Research toolkit
UNSW Academic General Practice Network
Welcome to the UNSW Academic General Practice (GP) Network Research Toolkit
The UNSW Academic General Practice Network has developed this toolkit to help GPs and non-GP researchers, GP registrars, clinicians interested in research and students (coursework and HDR) in developing and strengthening their research skills relevant in primary care. For each topic, we’ve selected free online resources that are relevant and accessible for those working in this field.
Research resources for health professionals
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Research in general practice is essential for improving patient care, informing policy, and strengthening the primary health care system. It helps us understand what works in real-world clinical settings and ensures that care is evidence-based, patient-centred, and responsive to community needs. General practice research differs from research in secondary or tertiary care settings in several ways, including differences in models of care, case mix of patients and prevalence of diseases, continuity of care, challenges and benefits of caring for people living and working in their communities and emphasis on comprehensive healthcare including prevention and health promotion.
To learn more, explore these resources:
- Improving General Practice Research in Australia – An overview of current challenges and opportunities in the field.
- Practice-Based Research Networks – How collaboration between GPs and researchers drives meaningful research.
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- RACGP’s position statement on GP and patient participation in research – highlights the importance of involving both clinicians and patients in research to strengthen the quality and relevance of primary care.
- NSW-ACT Practice Based Research Alliance (NAPRA) – an alliance of practice-based research networks, based in universities and other organisations in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.
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There are multiple approaches General Practice Research, explore these examples of different methodology.
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The following resources cover key steps in the research process—from identifying a topic and research question to writing your literature review:
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- Formulating a question using PICO framework –Clinical Information Access Portal provides an introduction to the PICO method.
- Developing a Clinical Question, using PICO – National Library of Medicine provides a comprehensive course on evidence-based practice, developing a clinical question and how to use PubMed to find relevant articles.
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- Cochrane Reviews Overview – Australian Journal of General Practice, explaining the value of Cochran Reviews for General Practice Research.
- Types of Literature Reviews – PubMed, exploring different literature review types.
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- UNSW Getting Started with Literature Review – A beginner-friendly guide to planning and conducting your literature review.
- UNSW Systematic Searching Guide – Learn how to build a structured search strategy for systematic reviews.
- University of Queensland Literature Search Guide – Tips and tools for conducting effective literature searches across databases.
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- How to Undertake a Literature Review – Raul Pacheco: Practical advice on reading, organising, and synthesising research articles.
- Conceptual Synthesis Excel Dump Technique – A hands-on method for mapping and comparing ideas across multiple sources.
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- Writing a Literature Review – Emerald Publishing: Step-by-step guidance on structuring and writing your review for publication.
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These resources explain key designs –observational, experimental, cross-sectional, cohort, and randomised controlled trials (RCTs) – and how they apply in clinical and general practice settings:
- Overview of Study Designs – A practical guide to understanding different research approaches.
- Study Designs in Clinical Research – Learn how to select and apply the most appropriate design for your study.
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These resources guide you through insights in applying for ethics approval in general practice research, understanding key principles, and navigating requirements across different settings:
- AH&MRC Ethics Committee – For research involving Aboriginal communities in NSW
- NSW Health Ethics and Governance Overview
- University Ethics Committees – Please refer to your institution’s guidelines
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These resources introduce different data collection methods, highlight common tools, and explore how primary care data can be used effectively:
- Using Primary Care Data for Research – Insights into leveraging GP data for research and improving patient care.
- Introduction to Data Collection Methods – From the CDC an overview of approaches including surveys, interviews, and qualitative techniques.
- Comparison of Surveys, Interviews, and Focus Groups – Understand the strengths and limitations of each method.
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These resources introduce different data collection methods, highlight common tools, and explore how primary care data can be used effectively:
- A Practical Guide to Statistics for General Practice – Case Study examples from Australian Journal of GP Paper
- Introduction to Statistics for Clinicians – A guide tailored for healthcare professionals.
- A short list of Common Pitfalls in Statistical Interpretation – Learn how to avoid misinterpretation of data in clinical research.
- Comparison of Software Tools for Analysis – With this brief guide explore different statistical software options and their features.
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These resources explain plagiarism, citation and practices and tools to help manage references effectively to maintain academic integrity.
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Understanding the different forms of plagiarism is essential to maintain academic integrity in your research in General Practice. These resources provides insights on what constituted as plagiarism, and tools to help researchers avoid plagiarism pitfalls and citing sources correctly.
- James Cook University Australia – provides a comprehensive explanation of plagiarism and its different forms.
- P.Org – a helpful library of understanding, and how to prevent plagiarism.
- UNSW Policy and Modules – provides resources and modules to understand plagiarism and UNSW’s academic integrity policies.
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Monash University offers a helpful online library tutorial and guide to build your understanding of citing and referencing.
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Referencing tools and reference managers like EndNote, Mendeley, and Zotero can help streamline the process of citing sources and managing references efficiently.
- Auckland University of Technology and CSIRO provide great detailed comparison tables between these reference managers.
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These resources offer practical guidance on writing and structuring research articles in general practice research:
- CRISP Statement – Consensus Reporting Items for Studies in Primary Care – A consensus-based checklist developed to improve the reporting of primary care research.
- 11 Steps to Structuring a Science Paper – Tips from editors on how to make your paper stand out.
- University of the Sunshine Coast Australia A Guide to academic writing – A helpful guide for those new to academic writing.
- Guidance on Scientific Writing- A guide on scientific writing.
- Responsible dissemination of health and medical research: some guidance points– Insights into writing clearly and effectively for health journals.
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Explore this toolkit from The Health Foundation for practical strategies on presenting your findings clearly and persuasively to a broader audience to drive impact and engagement.
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Finding the right funding is a key step in starting or expanding your research.
- Explore current grants and funding opportunities through the NHMRC.
- Consider collaborating with universities or research networks to strengthen your application and access support. Learn more via the RACGP’s list of university departments.
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Connecting with general practice research groups or networks can open up opportunities for collaboration, mentorship, and access to research infrastructure.
Explore university departments and disciplines of general practice through the RACGP.
Interested in learning more about the UNSW Academic GP Network? Look at our website for expression of research for research projects or contact us! academicgpnetwork@unsw.edu.au
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Collaborating with consumers and across institutions can enhance the relevance of research methods and support the uptake of findings in practice.
- Co-Design Kickstarter – A short guide to get started and become more familiar with co-design research.
- VicHealth The partnership analysis tool – This tool is for organisations entering into or working in a partnership to assess, monitor and maximise its ongoing effectiveness.