Assignment 1: Evaluating Bias Research
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The first step for a research is, framing your research question. This question will help in identifying a problem that needs to be fixed in that specific area. It also helps the student to know where, what and how to effectively and efficiently search the information. This step requires a student to choose the sources where to access the required information during the research process. A research conducted with valid and relevant is more likely to yield successful findings.
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The first step of research involves preparing resources that are to be used while conducting research. It involves putting into practice on how that particular research will be conducted. It also involves having good preparation strategies and ensures availability of research resources. The success of the research depends on the ability of the student to acquire quality information.
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There are assumptions and bias underlying drug research. One of the assumptions underlying drug research is that drug companies are aimed at making profit. Therefore, it is a big conflict of interest for drug companies to fund any research. Healthcares somewhere turned into business rather than producing what is best for patients. That is why drug companies are just interested in making money thus biasing research using varying tactics taking advantage of the public. They are basically coercing everyone involved in the process of research. They are known of using PR manipulative tactics to cover up unfavorable findings to their products. They confuse and mislead the public by offering unreliable degrees of truth on how they conduct the research, evaluate finding, what they are aware of and how to finically compensate whoever involved. Opportunities for bias also manifold since companies are always seeking to promote drugs and thus they tend to design research that make their products look better rather than designing research that makes the products effective to the consumers for the better mate of the consumers (Whoriskey, 2012). They do select concurring academics to execute the work, who then run their statistics such that the drugs appear to be better than they actually are. They report positive trial results for instance a research argument over Vioxx which was positively reported by two companies but was later discovered of causing heart troubles including heart attacks and cardiac related deaths (Whoriskey, 2012). Other assumptions and bias that underlie drug research is the application of generalization in drug studies. Generalizations include assumptions that the side effects of a drug are similar to everyone. This generalization may not be valid when people are evaluated hence causing inaccurate results. The other bias that can affect drug research is based on gender where it is assumed that all males have strong body system thus, they require more stronger and effective drugs as compared to females. This is likely to yield incorrect results because people have different body systems not just a matter of gender.
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As a consumer, I also have personal bias on the drug research. I believe that drug companies create drugs while knowing the deadly side effects since the Food and Drug Administration is always regulated by the federal government which I consider to be impermeable to the bias. I also believe that a lot is being covered from the drug industries pertaining the studies done on the drugs and the side effects.
Whoriskey Peter As drug industry’s influence over research grows, so does the potential for bias, (2012). http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/as-drug-industrys-influence-over-research-grows-so-does-the-potential-for-bias/2012/11/24/bb64d596-1264-11e2-be82-c3411b7680a9_story.html.
