Understanding Clinical Research

Rich methodological insights, a fantastic framework to guide development
‘The book spans a comprehensive overview of quantitative/qualitative research methods and core considerations such as patient/public involvement and ethics. It's great at providing you with a staged approach to learn something new, or delve into something you're familiar with in greater detail. You can tell from the style that the authors have experience of crafting a successful recipe for teaching students. Although it's primarily aimed at medical students, the context is applicable/accessible to any healthcare professional or person with an academic interest.
I liked the structure which enables you to sequentially read the book or dive into a specific area you need more clarity in. Within each chapter there is a good overview including the nuts & bolts of a methodological theory/approach, the research context it could be applied to and a worked example/reference to help you contextualise it. It's very practical.
I'd say if you're very new to research or need instructions on how to conduct detailed tasks e.g. a systematic review using Medline/Embase, you'd get the most out of the book in conjunction with a supervisor/mentor/library service. However, if you read the book without any prior research experience, you'd definitely have a good idea of where to start. Never come across a text with all the information you need to begin your research journey in one place, with an engaging format (diagrams/examples) to walk you through things step-by-step.
A unique and valuable resource for early stage researchers.' Amazon reviewer

Great resource for new or novice clinical researchers
‘This is a much needed book for those who are new to developing clinical research studies and it covers important areas of study design, statistics and other steps needed. The suggestion from the authors that the text is suitable for those undertaking formal post-graduate research training is a good one, but it could be equally used by clinicians or practitioners in health research to give a better understanding of what is needed to do clinical research.
Some of the content is specific to doctors but most would be of use to other professions in this area.

I like the layout of the chapters which are clear and contain figures and illustrations to support the text. There are some 'worked through' examples which show practical application of the topics and bring the contents of what can be quite a complex process to life.' Amazon reviewer

Very Helpful for Medical Students
‘This is a particularly helpful book for medical trainees and students. It breaks down concepts that can be initially daunting or confusing using worked examples.
Explanations are concise and focus on creating a good foundation of understanding of research concepts to then build upon.
Each chapter has a nice summary and further reading suggestions. My only suggestion would be to consider adding in a few questions at the end of the chapter to optional test to help with recall.
I would have found this very useful as a medical student and would recommend it to peers.' Amazon reviewer

Perfect for first time qualitative researchers
‘I was recommended this book by someone as I’d found entry level texts on thematic analysis difficult to follow. This text is by no means basic, but has easy to follow examples and is thorough in its description. I had intended to just dip in to the relevant sections but found myself reading the entire text due to the interesting subject matter. I’ll now be keeping it close by as a handy reference text.' Amazon reviewer