Marketing research planning process

The goal of research planning is to optimize human and material resources while maximizing efficiency. If there are databases that can be used as a substitute for own data collection, effective research can be facilitated by reallocating resources. In the case of environmental studies, the knowledge of the climatic conditions of the study period is known to be a key factor in research planning process. In the present study, the data of our meteorological station in our research area (known as “Szamárháti Tanya”, Kesznyéten, Hungary) was compared with the measurements of meteorological stations operated by the competent water authority. Stations were taken into the study within a 10 and 20 km radius over a period of 21 months, to determine which provided more relevant data from the area. During the evaluation of results, the relationship between the local and regional weather stations were determined, and deductions were made from the obtained results to support the decision which of the targeted investigations could be of greater benefit.

Achieving a successful outcome in investigative trials is the most important objective in clinical research. Increasing the probability of meeting this objective requires careful planning and the inclusion of appropriate controls throughout the life cycle of a project. It is essential to determine the feasibility of conducting a trial through carefully structured surveys with a consortium of clinicians who have expertise in the therapeutic area of interest, preferably on a global basis. To optimize the initiation phase, a concentrated effort at the ‘front end’ of projects is necessary to appropriately set priorities so that timelines are realistic and achievable within the clinical development plan and at the conclusion. Fundamental to the planning process is strategic planning and a well developed, in-depth project plan designed to provide the foundation to launch and execute trials successfully in accordance with the study protocol, and equally importantly, the regulations and guidelines. The most effective strategies and project plans are simplistic in design, thereby enabling seamless continuity among all project activities and adherence to budgetary constraints.

The standardising of nomenclature in the radiotherapy planning process has deep implications for the abilityof the profession to examine the adequacy of construction of radiotherapy plans in outcomes research, particularly in relation to disease control and toxicity generation. This paper proposes an interim standardisednomenclature which can be used by any institution as a template for a mappable local standard.The nomenclature is systematically constructed using the Foundational Model of Anatomy, ICRU Report 50 and ICRU report 62. The system foreshadows a XML metadata structure to detail the method of constructionof volumes. Treatment Planning System vendors should build their software with the ability to use this systematic construction technique so that contours and volumes in a radiotherapy plan can be annotated. Thismetadata will allow the investigation of how a radiation plan's construction can affect the therapy outcome.

BackgroundThere have been claims that health research is not satisfactorily addressing healthcare challenges. A specific area of concern is the adequacy of the mechanisms used to plan investments in health research. However, the way organisations within countries devise research agendas has not been systematically reviewed. This study seeks to understand the legal basis, the actors and the processes involved in setting research agendas in major public health research funding organisations.MethodsWe reviewed information relating to the formulation of strategic plans by 11 public funders in nine high-income countries worldwide. Information was collected from official websites and strategic plan documents in English, French, Italian and Spanish between January 2019 and December 2019, by means of a conceptual framework and information abstraction form.ResultsWe found that the formulation of a strategic plan is a common and well-established practice in shaping research agendas across international settings. Most of the organisations studied are legally required to present a multi-year strategic plan. In some cases, legal provisions may set rules for actors and processes and may establish areas of research and/or types of research to be funded. Commonly, the decision-making process involves both internal and external stakeholders, with the latter being generally government officials and experts, and few examples of the participation of civil society. The process also varies across organisations depending on whether there is a formal requirement to align to strategic priorities developed by an overarching entity at national level. We also found that, while actors and their interactions were traceable, information, sources of information, criteria and the mechanisms/tools used to shape decisions were made less explicit.ConclusionsA complex picture emerges in which multiple interactive entities appear to shape research plans. Given the complexity of the influences of different parties and factors, the governance of the health research sector would benefit from a traceable and standardised knowledge-based process of health research strategic planning. This would provide an opportunity to demonstrate responsible budget stewardship and, more importantly, to make efforts to remain responsive to healthcare challenges, research gaps and opportunities.

Aims: The Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) is a registered society that serves as an institutional platform linking research and extension activities at the district level. It promotes decentralized decision-making through a bottom-up planning process. At the block level, Block Technology Managers (BTMs) and Assistant Technology Managers (ATMs) provide critical technical and knowledge support to farm schools, farmer groups (FFs), Farmer Interest Groups (FIGs), Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), and individual farmers. With this in mind, the present study was undertaken to measure the relationship between the profile characteristics of ATMs and their job perception and job performance under ATMA in North Karnataka. Study Design: Ex-post facto design. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted across all seven districts under the jurisdiction of UAS Dharwad, namely Bagalkot, Belgavi, Dharwad, Gadag, Haveri, Uttar Kannada, and Vijayapura in North Karnataka. The study was conducted in the year 2023. Methodology: Data collected from a sample of 90 ATMs. Thirteen independent variables were selected for the study. Using Principal Component Analysis (PCA), the data were reduced to five dimensions. Multiple regression analysis was then employed to assess the contribution of these factors to job perception and job performance. Results: Variables/indicators such as rural/urban background, ICT utilization, job involvement, and job satisfaction are all positively correlated and explain 26.234% of the total variance. Collectively, they represent a latent factor, which we have termed “Professional Standards”—a major determinant of both job perception and job performance. The results revealed that 69.30% of the variance in job perception was explained by factors such as professional standards (rural/urban background, ICT utilization, job involvement, and job satisfaction), and experience of ATMs. Similarly, 51.60% of the variance in job performance was attributed to professional standards. These findings emphasize the importance of the determinant, professional standards, in influencing both job perception and performance. Conclusion: The study concludes that providing ATMs with training in areas such as ATMA, Strategic Research and Extension Plan (SREP), Block Action Plan (BAP), and e-extension tools will enhance their job involvement and satisfaction, ultimately improving their job perception and performance under the ATMA framework. Additionally, the findings suggest practical implications for recruitment, ICT support, and motivation strategies to strengthen professional standards, thereby improving the efficiency and impact of extension delivery.

Background: The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) have supported climate change and health-relevant research for decades. Through the years 2010 to 2020, annual NIH support for climate change and health research hovered around $10 million funded by 21 NIH components. The NIH Climate Change and Health Initiative, launched in 2021, is an NIH-wide effort to develop the first coordinated NIH plan for research on the impacts of climate change on human health. Methods: The Initiative created a core framework in 2021 that was informed by a month’s long planning and engagement process. Directors of seven Institutes and Centers at the NIH have joined together to create a strategic framework document that highlights the core focus areas of the work. The group released a Public Request for Information to gather input from community organizations and academic scientists and conducted a federal and international landscape assessment to map out organizations working in the space. Internally, NIH conducted a portfolio analysis of funded climate research from the past decade, engaged staff through workshops, and developed an internal data call for planned climate related programs. Results: The strategic framework will guide a community of practice comprising outstanding and committed scientists, trainees, and specialists. Key areas of interest outlined include: Health Effects Research, Health Equity, Intervention Research and Training and Capacity Building. The framework also identifies nine key areas of supporting science for climate change and health research. Conclusions: Climate change is impacting health and communities around the world but there remain many key research knowledge gaps. NIH’s role as a leading funder of biomedical and human health research can play an important role in coordinating research to better understand health impacts, health adaptation, and outcomes in communities impacted related to climate change. There is perhaps no greater opportunity for NIH to fulfill its mission than by providing global leadership in the response to the burgeoning climate change and health crisis. Key words: Climate change; public health; research

: Global Technology Watch is the assemblage of methodologies, both human-based and computer-based, required to understand the status of science and technology (ST (2) evaluate science and technology programs; (3) avoid research duplication; (4) identify promising research directions and opportunities; (5) perform myriad oversight tasks; and, in general, (6) support every step of a strategic research planning, selection, management, and evaluation process that makes optimal use of S&T investment resources. In addition, recent counter-terrorism concerns have highlighted the need for ready access to, and analysis of, databases that could link people with institutions and activities. In the S&T arena, this requires linking research performers with organizations, countries, and technical areas. (46 refs.)

PurposeThis study aims to present a method to carry out technological foresight exercises in university technological research and development centers (TRDCs). The results support the organizational planning process.Design/methodology/approachThe authors review the literature on the frameworks of foresight. The authors propose the use of quantitative (bibliometrics) and qualitative (expert meeting, Delphi) techniques. The authors apply this method to each research topic of interest of the TRDCs.FindingsThe application of the method to a research topic allows us to analyze the relevant knowledge areas for the development of that topic and its global trend. For each area, the authors identify the specific lines of research with the greatest growth and relevance. Considering these lines, the authors make a diagnosis of the TRDC situation regarding how to provide knowledge to decision-makers.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper reviews the results of the application in the Engineering Institute of the National Autonomous University of Mexico and in the research topic “Seismic risks in civil engineering.” It is necessary to adjust the application of the method in other TRDCs to the conditions of the organization and to the development achieved by the TRDCs in the analyzed research topic.Originality/valueThere is no detailed literature on technological foresight exercises in university TRDCs that support the planning process of the organization. The method represents a proposal to establish priority research topics and specific research lines in research institutes, particularly universities. The authors present the application in a university TRDCs in Mexico.