Quantitative methods – Data collection and analysis
Published: 11 January 2023
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Research and Evaluation Guides
Where do I start? Your research team and Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement Sharing your research findings Evaluation, audit & quality improvement Research is the process of retrieving knowledge that can be generalised or transferred. It is widely recognised that research-active organisations deliver better outcomes for patients. Therefore, all health professionals (and those especially in pharmacy) have a key role in leading or supporting the delivery of research. Here you'll find guidance to help you critically evaluate evidence, develop your own research study, source funding, and disseminate your findings. These resources have been developed for all pharmacy professionals, at all levels, to help build knowledge, skills and confidence in research. We have introductory and more advanced content, as well as signposts to further resources. We also publish openly accessible guidance and support resources for all professionals to help build the capacity for research and evaluation across the sector. Our research funding guide contains information on current funding opportunities available across pharmaceutical and healthcare research. This is available here. Where do I start? Below you will find links to five educational hubs covering everything you need to know before starting the research process. A lot of planning and preparation is required when kicking off a research project, which can appear daunting if it's not a process you are familiar with. Before jumping into your research and deciding on the methods you'll be using, you should ask yourself questions like 'How do I transform my ideas into effective and thorough research?', 'How will my research fit with the existing literature?' and 'How will I fund my research?' Introduction to research It is widely recognised that research-active organisations deliver better outcomes for patients and, therefore, all health professionals have a key role in leading or supporting the delivery of research. Pharmacy professionals are ideally placed to deliver high-quality research in the healthcare environment. This guide provides an introduction to research and an overview of the research landscape in the wider context of pharmacy practice. The foundational knowledge you need to develop your research skills and confidence. Key points covered in this guide What do we mean by research? The value of research, in particular, how research can inform practice and improve patient outcomes Components and stages of the research process/cycle Main approaches to research in the context of pharmacy First published: 25 October 2022 Click here to visit the Introduction to research hub Turning your ideas into a research project The starting point for any research is to determine what needs to be investigated and why. The decision to undertake research may be a desire to contribute to existing work, or to address a specific area of health burden. However, narrowing down to a specific research topic or question, and developing clear research aims and objectives, can be challenging. This hub provides information about the groundwork required in order to turn your ideas into researchable topics. It describes how to formulate research questions by using evidence to narrow down a broader topic, and how to write clear aims and objectives. Key points covered in this guide The purpose of reviewing existing research evidence The main stages involved in searching for, and identifying, high-quality evidence from a variety of sources How to develop a good research question? How to develop clear research aims and objectives? First published: 25 October 2022 Click here to visit the Turning your ideas into a research project hub Finding and evaluating evidence Most healthcare professionals are expected to be up to date with the latest research and developments, and being able to identify and critically evaluate research is a central component of evidence-based practice. All research projects should include a review of the current evidence prior to the development of the research protocol. This guide provides information on how to search and evaluate evidence, through a process known as critical appraisal, in order to determine its value and applicability to clinical practice and using this knowledge to inform the research process. Key points covered in this guide The importance of using evidence to build a case for research Main types of evidence reviews and different synthesis approaches Developing a search strategy to identify relevant evidence Main elements of critical appraisal of evidence Managing and citing references First published: 25 October 2022 Click here to visit the Finding and evaluating evidence hub Research governance and ethics Having a good understanding of research governance and the process of obtaining ethics approval for your research will help you to deliver high-quality research, and ensure all participants and collected data are protected. This guide provides information on best practices in research governance and ethics, including an overview of the main policy framework documents and ethics approval resources and advice. Key points covered in this guide The differences between research ethics and governance An overview of ethics approval, where it is required, and the process of obtaining it The ethics relating to recruiting research participants How to effectively shield study participants and protect the confidential data gathered throughout the research process First published: 11 January 2023 Click here to visit the Research governance and ethics hub Your research team and Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement Below you'll find links to two educational hubs that will help you build your perfect research team and understand which other stakeholders may help you throughout your research project. Building a team and collaborating An effective research team will determine the success of your research delivery. Ideally, your team should work collaboratively, drawing on a range of complimentary, interdisciplinary knowledge bases to drive your research forward. If participants are not as invested in or supportive of the research project as they could be, they may not engage in communications consistently and delay progress. It is therefore extremely important to carefully consider who you recruit to be a part of your research team. This guide will introduce you to the importance of working collaboratively, who should be included in your research group, how to define the roles of each group member, and the potential challenges of multidisciplinary work. Key points covered in this guide The key members of a research group and their roles How to identify an effective supervisor A mentor's role in your research projects How to overcome the challenges of multidisciplinary collaboration First published: 23 March 2023 Click here to visit the Building a team and collaborating hub Public and Patient Involvement and Engagement in Research Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) in research, refers to actively working with patients, carers, and/or members of the public as part of the research planning, design, management, and reporting process. “Nothing about me without me” PPIE can be thought of as a collaboration or partnership between researchers and members of the public, through which research is co-produced. PPIE can also be referred to as Public Involvement (PI) or Patient, Carer and Public Involvement (PCPI) in research. Sometimes the terms 'service user', 'lay member' or 'consumer' are used, rather than patient or member of the public. This guide will introduce you to the importance of consistent patient and public engagement in research. For information on PPIE in service evaluation or quality improvement, please refer to our hubs on these specific topics. Key points covered in this guide Why involve patients and public in pharmacy research? How to select patient and public team members The importance of patient and public contributions throughout the research cycle First published: 28 April 2023 Click here to visit the Public and Patient Involvement and Engagement in research hub Sharing your research findings Below you'll find details of four educational hubs covering everything you need to know about effectively disseminating ad communicating your research findings to your target audience. Reporting, publishing, dissemination, and impact One of the main goals of pharmacy research is to generate new evidence that can then be used to inform best practices. This guide provides information on effective research communication and dissemination strategies to achieve maximum impact. An overview of the purpose and principles of a good communication plan will enable you to maximise the benefits of your research. Key points covered in this guide: The main types of research outputs How to use different communication methods for maximum impact The principles of good dissemination The importance of adhering to relevant reporting and publishing guidelines First published: 25 October 2022 Click here to visit the Reporting, publishing, dissemination and impact hub Writing a winning abstract An abstract provides a summary of the key information from a full-length research publication. When written effectively, abstracts should provide sufficient information to allow readers to have a thorough understanding of the research and its outcomes without reading the whole paper. This allows readers to efficiently classify papers as relevant or not relevant to their interests. Key points covered in this guide The purpose and importance of abstracts The key information which should be included in an abstract The common pitfalls of abstract writing First published: 25 October 2022 Click here to visit the Writing winning abstracts hub Presenting at a research conference Research conferences provide a brilliant opportunity to disseminate your research and network with other professionals within your field. Understanding how to effectively communicate your research at conferences is therefore extremely important. This guide provides information and advice on research conferences, the abstract submission process, and how to craft effective poster and oral presentations. Key points covered in this guide The importance of research conferences in research dissemination An overview of the abstract submission process How to craft an effective poster presentation How to deliver a formal oral presentation First published: 09 March 2023 Click here to visit the Presenting at a research conference hub Research journal publications Research journals provide a brilliant platform to disseminate your research to other professionals within your field. Publishing your research provides others with the opportunity to review and scrutinise your research, or to build upon the findings from your study. Understanding how to effectively communicate your research and navigate the peer-review process is therefore extremely important. This guide provides advice on how to choose the best journal for your research/audience, as well as how to successfully navigate the peer-review process. Key points covered in this guide The importance of journal publications How to choose the right journal for your research The importance of the peer-review process Timescale of research publications First published: 17 March 2023 Click here to visit the Research journals publication hub Evaluation, audit, and quality improvement Below are three educational hubs that will help you understand how to evaluate the changes that have been implemented based on past research findings, and how to conduct research that will help improve existing services and/or programmes. Clinical audit Clinical audit is vital. First and foremost for patient care and safety, but also for the development and improvement of your professional practice. This guide will support you in preparing for and conducting your clinical audits, so you can demonstrate your excellent services and identify areas where you can enable real improvements. Key points covered in this guide What is a clinical audit? Why is a clinical audit important? What are the steps for conducting an audit? Audit templates First published: 17 November 2016 Click here to visit the Clinical audit hub Service Evaluation This guide aims to highlight the value of service evaluation in pharmacy and inspire you to develop your confidence and knowledge of evaluation as part of your professional role. Key points covered in this guide Introduction to service evaluation The benefits of conducting a service evaluation Summary of the main stages of a service evaluation Impact of service evaluations and integration into practice First published: 13 June 2023 Click here to visit the Service Evaluation Hub Quality Improvement This guide will provide an introduction to quality improvement (QI) and a summary of the different QI approaches. Key points covered in this guide What is QI and what are the main benefits? QI models and methods QI data collection and analysis Impact of QI and integration into practice First published: 14 September 2023 Click here to visit the Quality improvement hub
Research Sampling
Information on research sampling best practices, how to ensure your sample is representative and the various sampling techniques commonly used in qualitative and quantitative research methods.