title: How to do clinical research in cranio-maxillo-facial surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Not many randomised controlled trials are published in surgical journals, especially those on maxillo-facial surgery. There appears to be some uncertainty on how to perform such studies. Accordingly this paper offers some information on how to plan, pursue and publish a well conducted case-control study, or the more powerful randomised control trial.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The main section describes how to define a relevant clinical question, and a research protocol, the way to implement the study, and it helps to find funding for such research. It also explains the various study designs, gives a very short introduction to statistics and on how to appraise the results achieved, and it advises on writing and submitting the resultant manuscript.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This paper offers a guide for young colleagues who wish to perform a study, write a paper and achieve publication in one of our leading speciality journals.
authors.affiliation: Division of Maxillo-Facial Surgery, AZ St. Jan, Bruges, Belgium.
authors.forename: Maurice Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Mommaerts
authors.forename: Murray E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: Karsten K H
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Gundlach
mesh_terms: D035843:Biomedical Research; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D055094:Evidence-Based Dentistry; D006801:Humans; D011643:Publishing; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012107:Research Design; D013515:Surgery, Oral; D014956:Writing