Professional Documents
Culture Documents
www.rddirect.org.uk
Words or phrases which are in italics and underlined denote where links to other
recommended websites have been included in the on-line version of the flowchart.
RDDirect YOUR RESEARCH PROJECT RDFunding
HOW & WHERE TO START?
a help line for Researchers for funding opportunities
Clicking on the coloured boxes of the flowchart accesses the next level
suggestions?
Email us....
• Where do I start?
• Participant Involvement
• Survey Design
3. Design the study and • Sampling
develop your method(s)
• Statistical issues
• Qualitative and Quantitative Research
• Questionnaire Design
• Collaboration
• Intellectual property
9. Impact of your
• Evidence-Based Practice
research on clinical
• Research evidence
practice
• Commercial Aspects/By-products of
Research
• Writing up Research
10. Reporting and • Disseminating Research
dissemination
• Presenting for Conferences or
Seminars
• Your Duty to Inform
If you have found this flowchart useful you might be interested in our special
editions (See end of document)
1. Turn your idea into a research question
First stages
❍ How will NHS patients or service users benefit form your research? Consult
● Ascertain who might be your supervisor or mentor: talk in detail with that person
about your potential research project
● Short PowerPoint presentation entitled ‘Turning Ideas into Research Questions’, by
Jon Silcock, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
● Contact RDDirect for general advice (Helpline 0113 295 1122)
● Contact RDLearning for details of workshops and courses to give you the research
skills you need
Where do I start?
and Dissemination
❍ Millbrook House, University of Plymouth has a guide on
Libraries: contacts
Libraries are a very good source of information and help. You can find your
local library, as well as national library resources, from the list below.
These websites are excellent for literature searching. In some cases you will
need a password which your library may be able to provide.
health
❍ DH-DATA - jointly produced by two services at the Department
sciences
❍ KING'S FUND - Focus on improving health and health care,
sciences
❍PSYCHINFO - Major bibliographic database for psychology.
● PubMed
Access is free for NHS staff, and many University staff, but you need
an Athens username/password (NHS staff password registation) to
gain access, or obtain one from your library.
Systematic Reviews
The NHS Centre for Reviews and Dissemination at The University of York
has published an excellent guide on systematic reviews.
Participant Involvement
Survey Design
Do you know what is the most appropriate survey method for your research
project? What method will give you the most useful data for the project you
are working on? The Research Methods Knowledge Base has many useful
sections on social research methods including:
● Survey Research
Sampling
What method of sampling will give you the most useful data for the project
you are working on?
Statistical Issues
Are you familiar with the statistics you may need to use? If not, consider
enrolling on a suitable course. RDLearning, your local RDSU, R&D Office or
Higher Education Institution should be able to assist you in finding a relevant
course. Other tools and guidance:
● First talk about your research proposal with your supervisor. Your
supervisor will advise you on writing your research proposal.
● You should contact your proposed sponsor and discuss your proposal.
● The researcher has a responsibility for developing proposals that are
scientifically sound and ethical.
● No two proposals are the same, but they will all have a similar
structure:
❍ title
❍ abstract/summary
❍ aims/objectives
❍ ethical considerations
❍ CV Template
Peer Review
● Every proposal for health and social care research must be subjected
to independent peer review by experts in the relevant fields who are
able to offer advice on its quality and suitability. The following web
sites provide reasons why peer review is important
❍ MRC Guidance on Reviewing Research Proposals
Sponsor Issues
The Research Governance Framework for Health and Social Care for the
NHS made clear that no research with human participants, their organs,
tissue or data, may begin or continue in the NHS until a sponsor accepts
responsibility.
Further Help
Do you need any advice concerning funding for your research project?
Project Planning
● a rationale
● a strategy (including objectives, timescales and milestones, and
methodology) and
● an estimate of resources.
The plan should demonstrate that an assessment has been made of the key
factors that will influence the success of the project in terms of achieving its
objectives including:
You need to consider the financial implications for the NHS of the research
you are thinking about doing, and be clear when you apply for research
funding what is and what is not a research cost. The document Attributing
revenue costs of externally-funded non-commercial research in the NHS
(ARCO) from the Department of Health clarifies this.
Sponsor costs
You must contact your sponsor before finalising your proposal and applying
for funding to ensure any related costs are in included in the application.
Costings Checklist
Have you thoroughly assessed the potential costs of your research project?
Allow sufficient time for the costings to be verified by the host institution
finance office.
Salaries
Will you need to pay for any other assistance or do you have enough staff
within your research project?
Are you using any consumers in your research? If so, do they require paying
for expenses, or do you need to acknowledge their contribution?
Do you know where to start and what to consider in relation to ethics in your
research project? The National Research Ethics Service (NRES) has a
section on Do you need ethical approval? included with other frequesntly
asked questions.
There is a standard NHS REC application form and you need to register
before you can complete it. (Register once, and you can fill in as many
applications as you like)
The NHS R&D Forum provides guidance to applying for R&D approval from
the NHS.
Your R&D Department, RDDirect and the RDSU and Regional sources of
advice may be able to help you with the application process.
Research Governance
Conduct Issues
proposal).
❍ Making sure that participants receive appropriate care while
involved in research.
❍ Protecting the integrity and confidentiality of clinical and other
● Data Protection Act stipulates that the appropriate use and protection
of patient data is paramount in the research setting.
● All those involved in research must be aware of their legal and ethical
duties, particularly in terms of ensuring confidentiality of personal
information about living or deceased participants.
● When collecting and storing data on human participants, the following
should be considered:
❍ Identities should be disguised by use of codes (do not use
initials!)
❍ Any details should be anonymised
absolutely necessary
❍ If unavoidable, only minimum necessary patient-identifiable
Further help
Suggested Reading
completeness
❍ Coding data
tests).
etc.
❍ Transcription of interview etc. material.
❍ Identification of themes.
knowledge.
● For more information see 'Qualitative Data Analysis' by Trent RDSU.
Interpreting Data
methodology books
❍ An Introduction to Using Statistics in Research
sampling issues
❍ The panel of advisors at RDDirect tel. 0113 295 11 22 (e-mail).
Suggested Reading
● Books on data analysis and interpretation from the reading list from
the University of Leeds’ School of Medicine’s Health Research course
MEDR 5120 Module 5: Analytic Research.
9. Implications of your research for clinical
practice and identifying how findings could be put
into practice
Evidence-Based Practice
Research evidence
Writing up Research
What do you need to consider when writing up your research? In what style
will you write up research?
Are you writing up your research for publication? Have you chosen how and
where to publish your results?
research
❍ Publication
Are you presenting your research findings to an audience? If so, what kind
of audience?
To purchase a printed copy of any reports (price £10.00), please contact the RDInfo Publications Office or ring: 0113
295 1122
Allied Health Professionals 01/05/2007
Cancer 01/05/2007
Children 01/05/2007
Community Practitioners and Health Visitors 01/05/2007
Complementary Therapies 04/04/2007
Coronary Heart Disease 01/05/2007
Dentistry 01/05/2007
Diabetes Award 01/05/2007
Fellowships 01/05/2007
Fellowships and Studentships 01/05/2007
Genetics 01/05/2007
Mental Health 01/05/2007
New Researchers 01/05/2007
Nurses and Midwives 01/05/2007
Older People Awards 01/05/2007
Open Opportunities 01/05/2007
Pharmacy 01/05/2007
Primary Care 01/05/2007
Professional Bodies 01/05/2007
Prostate Cancer 01/05/2007
Public Health 01/05/2007
RDInfo Newsletter 01/05/2007
Research Process Flowchart 18/05/2007
Social Care 01/05/2007
Stem Cells 01/05/2007
Studentships 01/05/2007
Travel Awards 01/05/2007
Womens Health 01/05/2007
These editions include a subset of the funding opportunities advertised on the RDFunding web site and
courses advertised on the RDLearning Web site (www.rdleaning.org.uk)
For additional information on either aspect look at our web sites or contact via the details provided.
RDInfo,
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The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust,
Leeds,
LS2 9LN.
Telephone: 0113 295 1122
Email: info@rdinfo.org.uk