Facilitating research within clinical settings: the development of a beginner's guide

Increased consumer participation, clinical governance, accreditation, and occupational health and safety requirements have contributed to considerable changes in the demands placed upon mental health staff, and many are now expected to undertake or participate in research. However, many staff have not received formal training in research design and methodology, and the multitude of policies, procedures, and committees, designed to protect research participants, can seem like insurmountable barriers to clinicians new to the field. In response to this, a guide was developed based on self-directed learning principles, to compliment other resource material and promote effective research work. It was considered important to clarify some of the issues surrounding research development, ethics, and scholarly integrity, and to educate staff as to the appropriate approval processes, which must be followed before embarking on research work. This paper seeks to describe the process of developing a guide for novice researchers, its key characteristics, and its implications for practice. The guide 'Undertaking research: a guide for the beginner' described in this paper, provides a helpful resource that can be readily adapted and developed for a variety of workplaces and professional backgrounds. It is a strategy intended to encourage research and ongoing education and narrow the research-practice gap while placing minimum demand upon existing organizational infrastructure.