In his presentation at the 2004 ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting, Lee Vermeulen of the University of Wisconsin emphasized that study design is the most important part of conducting quality research. He stated that “while a well-designed study does not ensure good results, a poorly designed study guarantees poor results.” Vermeulen emphasized that a well-designed study enables the researcher to respond to a research question with accurate, objective and valid methods. The study design that is chosen should employ the best approach to establishing a causal relationship between the intervention and the measurable outcome(s). 

To hear Vermeulen’s discussion of study design, visit the ASHP 39th Midyear Clinical Meeting Synchronized Presentations and select "Quality Practice Research, Part 2."

The Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine provides brief descriptions of advantages and disadvantages of several different study designs.

The American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy research series contains several articles that address various aspects of research design.  These include:

• An Overview of Clinical Research Design by Drs. Daniel Hartung and Daniel Touchette.
• Intervention Design, Implementation and Evaluation by Dr. Lourdes Planas.
• Bias: Considerations for Research Practice by Dr. Toby Gerhard.
• Validity and Reliability of Measurement Instruments Used in Research by Drs. Carole Kimberlin and Almut Winterstein.

Also see:

• Establishing Timelines
• Developing the Research Question, Part I
• Developing the Reseach Question, Part II
• Efficacy vs. Effectiveness
• Writing Specific Aims
• Hypothesis Statements
• Data Sources
• Survey Research
• Gaining Institutional Support
• Biostatistics
• Human Subjects Protections, Part I
• Human Subjects Protections, Part II
• Data Collection, Display and Manipulation
• Grant Submissions, Part I
• Grant Submissions, Part II
• Grant Submissions, Part III 
• Research Presentations
• Submitting a Manuscript