Research Methods & Study Design

A structured, anonymous, multi-round process used to build consensus among a group of experts or stakeholders, with feedback provided between rounds to help participants refine their views.

The systematic process of collecting and organizing relevant information from multiple studies or sources — a key step in systematic reviews that ensures accuracy and reproducibility.

A study that collects data from a population at a single point in time, providing a snapshot of health status or behaviors. Good for measuring prevalence, but limited in showing cause and effect or change over time.

A structured process of assessing the quality, validity, and relevance of a research study — examining its design, methods, and conclusions to determine how trustworthy and applicable the evidence is.

An international initiative (COMET) that brings together stakeholders to develop and apply standardized Core Outcome Sets — the minimum outcomes that should be measured and reported in all trials for a specific condition. COMET makes it easier to compare and combine trial results while encouraging further methodological research.

A study that evaluates an intervention by comparing it to a control group receiving no treatment, a placebo, or standard care. Often randomized and blinded to reduce bias.

A group of participants in a study who are as similar as possible to the treatment group but do not receive the intervention being tested. Their outcomes provide a baseline for comparison.

The existing treatment or standard of care that a new treatment is compared against in a clinical trial. When an effective treatment already exists, it is unethical to withhold it, so the new intervention is measured against the current best option.

A research design that follows a group of people over time to see how exposures, treatments, or characteristics affect their health outcomes. Useful for studying disease progression, risk factors, and real-world treatment effects.

The sequential stages of testing new treatments in humans. Phase I tests safety in a small group of healthy volunteers; Phase II tests effectiveness in a small patient group; Phase III tests in a large patient group; Phase IV examines broader or longer-term use after approval.