An Introduction to Clinical Research

This practical book is written specifically for junior doctors by a team of highly experienced authors, as an introductory guide to clinical research. It covers all areas that a junior doctor needs to consider, including funding, study design, ethics, data analysis, disseminating findings, and furthering one's research career. It presents a balance view of clinical research and is written by authors actively involved in clinical research both at the 'coal-face' and at a more supervisory level. Research can be a difficult process and it is essential to make sure that the project is set up in the correct way in order to get verifiable results. This easy-to-read guide is available to help junior doctors develop a good study design and present evidence of a sound academic practice, which will make obtaining funding more likely and be time-efficient. Getting started early in research and developing a solid, gradual understanding of clinical research through using this approachable book will be of huge benefit to junior doctors and their discipline.

1 - The literature review
2 - Types of research
3 - Research design
4 - Writing your research proposal
5 - Funding
6 - Ethics
7 - Data collection and research conduct issues
8 - Statistics
9 - Writing up research
10 - Evidence based medicine
11 - Taking your research career further

Piers Page is currently the Complex Trauma Fellow at Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre Hedley Court. He is a military surgeon in training with a significant proportion of time spent in academic practice. After officer training, he spent time researching the outcome of mild traumatic brain injury and has subsequently authored and co-authored papers and book chapters in the fields of trauma and orthopaedics and military surgery. Dr James Carr is a clinical psychologist who previously worked alongside Piers Page on the mTBI study. His clinical training brings a voice of authority in applied medical statistics and study design. William Eardley is an orthopaedic SpR. He is also working towards an MSc in evidence based medicine. Dr David Chadwick is Consultant Physician and Director of Research and Development at The James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, United Kingdom.