title: Research in primary dental care part 3: Designing your study.
abstract: Earlier articles in this series identified the importance of stating a clear research question as the first step in conducting research in primary dental care. The study design seeks to answer the research question. This article describes different types of study design and their application. A framework of the steps involved in designing each type of study are described, together with the situations in which they could be used. Useful resources and sources of information are provided.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Dental Health, University of Bristol Dental School, Lower Maudlin St, Bristol BS1 2LY.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Bower
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Newton
mesh_terms: D003729:Dental Care; D018865:Dental Research; D006801:Humans; D012107:Research Design