Although tempting to forge ahead and get on with the research when fired by a surge of initial enthusiasm, it is usually essential to prepare thoroughly first. This will involve thinking through what you want to do and how you're going to do it, and activities such as searching for and reading relevant literature, gauging the interest of colleagues, making new contacts, looking for possible funding and collaborators and considering any ethical implications. Your proposals should then be written up as the study protocol, a significant undertaking that may take you weeks or even months to complete. Small projects would tend to require less input but still require working methodically through the same steps. Inadequate preparation will cause problems when you come to carry out the project. Be sure to consider what resources you have and how to make good in any areas where you are weak. Do you have enough expertise and support personally and locally or do you need an external consultant?

Writing a summary of what you want to do on one side of paper is a good start; it immediately highlights some of the strengths and weaknesses. We have been contacted many times by practitioners who subsequently fail to translate their idea into even this amount of print. The BAcC now offers grant money each year to help budding researchers (amongst its members) prepare for a study and produce a written protocol.

For examples of how to write a research protocol see the references below, or contact ARRC. You will also find many examples in the literature: the protocols for large projects tend now to be published as separate papers, indeed this may be a stipulation of their funding award.

References

• White A, Ernst E. "The case for uncontrolled clinical trials: a starting point for the evidence base for CAM". Complementary Therapies in Medicine (2001); 9: 111-115
• White A. "Conducting and reporting case series and audits - author guidelines for acupuncture in medicine". 2005; 23(4):181-187 [Free access at http://www.acupunctureinmedicine.org.uk/]