Relevant, practical and comprehensive, this book is the definitive guide to research for medics. Research skills are now a key component for the medical curriculum from medial school through to senior specialty trainees. Medical research affects every part of a doctor's working life -- from learning the basic principles of research at medical school, through to leading large trails to guide the gold standards for patient care. A career in medicine without participating in research in some capacity is unthinkable and for many, this involves a dedicated period of research training aiming for the award of a higher degree (MPhil/MD/PhD). With this guide the reader is taken step-by-step through the planning stages through to 'surviving' the Ph.D., getting through the viva, learning the publication process and grappling with the balancing act of being a clinical academic. All those issues that no one tells you about before you start will be addressed. In addition, there will be tips and contributions from leaders in academic medicine, providing an invaluable insight into clinical academia. The style of the book will be highly engaging and easy to read. Real life examples of some of the issues encountered will be provided. The authors are all clinical academics in different specialties with extensive experience in medical research.