Research planning, analysis and writing guides
Research Workflow Library
Explore the research workflow from question to publication. Plan, conduct, analyse, write and publish better research with practical guidance on decisions made throughout clinical, biomedical and health studies, from shaping the initial question to interpreting results and communicating findings. Browse the topics below to find detailed guides, or return to all Blazon research resources for the complete collection of specialist methods and reporting articles.
Start here
Understand the research workflow from question to publication
If you are planning a new project, begin with the overview guide. It shows how the research question, design, outcomes, recruitment, statistical strategy and reporting requirements fit together. The nine topics below then provide more focused routes through the same research process, including cross-cutting themes such as funding and artificial intelligence.
01 · Develop the research question
Develop a focused, answerable research question
A strong question defines the population, what you need to investigate and the evidence that would answer it. Start by identifying an uncertainty that matters, examining the existing literature and checking whether the proposed study can genuinely address the gap.
02 · Plan the study
Turn the research question into a defensible study plan
Specify the design, participants, outcome measures, sample size, measurement schedule and primary analytical strategy before data collection. A research protocol should document these decisions clearly enough for researchers and reviewers to understand what is planned.
How to Plan a Clinical Research Study
Work through design, outcomes, recruitment, analysis planning, feasibility and protocol preparation.
Read the guide →How to Write a Research Protocol: A Practical Guide
Learn what to include in a research protocol, from the rationale and objectives to study procedures, statistical analysis, ethics and a final consistency check.
Read the research protocol guide →How to Write a Statistical Analysis Plan: A Practical Guide
Learn how to prespecify primary analyses, define analysis populations and outcomes, handle missing data, and document sensitivity analyses before examining the results.
Read the statistical analysis plan guide →How to Choose the Right Statistical Test for Your Study
Understand how the research question, experimental unit, outcome type and data structure affect the statistical approach.
Read the guide →Also see the statistical planning resources for related guidance.
03 · Ethics, registration & research governance
Plan ethical approval, registration and responsible study conduct
Consider participant protection, consent, confidentiality, appropriate oversight, registration requirements and documentation of protocol amendments. The requirements differ by design, research setting and applicable institutional or regulatory rules.
This topic will expand with more specialised guides. For now, consult the requirements of the relevant ethics committee, sponsor, institution and registry for your specific study.
04 · Collect & manage data
Collect reliable data and preserve its provenance
Define measurement procedures, maintain clear records and prepare a plan for checking and managing data. When numerical results are available only in published plots, extract them with sufficient documentation to preserve their source and limitations.
How to Extract Data From Graphs for Meta-analysis
Learn when figure digitisation is appropriate and how to check extracted values, uncertainty and source information.
Read the guide →Plot Data Extractor Pro: User Guide
Follow the PDF figure calibration, extraction and structured export workflow for quantitative evidence extraction.
Read the guide →For related methods, see the data extraction resources.
05 · Analyse & interpret
Choose, calculate and interpret statistical results
Match the analysis to the design and research question, assess relevant assumptions, and distinguish estimates from statistical tests. For evidence synthesis, carefully reconstruct effect estimates and uncertainty when necessary.
How to Choose the Right Statistical Test for Your Study
Identify an analysis strategy based on outcome type, dependence, experimental unit and assumptions.
Read the guide →Change Scores vs ANCOVA: Which Should You Use?
Compare change-score analysis with baseline-adjusted analysis of covariance and understand when each approach is appropriate.
Read the guide →How to Calculate Study Effect Sizes for Meta-analysis
Prepare effect estimates, their precision and analysis-ready values from reported study statistics.
Read the guide →Before analysing the data, see How to Write a Statistical Analysis Plan for guidance on prespecifying methods, assumptions and reporting. Explore the complete effect-size and meta-analysis, pre/post analysis and statistical conversion collections.
06 · Write & report the research
Write transparent, reproducible research reports
Explain what was planned, what was done, what was found and where the important limitations lie. Reporting guidance can help researchers communicate study methods and findings completely without substituting for methodological judgement.
How to Create a CONSORT 2025 Flow Diagram for an RCT
Report participant recruitment, allocation, follow-up and analysis counts for a randomised trial.
Read the guide →How to Create a STROBE Participant Flow Diagram
Present participant flow for cohort, case-control and cross-sectional research without imposing a trial-style structure.
Read the guide →Browse the study reporting resources for more detail. For guidance on selecting an appropriate reporting checklist, see the EQUATOR Network’s reporting guideline library, which covers many types of health research.
07 · Submit & publish
Prepare research for journal submission and publication
A submission-ready manuscript should communicate the study clearly, follow the target journal’s instructions, and align its methods and results with what was actually done. Plan reporting obligations early rather than treating them as a final formatting task.
More focused guides to manuscript preparation, journal submission and responding to peer review will be added as they are published.
08 · Grants & funding
Develop credible and well-supported funding applications
A strong application connects the research need, scientific objectives, methods, feasibility, team and budget. It should tell reviewers not just why the topic matters, but why the proposed project can answer the question with the resources requested.
Dedicated grant-writing guides are planned. In the meantime, the clinical research planning guide covers the methodological groundwork, and you can explore Blazon Scientific’s research writing and grant-support services for professional assistance.
09 · AI in research
Use AI tools thoughtfully and transparently
Artificial intelligence may assist with parts of research planning, writing or analysis, but researchers remain responsible for checking sources, protecting confidential information, validating outputs and complying with journal, funder and institutional policies.
Focused guidance on evaluating AI-assisted research tasks, checking generated claims and documenting appropriate use will be added here when available. For now, verify any AI-generated scientific claims against the underlying evidence rather than treating them as independently established facts.
About the author
Research guidance grounded in practical experience
I am Thomas Solomon, PhD, a biomedical researcher, freelance medical writer and data scientist. I created this library to make research decisions easier to understand and explain, drawing on more than 20 years of research experience.
The aim is not to turn methodology into a sequence of automatic recipes. It is to show how the choices researchers make depend on their scientific question, assumptions, data and practical constraints.
Put the methods into practice
Use Blazon Research Tools
Explore tools for statistical conversion, effect-size calculations, pre/post analysis, figure data extraction and study reporting. Each tool has a defined purpose and supporting methodology.
FAQs
About the research workflow and this library
Who is the Research Workflow Library for?
It is intended for clinical, biomedical and health researchers, postgraduate researchers, scientific writers and others who need practical explanations of research methods, analysis and reporting. The guides are educational and may need to be supplemented with study-specific scientific, institutional or regulatory advice.
Do I need to follow the topics in order?
No. The topics provide a way to navigate research decisions rather than a rigid sequence. Research planning is often iterative, and particular questions may require researchers to return to earlier decisions.
Are the guides free to read?
Yes. The published guides linked from this page are available to read online. Some related research tools may have separate access or licensing arrangements.
Where can I find more detailed statistical resources?
Visit the main Resources page for the full collection of specialist articles on statistical conversion, effect sizes, meta-analysis, pre/post analysis, data extraction and study reporting.