This service aims to support NHS staff at KCH undertaking research who need support in designing and managing search strategies and collating results.  Depending on the circumstances, we may also be able to support individual researchers working on a paper. Please note that the type of service we can offer depends on staff availability.

Researcher support does not include training on how to search the healthcare literature; please see our training pages for workshops (including tailored options for your group) and options for a one to one session to extend your learning.

To discuss options, please contact Karen Poole with an outline of your project, an indicative timeline and what kind of support you are looking for.

Back in 2025! Please email if you would like a session run for your research group, department or team.

The King’s Clinical Academic Training Office (KCATO) offers advice, best practice and information on navigating a clinical academic career. It is open to all health professionals who are based at any of the organisations of King’s Health Partners – KCL, Guy’s and St Thomas’s, King’s College Hospital or South London and Maudsley NHS Trusts.

Upcoming events (2024/2) include:

• Engaging in Research Series
  • Demystifying Research – A webinar for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals (NMAHPs) interested in pursuing research
  • Research questions and finding a supervisor – A webinar for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals (NMAHPs) interested in pursuing research
  • Top Tips on writing fellowship applications
  • Pitching for Funding
• 121 Coaching Sessions for Health Professionals
• Writing for Health Professionals 
  Fri 29 November 2024 and Wed 12 March 2025, 09:30-17:00 via MS Teams
  • The morning session consists of a workshop with Stefy Vaga (CoFactor Science) about the publishing process in the health sciences. In the afternoon, participants participate in a pomodoro writing workshop with tailored support from Dr Verna Lavender (GSTT Head of Nursing for Research and Education in Cancer and Surgery).

Clinical Library Services can offer a range of options to support evidence synthesis projects (systematic review, scoping review, rapid review) depending on timescales and staff capacity:

• Consultancy service:  The Clinical Support Librarian will look over the search strategies you have created including any initial results and advise where changes may be needed.  The librarian will also be able to check over the methodology sections of your written review and provide feedback. This offering is available for anyone undertaking research individually or as a group

• Consultancy + service:  The Clinical Support Librarian will meet with you to discuss your research project and what steps you will need to take.  The librarian will design your search strategy based on your requirements and pass this over to you for you to perform and will be on hand to discuss any questions you have.  The librarian can also provide advice on registering the protocol, structuring the written review and recording searches. This offering can be made available to groups undertaking research depending on librarian capacity

• A full partnered service:  The Clinical Support Librarian will join the research group as co-author.  They will design and perform all search strategies across a wide range of databases and clinical resources, and provide the results in an agreed format.  Additionally, they will de-duplicate datasets and track the numbers of results for inclusion in PRISMA flow charts, as well as writing the relevant sections of the methodology to reflect the searches undertaken. This offering is for groups undertaking funded research and is dependent on staff capacity

Module 1: Getting involved in clinical research
Module 2: Demystifying approaches to quality improvement & service evaluation
Module 3: Answering clinical questions from a range of perspectives
Module 4: Research methods toolkit
Module 5: Evaluating complex interventions & trial designs
Module 6: Good governance and ethical considerations in clinical research

The focus of these e-learning modules is to give a comprehensive overview of the importance of research activity to care delivery, enthuse nurses and midwives about the possibilities of being involved in research and enable them to see where and how nurses and midwives can contribute to designing and delivering research for patient benefit.