Preface.

Acknowledgements.

PART 1 THEORY AND PRACTICE.

1 Why healthcare research? (Michael Traynor).

2 Approaches to healthcare research (Oliver Slevin).

3 Taking the first step: Developing a research proposal (Leslie Woods, Helena Priest and Paula Roberts).

4 What do we know already? Searching the literature (Susan Smith and David Bird)

5 Can we trust the evidence? Critically reviewing a research paper (David Rogers).

6 Conducting ethical research in healthcare (Helena Priest and Paula Roberts).

7 Quantitative research methods: Gathering and making sense of numbers (David Clark-Carter).

8 Qualitative research methods: Gathering and making sense of words (Helena Priest and Paula Roberts).

9 Making your case: Writing for your audience (Mike Brough, Susan Smith, Paula Roberts and Helena Priest).

10 Sharing research knowledge (Paula Roberts, Colin Macduff, Tim Smale and Helena Priest).

PART 2 RESEARCH IN ACTION.

11 Combining research methods: Case studies and action research (Rebecca Jester).

12 Involving vulnerable people in research (Helen Combes and Ranil Tan).

13 Involving older people and carers in a research project: The 'virtual' steering group (Sue Ashby and Sian Maslin-Prothero).

14 Involving people with intellectual disabilities in research: Participation and emancipation (Mike Gibbs and Sue Read).

15 Researching with children and young people (Jacqueline Collin and Geraldine Lyte).

16 Researching organizations: Evaluating a 'partnership for older people project' (Roger Beech, Brenda Roe, Michelle Russell, Bernard Beech and Deborah Gent).

Postscript (Paula Roberts and Helena Priest).

Index.