Skip to Main Content

Clinical Research: Home

Resources Guide for Clinical Research

Resources for Clinical Research

Welcome! The Website is created as a general guide to selected resources to support:

  • Students who are interested in learning about clinical research or are involved in a research project
  • Faculty who conduct clinical research or direct/mentor students on research projects
  • Anyone at UToledo who has an interest in clinical research

The Website is never intended as an exhaustive list of resources covering every aspect of clinical research. As a work in progress, it will continue to expand and improve as additional needs are identified and new resources become available.

Please contact the Mulford Library (419-383-4218) if you would like to recommend resources to be included on the site or have any comments, questions, or suggestions for improving the site.  

Thank you for visiting the Website!

Where Do You Find Your Research Idea/Problem?

To start a research project, you need to identify a research idea or problem that warrants investigation. The research problem may come from various sources such as:

  • A specific patient care need
  • A clinical problem
  • Your own interest
  • Your colleague/attending/preceptor/mentor
  • Discussion sections in research reports that specifically discuss research limitations, potential problems and questions, recommendations or directions for further research

When choosing a research idea/problem, consider the following factors such as:

  • Is the research problem clearly defined?
  • Is the research problem important?
  • Is the research problem feasible? Do you have the resources and expertise necessary to investigate the problem?
  • Is the research problem significant?
  • Is the research problem related to your professional goals?
  • Is the research problem testable with empirical, data-based methods?
  • Is the research problem ethical? 

Why Is Literature Search Important?

Once you identify your research topic, you need to conduct a thorough literature review to answer the following questions:

  • Has any research on the problem been previously conducted?
  • What can your study contribute to what has already been known?
  • What can your study contribute to scholarship or the knowledge base in your field?
  • Are there more important problems?

It is very important to identify appropriate resources and develop skills in searching literature for any information or previous research on a specific topic. 

If you need any assistance with literature search, please contact the Mulford Librarian.

Please use the library online training request form to set up an appointment for any individual or group training session on using any of library resources or conducting literature search.

 

Acknowledgements

A special thank you to Misa Mi, Medical Librarian for originally authoring this guide, and to Marlene Porter, Bridget Faricy-Beredo, and Margaret Hoogland for curating it .