Introduction to Health Research Methods

Book excerpt: Designed to empower new investigators to conduct their own original research projects, the third edition of Introduction to Health Research Methods: A Practical Guide leads the reader step-by-step in performing quantitative and qualitative research in medicine, public health, and other clinical and population health fields. This comprehensive text covers the entire research process from formulating a study question and selecting a study approach to collecting and analyzing data and then disseminating the findings. Chapters about methods for primary studies (collecting new data), secondary analyses (analyzing existing data), and tertiary studies (conducting literature reviews and meta-analyses) provide complete coverage of the scope of health research. By breaking the research process down into a series of achievable steps, this practical guide shows readers how they can contribute to improving the health of individuals and communities through research.