Methodology research
Methodology research, from an MRC perspective, is the study of how best to design, analyse and evaluate medical and health research. Researchers in a wide range of areas, such as statistics, sociology and economics, aim to develop the best methods — ‘recipes’ for research — in areas that underpin biomedical science, experimental medicine, clinical trials, population health sciences, health services research and health policy.
This helps to ensure that discoveries are more quickly turned into benefits for patients and the general population, and that health research and policy are built on the best possible evidence.
For example, looking into the best ways of conducting clinical trials means that researchers running trials can be more confident of the results they gain - as can the regulators which make decisions about the safety and effectiveness of treatments. Or developing a better way of assessing how much and what kind of food people eat will improve research studying the effect of diets.
The MRC has a strong commitment to methodology research and many of the projects and programmes that the MRC funds have a methodology research component. Central to supporting the development of new methodology in health research, the MRC leads the Methodology Research Programme, a partnership set up with the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) in 2008 as part of the two organisations’ joint health research strategy.
As part of a continued commitment to methodology research in clinical trials, the MRC supports a £17-million network of eight centres — the MRC Network of Hubs for Trials Methodology Research.
The MRC also supports fellowships in methodology research to strengthen the skills base of UK biomedical and health researchers.
Contact us
If you have a query about methodology research and the MRC, please contact:
Dr Mark Pitman, programme manager
mark.pitman@headoffice.mrc.ac.uk
- The Methodology Research Programme
- The Hubs in Trials Methodology Research
- Research and training opportunities
- Documents for download
