Participant consent
11.1 What is informed consent? One definition of informed consent is ‘an ongoing agreement by a person to receive treatment, undergo procedures or participate in research, after risks, benefits and…
Writing the initial research protocol
7.1 Why do I need a research protocol? The research protocol is an essential document for all research projects whatever their size. It should be written before you launch into…
Preparing for a conference presentation
16.1 Submitting an abstract You must first thoroughly read the guidance notes given by the conference organisers. This will tell you what format your abstract must be in, the word…
Choosing the right research design
6.1 The hierarchy of research evidence Different research designs offer different levels of certainty about the results of the research and the idea of a hierarchy of evidence has been…
Getting started with statistics
8.1 Back to basics Before going any further I want to stop and explain some statistical terminology. Understanding the plethora of terms is half the battle in overcoming a fear…
Taking stock
1.1 What is research? Research is the systematic investigation of a specific question in order to establish new facts and draw new conclusions. It involves the discovery of new knowledge…
