Implementation science research is the investigation into methods and strategies to holistically embed and integrate evidence-based interventions in targeted settings relevant to population and global health. It can be difficult to navigate the process of implementation science research.
The core steps to succeeding in any implementation science efforts are listed below alongside useful tools to guide implementation research and studies.
Doing Implementation Science Research
Frame your research question
The first step is to define the implementation science research you wish to undertake. Some key considerations could be the discovery, evidence-gathering and incorporation of implementation science in different contexts, as well as how to de-implement in effective practices.
Pick a Theory, Model, or Framework
There are a variety of structures that can be used to guide research in the implementation science toolkit. It is important to understand what they are, how they can be used and the intended purposes to best align with your research question.
Identify Implementation Strategies
At the core of implementation science is the strategies to incorporate evidence-based interventions. As such the process of identifying effective strategies for your area of research is important. Additionally, the manner in which the strategies are published, explained and reported is important for others to understand and utilise in different settings.
Select Research Method
There are several research methods that can be chosen to achieve proximal implementation outcomes, intermediate service delivery outcomes or distal health outcomes. The main methods are: systems analysis and improvement approach, operations research, qualitative health systems research, organisational assessment, economic evaluation and stakeholder and policy analysis.
Select Study Design
The study design for implementation research is critical to ensure the data captured is relevant and appropriately addresses the aims of your research question. Common study designs used in implementation science are: randomised control trials, quasi-experimental designs, intervention optimisation and mixed methods.
Choose Measures
To garner relevant data, measures need to be used to detect aspects of ongoing implementation science strategies. It should be cautioned that there are an abundant list of potential measures, however, evaluation of the quality of the measure should be undertaken beforehand.
Get Funding
Implementation science research grant proposals can be difficult to articulate and demonstrate the impact of research outcomes. It has been proposed by Procter et al, that there are “ten key ingredients” to writing successful grants in implementation science research. The ingredients prompt researchers to consider their project from numerous standpoints including: access/quality gaps, evidence-based practices, conceptual model, stakeholder engagement, setting readiness, implementation strategy, team experience, feasibility of methods, measurement and analysis and alignment with current policy and funding procedures.
Report Results
Implementation science research grant proposals can be difficult to articulate and demonstrate the impact of research outcomes. It has been proposed by Procter et al, that there are “ten key ingredients” to writing successful grants in implementation science research. Now that you have framed your question, designed your study, secured funding and collected/analysed data, it is time to report your findings to the world. In order to ensure “transparent, accurate, reliable and replicable scientific research” (University of Washington 2022) is published, have a comprehensive understanding of relevant reporting guidelines is crucial.
NCI Implementation Science Tools
To facilitate effective implementation science research, the National Cancer Institute has collated and published useful tools and resources spanning from educational modules and workshops for upskilling to reports and workbooks showcasing successful models and case studies.
We are keen to receive your feedback on the e-Hub to improve it further. We would appreciate you completing a short survey, available here.
If you would like to provide more detailed feedback, please contact us at contact.ehub@implementationscience-gacd.org.