Understanding research design

How should we design a research study that enables us to best answer our clinical question? How do we choose a method that combines our need for speed of answer, with both accuracy and usefulness? How can we design a study that enables all of this but at a cost that we can afford? This article draws upon key points raised in the previous articles in the series to discuss important issues in research design, and consider how they influence the design of a study that best answers the clinical research question.