Clinical Research Methodology

Planning a clinical study

• Discusses how to properly choose a research question that is necessary for the field
• Reviews efficient literature searching strategies and how to stay up-to-date
• Discusses focusing the research problem in a manageable and realistic manner 
• Reviews different primary and secondary outcomes related to the research question that should be the focus of the study

Choosing the right study design

• Covers how to identify which study design is appropriate for the research problem and outcome
• Briefly introduces systematic reviews, randomised controlled trials (RCTs), cohort studies, case-controlled studies, cross-sectional studies, and case reports/series
• Highlights the advantages and limitations of the above that should be considered
• Discusses RCTs, given their important impact in clinical research

Avoiding common biases in your study design

• Emphasises the importance of a robust study design to increase the chance of publication as well as clinical impact
• Discusses a number of common biases in clinical studies, such as selection bias, measurement bias, attrition bias, and selective reporting and publishing bias
• Reviews strategies to minimise these biases in the study, to improve the overall robustness of the research study

Collecting and analysing data

• Discusses how to effectively collect data during the study and how to properly manage all files to ensure that they are easily accessible and understandable
• Reviews how to store the data both during and after the study that will be essential during or after publication
• Reviews some available data repositories that can help researchers achieve long-term secure archiving