all of the groups or treatments in an

experiment.
ELEMENTS OF RESEARCH
The basic elements of research essential for good research

practices are:

1. Variables,

2. Associations

3. Sampling,

4. Random selection,

5. Random assignment, and

6. Blinding.

All these will be discussed in data-model relationship

DATA MODEL RELATIONSHIP
 Data model relationship

1. The systematic manner of considering Research Questions involves

Research Method.

2. Research Method is viewed as a set of established procedures

through which an experiment is carried out.

3. The execution of research by appropriate choice of procedures to

achieve clearly defined goals is its Methodology.

4. The stages involved in research methodology are viewed as a

closed loop concept and Illustrated by the Data –Model Relationship.

 Data model relationship

1. Data model relationship shows how data (scientific facts;

information gathered) is dependent on the model (the style or

methods used) for the research.

2. Data model relationship is also called closed-loop concept

COMPONENTS OF DATA MODEL RELATIONSHIP
 6 0

New data Preliminary data

8 1

Conclusion Research question/problem

7 2

Data analysis Identify variables

Data collection Generate hypothesis

4
5

Methodology Experimental design

RESEARCH QUESTION/PROBLEM
 Research question/problem

1. All research begins with a question.

2. Research question is very fundamental to achieving the desired

success in research.

3. However, formulating a good research question is not trivial.

4. A good research question should be specific enough so that the main

variables of interest are identifiable.

5. On the other hand, it should be open-ended enough to be answered with

different hypotheses.

6. Good research questions also specify the conditions under which a

study will be performed.

 Research question/problem

A possible template for research question can be:

How does X affect Y under condition(s) Z?

1. In this template, X and Y are the variables of interest and Z

indicates the conditions under which X might affect Y.

The possible sources of research question/problem are:

2. Literature
3. Personal or group observations which can be checked from the
literature.
4. Suggestions for further studies as they appear in Theses or Project
Dissertations.
5. From folklores.
6. Thus, no matter the source of the preliminary data at your disposal,
it is important that a comprehensive literature review is performed.
IDENTIFY VARIABLES
 Identify variables

1. Experiments involve two kinds of variables:

a. Independent : variation does not depend on other variables
b. dependent variables: is affected by other variables.

2. In experiments, the independent variable is typically the variable

being manipulated or changed and the dependent variable is the
observed results of the manipulation of the independent variable.
3. An alternative set of terms that can be used for independent and
dependent variables are factors and response variables respectively.
4. Factors cause response variable to vary and the variation in response
variables depend on factors.
5. For example, in the research question “How does the consumption of
acetaminophen at therapeutic dose or overdose affect the level of
serum enzymes?”
 Variable 1 Relationship Variable 2

Independent variable Dependent variable

Acetaminophen Relationship Serum

enzymes
Independent variable Dependent variable
Factor Response
1
Level 1 variables
2
Factor
Level 2
GENERATE HYPOTHESIS
 Hypothesis

1. Hypotheses describe provisional relationships between your

factors and response variables.
2. You can think of a hypothesis as an interim answer to your
research question.
3. For instance, a possible hypothesis for the research question

“How does X affect Y under conditions Z?”

is “X affects Y in R way under conditions Z.”
R involves a description of how different levels of factor X might
affect the response variable Y.
4. Hypotheses should be supported by a description of their
motivations. This motivation could be from previous
work/studies
EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
 Experimental design

1. This involves making decisions on experimental complexity

2. How experimental animals will be exposed to the different factors in
your experiment.
3. Experimental complexity determines whether an experiment is
conducted using a simple design – one in which one factor is varied at
a time – or using a factorial design – one in which multiple factors and
their interactions are considered.
4. The main drawback of a simple design is that it does not allow for
studying interactions between factors and might produce misleading
results in the presence of such interactions.
5. While, factorial designs significantly increase the complexity of the
experiment, particularly the size of the participant pool, the difficulty
of administering the experiment, and the complexity of the statistical
modeling.
 Experimental design

There are four statistical principles of experimental design:

1. Replication
2. Randomization

3. Concurrent (“local”) control and

4. Balance
 Reduction of
Modelling function Hypothesis-testing
dimensionality
See Figure 3 Function see figure 2
Function see figure 4

Figure 1: Overall decision tree for selecting statistical procedures.

Figure 2: Decision tree for selecting hypothesis-testing procedure. *, if plot does not
clearly demonstrate lack of normality, exact test may be employed; +, if continuous data,
Kolmongorox-Smirnov test may be used; −, if discontinuous data, χ2 goodness-of-fit test
may be used.
Figure 3: Decision tree for selecting modeling procedures.
Figure 4: Decision tree for selecting reduction of dimensionality procedures.
METHODOLOGY
 Methodology

1 This section provides details on the chemicals and procedures to

be used in testing the set hypothesis.
2 Handling of materials and animal (storage facilities; management
of the animals (temperature, relative humidity, light/dark hours,
etc.).
3 At this point, the researcher determines the parameters to be
examined to explain the responses arising from the treatments.
4. By way of measurement, it is important to ascertain the feasibility of
the procedures for parameters to be determined based on the equipment
and chemicals/reagents available.

5. Researcher should also ensure that the chemical and reagents are of the
appropriate quality (analytical/research quality).
DATA COLLECTION
 Data collection

1. There are many ways to collect information in research.

2. The method that is chosen by the researcher depends on the research

question that is being asked.

3. Examples of information collection methods include surveys, interviews,

tests, physiological assessments, observations, existing record reviews and
biological samples.

4. In experimental research, the collection methods often used are physiological

assessments and biochemical analyses of biological samples.
5. Data collected are geared towards answering the research questions,
as such, efforts should be made to collecting data that have association
to the identified variables in the research question.
DATA ANALYSIS
 Data analysis

The statistical tool earlier used in designing the experiment

should be used to test the hypothesis and test for any significant
difference in the variables (i.e the treatments).
CONCLUSION
 Conclusion

Based on the analyzed data, conclusion, inferences and

recommendations can be made. Make Decision/conclusion by
reviewing the result of the study compared with the controls. Does
the results support or refute the hypothesis?
NEW DATA
 Conclusion

Arising from the conclusion made, a new set of data can be

generated, which will serve as preliminary information upon
which a research question/problem is derivable. Thus making
the research process/inquiry to continue.