Learn research, step by step
A step-by-step path for medical and health students who want to learn research from zero: the 7 steps from your first idea to a published paper, and the lessons that teach you to write every part of it.
How to learn research in 7 steps
- Learn the words
Research has its own vocabulary. Ten minutes with the basics makes every lesson easier. Research terms explained
- Find a gap and choose a topic
Pick a small, local question that nobody has answered yet, and check it with PICO and FINER. How to find a research gap · PICO and FINER
- Search the literature
Learn to search PubMed and read papers quickly, so you know what is already known. Searching PubMed · Reading a paper
- Plan your study and get ethics approval
Write your plan (the synopsis), choose the study design and get approval before collecting any data. Ethics approval · How to write the methodology
- Collect and analyse your data
Use a simple form, enter the data in Excel or SPSS, and run the right test. Statistics made simple
- Write the paper, one part at a time
Title, abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion and conclusion, each with its own pattern and word count. Structure of a research paper · How to write the introduction
- Reference, submit and reply to reviewers
Cite in Vancouver style, avoid predatory journals and answer reviewers politely. Vancouver referencing · Avoiding predatory journals · Replying to reviewers
How to write each part of a research paper
Full lessons are for members. Tap one to see what it covers.
Free research guides
18 short guides on PubMed, reading papers, statistics, plagiarism, authorship, case reports, letters and meta-analyses. See all research guides →
Questions about learning research
Start with the basic words, then do one small study yourself from start to finish: choose a simple question, read what is already known, plan the study, get ethics approval, collect and analyse the data, and write it up part by part. Doing one real project with feedback teaches far more than lectures alone.
You can learn the basics in a few weeks. Doing your first small study, from topic to submission, usually takes a few months at 30–60 minutes a day.
Yes. Cross-sectional surveys, case reports and letters to the editor are good first projects, and they need no special equipment.
A mentor who has published research guides you through your own study, reviews each draft and tells you exactly what to fix, so you learn by doing.
The full lessons are part of the Researchette programme. Apply to join, and once your place is confirmed you get every lesson in your portal, with a mentor who reviews each step of your own study.
Learn research faster with a mentor
Do your own study with a Researchette mentor: daily steps in your portal, and feedback on every draft from topic to journal submission.
Apply for mentorship →