Promoting excellence in clinical research: from idea to publication, Thessaloniki, 11/2010

This two-day meeting featured a series of lectures complemented by small-group exercises. The first day, “Planning your research”, covered the early steps of a research project, the type of participants in a study and study management.

“Publishing your research” was the focus of the second day and covered the various stages of preparing a paper for submission, peer review, revision and final publication.

Invited lecture:

Types of studies, defining the sample, primary and secondary outcomes, and sample-size calculation

Among the most fundamental decisions in any research project is whether to study patients, patient records or published studies. Equally important is defining which patients to study — a choice that determines a study’s internal and external validity. Clearly defining the primary outcome is essential to know what the study is measuring, and calculating the required sample size is indispensable.