Possessing a basic understanding of the scientific basis and rationale behind the choice of methods is important for individuals leading and designing studies and those supporting delivery (e.g., through recruitment of participants or collecting data). Study design can greatly impact on the validity of the research findings, so it is important to select the most appropriate design.
Key points covered in this guide
The principles of research design (strengths and limitations) and the importance of having a plan that addresses the research question.
An overview of different types of methods and their main features.
The key principles and procedures in quantitative and qualitative research, and what to consider when collecting, analysing and interpreting data.
Related articles
Research governance and ethics
Good research governance and ethics approval enable high-quality research while protecting participants and data. This guide outlines best practice and key resources.
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
Once you have developed your research question and given some thought to your aim(s) and objectives, the next stage is to choose a suitable research design and methodology (and methods).
Methodology is a broad term that encompasses:
The choice of method(s) used to gather data to answer a research question.
The rationale for your choices, including strengths and weaknesses and potential challenges.
Method encompasses the details of carrying out the research, including how you will select the sample, or how you will collect and analyse the data.
You will probably be aware of some of the more common methods used in pharmacy practice research but may be unclear on what method to use for your own project. You can learn a lot about different methodologies and methods through other people’s research, so you should take a look at the existing literature and evidence on your topic.
Study design is about ensuring that the research question can be answered in an objective and valid way. The method refers to the specific technique(s) used to generate the data with which to answer the research question.
Overview of methodologies
Research methods can be broadly categorised as quantitative or qualitative.
Whatever method(s) you choose, your approach should be driven by your research question and not by what is possible to measure. You should also be clear on how each component of the study contributes to the end result.
Quantitative methods
Mainly expressed in numbers
Used to answer a ‘how much’, ‘how many’, ‘how often’ question (i.e. used to generate numerical data or data that can be converted into numbers).
Used to quantify, measure, count, estimate and compare.
Can deal with very large datasets (e.g. big data, such as prescription data).
Can statistically test theories and hypotheses.
There is a range of quantitative methods you can choose from (e.g. surveys/questionnaires, randomised controlled trials, cohort studies, etc.), each generating a different type of data. The choice of method should, therefore, be driven by your research question, and not by what is possible to measure.
Used to explore and answer a ‘’what’, ‘why’ or ‘how’ question.
Used to understand and explain people’s views, experiences and behaviours.
Can inform a poorly understood subject area.
Can ask broader questions and collect context-specific data for a deeper insight in a topic.
There is a range of qualitative methods you can choose from (e.g. focus groups, interviews, etc.), but they usually involve direct interaction with participants, individually or in a group setting. Similar to quantitative research, the choice of method should be driven by your research question.
Combine both qualitative and quantitative approaches in one study.
By combining both research methods, the research has the potential to achieve deeper insights than using a single method alone.
Example:
You carried out a quantitative survey to investigate views and experiences from your colleagues on a new service. The survey included a question related to the challenges of providing the new service. Time, resources and training were identified as challenges by respondents. You would like to find out more, so you conduct two focus groups to explore these identified challenges in more detail.
There are four main types of mixed-method research designs:
Triangulation
Qualitative and quantitative methods are used with equal weight and data collected at the same time, in parallel. Typically, after separate data collection, the researcher draws together the different types of data during analysis and interpretation to determine if the findings of the method are complementary.
Concurrent/Embedded
This study design is used when there is one primary data type that is supported by another secondary data type. Qualitative and quantitative data are collected at the same time, for example, a primarily qualitative study that involves numerical data collection for a single question within a questionnaire.
Explanatory
Collection and analysis of qualitative data occurs after collection and analysis of quantitative data, typically are used to help explain and interpret quantitative results.
Exploratory
Collection and analysis of qualitative data occurs before collection and analysis of the quantitative data. This method is often used when there is little initial guiding framework, for example, the variables to be measured are not yet known, or the research intends to examine a newly emerging theory.
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