For Young Clinicians, Learning How to Navigate New Research Projects

Developing a successful practice-based research project begins with one critical step: choosing the right research question. According to David Ha, PharmD, lecturer with the Stanford University School of Medicine Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, and manager of Antimicrobial Stewardship at Stanford Health Care, explains the quality and relevance of a project’s research question can ultimately determine whether the study is feasible, publishable, and impactful.

“A project lives and dies by what the research question is,” Ha said, noting that many researchers encounter challenges early by selecting questions that are either too broad, not feasible, or not aligned with meaningful gaps in the literature.

To help guide study development, researchers often rely on the “FINER” framework, an acronym used to evaluate whether a project is Feasible, Interesting, Novel, Ethical, and Relevant. Feasibility is especially important, experts say, because investigators must realistically assess whether they have the time, patient population, and resources needed to complete the project successfully.

Novelty and relevance also play major roles in determining the value of a study. Reviewing current literature, attending professional conferences, and identifying unanswered clinical questions can help researchers determine whether their proposed work will contribute meaningful information to the field.

Ethical considerations are another cornerstone of research planning, particularly when navigating Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval. An IRB evaluates research proposals to ensure studies meet ethical standards and protect patient safety and privacy. Experts emphasized that IRB processes vary widely between institutions, with some organizations operating internal IRBs while others partner with academic centers or external review boards.

Researchers are encouraged to familiarize themselves with their institution’s IRB requirements early in the planning process, including mandatory ethics training such as CITI certification. Because IRB review timelines can extend for weeks or even months, early preparation is considered essential for avoiding project delays.

When it comes to identifying reliable data sources, collaboration across departments can significantly strengthen a project. Antimicrobial stewardship teams often rely on antibiotic databases to identify patient populations, while microbiology laboratories can provide organism-specific culture data for studies involving infectious diseases. Infection prevention departments may also supply valuable information related to healthcare-associated infections such as Clostridioides difficile, central line-associated bloodstream infections, or catheter-associated urinary tract infections.

Ha noted that combining multiple institutional data sources can help researchers narrow large patient populations into more targeted study groups through a “funnel approach,” starting broadly with automated reports and progressively refining the cohort using exclusion criteria and clinical variables.

Ultimately, successful practice-based research requires careful planning, institutional collaboration, and early attention to ethics and feasibility. By taking a structured approach to project development, clinicians can improve both the quality and impact of their research efforts.

Ha will be moderating a presentation on this topic at the MAD-ID and SIDP 2026 annual meeting.