Level 1-1: Reading a Research Protocol

Every great study begins as a plan on paper. In this first level you go behind the scenes of real research and learn to read a study protocol the way professionals do, so nothing about health research feels mysterious again. In under an hour you will understand what research really is, how it differs from everyday clinical work, and the six building blocks that every funded study shares.

Who this level is for

Everyone interested in health research, at any career stage: students, interns, residents, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, lab scientists, consultants and professors who never had formal research training, program staff, and motivated learners from outside healthcare. No prior research experience assumed, this is the natural starting point for the whole pathway.

What you'll learn

• What clinical and global health research is, and how it differs from routine care, audit and quality improvement
• Why rigorous research matters for health systems across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and everywhere else
• What a study protocol is, and why every later decision flows from it
• The six core components behind every study, and where each one is mastered across the pathway
• How to read a published paper and spot the research questions hiding inside it

You finish with: An annotated protocol skeleton and your first study topic.