Technical Guide
Applying a methodology appropriate to the question is a key to a successful project. The best research uses simple and standard methods. Complex methods may be required to answer complex questions - but only when the complex question cannot be broken down into a series of simple questions.
There are a number of areas that must be considered in developing the methodology:
Defining and refining your research question
Searching the literature
Project management and time management
Writing a research proposal
Sample size calculation
Sources of funding
Ethics, information and consent
Carrying out a pilot study
Bias and confounding
Validity and generalisability
Pragmatic versus explanatory trials
Specific Methodologies
In this section we are not trying to give you an exhaustive account of each method. We are trying to give a summary and highlight the areas that are particularly important for the use of each methodology in Emergency Medicine.
Evaluating a therapy
Evaluating a diagnostic test
Predicting an outcome
Measuring health
Surveying opinions, attitudes and beliefs
Systematic reviews
Measuring cost-effectiveness
Qualitative research