Eight complete guides covering every research method medical students need. Download immediately — everything is free, always.
Why research matters
Specialty training is increasingly competitive. Research experience is one of the most valued portfolio items — and nobody teaches you how to get started.
Publications, audits, and conference presentations sit at the top of what specialty training panels look for.
Research lets you experience a specialty deeply before committing. A cardiology project tells you more than a placement ever could.
Understanding how evidence is produced makes you a better doctor — for the rest of your career.
These guides assume zero prior research experience. Start from scratch and work your way up at your own pace.
Your research pathway
Click your year to filter the guides below to what's realistic and most useful for you right now.
No clinical access needed. Build foundations and get your first publication.
Clinical placements open doors to case reports and basic audits. Aim for your first publication.
Complete audit cycles, close any ongoing projects, and aim to present or publish before graduation.
QIPs and full audit cycles are mandatory for ARCP. Research output at this stage carries the most weight.
Research guides
Every guide includes a plain English explanation, step-by-step walkthrough, templates, and a checklist. All free to download instantly.
We are working on more guides covering additional research methods, and video walkthroughs for visual learners. Each guide will have a companion video explaining the key concepts step by step. Leave your email on the homepage to be notified when new resources go live.
Not sure which guide to start with? Take the 2-minute quiz and we will tell you.
Take quiz →How to find, read, critically appraise, and use medical research papers. The essential foundation for all research — covers PubMed searching, critical appraisal, understanding statistics, and academic writing.
How to write a narrative literature review — the most accessible first publication for medical students. Covers topic selection, structured searching, synthesis vs summary, academic writing style, and journal submission.
Design and run your own survey study without clinical access. Covers question design, ethics and GDPR, sampling, piloting, analysis using the CROSS checklist, and how to write it up for publication.
How to write an abstract that gets accepted, design a conference poster, and deliver an oral presentation. Covers abstract structure with word budgets, how reviewers score submissions, and common rejection reasons.
Your first publication opportunity as a medical student. Follows the international CARE guidelines — from identifying a publishable case, obtaining patient consent, and collecting data, to writing the discussion and choosing a journal.
The gold standard of medical evidence — made accessible. Covers PICO, PROSPERO registration, database searching with Boolean operators, PRISMA flow diagrams, study screening, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment.
The complete NHS audit cycle, step by step. Covers topic selection, trust registration, data collection form, compliance analysis, implementing change, and closing the loop. QIP methodology and PDSA cycles included.
Demystifying the most powerful research method. Covers forest plots, I² statistics, heterogeneity, fixed vs random effects models, how to read any meta-analysis, and how to contribute to an existing research team as a student.
5 questions, 2 minutes. We match you with the research method that makes most sense for your year, goals, and situation.
Templates
Download, fill in, and use. Poster layouts for both orientations, paragraph structure templates, and data collection frameworks.
Three-column A0 portrait layout. Sections for introduction, objectives, methods, results with figure placeholder, key stats boxes, discussion, conclusions, references, and QR code. Medlas branding in sage green.
Download .pptxFour-column A0 landscape layout. Left-to-right reading flow — introduction, methods, results with two figure placeholders and stat callout boxes, discussion, conclusions, and references. Open where portrait isn't accepted.
Download .pptxFive fill-in templates in one document: PEEL paragraph structure, discussion paragraph framework, essay introduction funnel, conclusion framework, and critical appraisal paragraph. With worked examples and transition phrases.
Download .docxStay in the loop
Video walkthroughs, AI tools, and more guides are coming. Leave your email and we'll tell you first.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.