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One catalogue of research methods — learn how each one works, when to use it, and what it can’t do.

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Entries are compiled from published sources for reference. Verifying the accuracy and suitability of any information for your own use remains your responsibility.

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MethodStatistics1,836AI & ML1,661Decision Sciences932Research Methods1,354Measurement1,745Causal & Evidence532Research Practice118
716 methods in Health & MedicineClear
Real methods matching your filter.
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occupational therapy

9HPT

The Nine-Hole Peg Test (9HPT) is a brief, quantitative, performance-based measure of fine motor hand dexterity and coordination. Developed by Mathiowetz and colleagues (1985) at the University of Minnesota, the 9HPT is one of the simplest and most widely used screening tests for hand function, particularly finger dexte

2 sources1985
survival

Accelerated Failure Time Model

The Accelerated Failure Time model is a parametric regression approach to survival analysis — formally reviewed and advocated by L. J. Wei in 1992 — in which covariates act as multiplicative factors that directly stretch or compress the time-to-event scale. Unlike the Cox proportional-hazards model, which models how co

3 sources1992
clinical psychology

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a values-based, process-oriented psychotherapy developed by Steven C. Hayes and colleagues that helps individuals create meaningful lives while living with difficult thoughts, feelings, and sensations. Using mindfulness, values clarification, and behavioral commitment, ACT rep

2 sources1999
sports medicine

ACL Return to Sport after Injury Scale

The ACL-Return to Sport after Injury (ACL-RSI) Scale is a 12-item patient-reported outcome instrument designed to measure the psychological impact and readiness to return to sport following anterior cruciate ligament injury and reconstruction. Developed by Webster, Feller, and Lambros in 2008 and published in the Briti

1 source2008
dermatology

Acne-QoL

Acne-QoL is a disease-specific, patient-administered quality-of-life measure assessing the psychological and social burden of acne vulgaris. Acne is the most common skin disease in adolescents and young adults and causes substantial psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and social impairment disproportionate to

2 sources2004
health outcomes

ACT

The ACT is a simple, rapid, patient-centered measure of asthma control. Developed by Robert Nathan and colleagues in 2004, this 5-item questionnaire quantifies how asthma symptoms, activity limitation, and nighttime awakening affect daily life. It is the most widely used asthma control measure in clinical practice and

3 sources2004
physical therapy

Action Research Arm Test

The Action Research Arm Test (ARAT) is a 19-item performance-based assessment measuring upper limb function in four domains: grasp, grip, pinch, and gross movement. Developed by Roberta Lyle in 1989, the ARAT has become the standard functional assessment for upper limb recovery in stroke rehabilitation, providing detai

2 sources1989
epidemiology

Adaptive case series

An adaptive case series is an observational study design that documents a consecutive group of patients with a shared condition or exposure while incorporating pre-specified rules for modifying data collection, monitoring, or stopping criteria as accumulating evidence warrants. It combines the descriptive richness of t

2 sources
epidemiology

Adaptive Case-Control Study

An adaptive case-control study is a case-control design that incorporates pre-specified rules allowing modification of study parameters — such as sample size, case-to-control ratio, or matching criteria — based on interim data, without compromising validity. It combines the efficiency of adaptive methodology with the r

2 sources1950
epidemiology

Adaptive Cohort Study

An adaptive cohort study is a longitudinal observational design that follows a defined group of individuals over time to assess exposure-outcome relationships, while incorporating pre-specified adaptation rules that allow protocol modifications — such as sample-size re-estimation, subgroup enrichment, or measurement sc

2 sources2000
epidemiology

Adaptive Competing Risks Analysis

Adaptive competing risks analysis combines the Fine-Gray subdistribution hazard framework — which models the cumulative incidence of one cause of failure in the presence of other mutually exclusive causes — with adaptive or group-sequential interim monitoring rules. This allows a clinical trial or observational study t

2 sources1999
epidemiology

Adaptive Cox Proportional Hazards

The Adaptive Cox Proportional Hazards model extends the classic Cox regression for time-to-event outcomes by adding adaptive LASSO (or related) penalization. It simultaneously estimates hazard ratios and performs variable selection, shrinking irrelevant covariate coefficients exactly to zero. This makes it especially v

2 sources2007
epidemiology

Adaptive Cross-Sectional Epidemiological Study

An adaptive cross-sectional epidemiological study combines the core logic of a cross-sectional survey — measuring exposures and outcomes simultaneously in a defined population at one point in time — with pre-specified adaptive rules that allow modifications to sampling strategy, sample size, or subgroup allocation base

2 sources1990
epidemiology

Adaptive Diagnostic Accuracy Study

An adaptive diagnostic accuracy study evaluates how well an index test distinguishes between patients with and without a target condition, while incorporating pre-specified interim analyses that allow modifications — such as sample size re-estimation, threshold adjustment, or subgroup enrichment — based on accumulating

2 sources2000
epidemiology

Adaptive Dose-Response Analysis

Adaptive dose-response analysis combines pre-specified dose-response modeling with planned interim looks that allow modifications — such as dropping ineffective doses or reallocating sample size — while maintaining statistical integrity. The most widely cited framework is MCP-Mod (Multiple Comparisons and Modeling), en

2 sources2000
epidemiology

Adaptive Ecological Study

An adaptive ecological study is an observational epidemiological design in which the unit of analysis is a group or population (e.g., a region, country, or community) rather than an individual. It extends the classical ecological study by incorporating pre-specified interim decision rules that allow modifications — suc

2 sources1990
epidemiology

Adaptive nested case-control

An adaptive nested case-control study embeds a case-control comparison within a defined cohort and incorporates pre-specified interim decision rules that allow modifications — such as control-to-case ratio adjustment or biomarker sub-sampling revision — based on accumulating data, without compromising the study's valid

2 sources1977
epidemiology

Adaptive Phase I Clinical Trial

An adaptive Phase I clinical trial is a first-in-human or early-phase dose-finding study that continuously updates the recommended dose after each patient cohort using a prespecified statistical model, rather than following a fixed rule. The goal is to identify the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) or the recommended Phase

2 sources1990
epidemiology

Adaptive Phase II Clinical Trial

An adaptive Phase II clinical trial is a prospective experimental design in which pre-specified rules allow the study protocol to be modified — such as dropping arms, adjusting sample size, or narrowing the patient population — based on accumulating interim data, without inflating the Type I error rate. The design is w

2 sources1994
epidemiology

Adaptive Phase III clinical trial

An adaptive Phase III clinical trial is a confirmatory randomized controlled trial that incorporates pre-specified rules allowing modifications to the trial design — such as sample size re-estimation, dose selection, or population enrichment — based on accumulating interim data, while preserving the Type I error rate.

2 sources1969
epidemiology

Adaptive Phase IV study

An Adaptive Phase IV study is a post-marketing surveillance study conducted after a drug or intervention has received regulatory approval, augmented with pre-specified adaptive design elements that allow pre-planned modifications to the study protocol in response to accumulating data. These modifications may include sa

2 sources1990
epidemiology

Adaptive Randomized Clinical Trial

An adaptive randomized clinical trial (adaptive RCT) is a prospective experimental study that uses pre-specified rules to modify one or more trial aspects — such as sample size, allocation ratios, or treatment arms — based on accumulating data collected during the trial itself, while maintaining statistical validity an

2 sources1990
epidemiology

Adaptive screening test evaluation

Adaptive screening test evaluation is a psychometric and epidemiological framework for designing and assessing screening instruments whose item selection or stopping rules adjust dynamically to each respondent's response pattern. Rooted in item response theory (IRT) and computerized adaptive testing (CAT), the method u

2 sources1980
epidemiology

Adaptive Survival Analysis

Adaptive survival analysis integrates adaptive clinical trial design with time-to-event statistical methods, allowing pre-specified modifications to sample size, event targets, or allocation ratios at interim stages based on accumulating survival data. It is widely used in oncology, cardiovascular, and infectious disea

2 sources2000
clinical research

Adaptive Trial Design

An adaptive trial design allows pre-specified modifications to the trial based on interim data—such as sample size re-estimation, stopping for futility or efficacy, dropping ineffective arms, or shifting randomization ratios toward better-performing treatments. Developed systematically in the 1990s–2000s by statisticia

3 sources1990
implementation science

Adoption Scale

Innovation Adoption refers to the extent to which an innovation, evidence-based practice, or new technology is actually used by the target population or in the target setting. Adoption is typically measured as the percentage of eligible users/staff who have adopted the innovation by a specific time point, or the trajec

2 sources1983
clinical psychology

Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale

The ASRS-v1.1 is an 18-item self-report screening scale for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in adults, developed by Kessler and colleagues in 2005 under World Health Organization auspices. A brief 6-item version provides rapid initial screening. The scale has become standard first-step screening in primary car

1 source2005
clinical psychology

Affective Lability Scale

The ALS is a 54-item self-report measure of affective lability—rapid, unpredictable shifts in mood and anxiety states. Developed by Harvey, Greenberg, and Serper in 1989, it distinguishes normal emotional responsiveness from pathological mood instability. Affective lability is recognized as feature of bipolar disorder,

1 source1989
neurology

AIMS

The Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) is the standard clinical rating scale for assessing tardive dyskinesia, a iatrogenic movement disorder resulting from chronic antipsychotic medication exposure. Developed by the National Institute of Mental Health in 1976, the 12-item scale systematically measures involunt

1 source1976
pharmacology

Allometric PK Scaling

Allometric scaling is a mathematical approach for predicting human pharmacokinetics from preclinical animal data using body weight relationships. Developed systematically by Mordenti and colleagues in the late 1980s, it enables rational first-in-human dose prediction without assuming species-specific metabolic differen

2 sources1989
dermatology

ALPPQ

The Hair Loss Impact Questionnaire (Alopecia Areata Patient Priority Outcomes Questionnaire, ALPPQ) is a disease-specific, patient-administered quality-of-life measure assessing the psychosocial and functional burden of alopecia areata, a chronic autoimmune disorder causing patchy hair loss. Alopecia areata affects app

2 sources2014
neurology

ALSFRS-R

The ALSFRS-R is a 12-item clinician-administered functional rating scale designed to assess disease progression and functional status in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Introduced by Cedarbaum and colleagues in 1999, it expands upon the original ALSFRS by incorporating respiratory function assessment. It is the pr

1 source1999
sports medicine

American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Score

The American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) Standardized Assessment Form is a hybrid outcome instrument combining patient self-report and clinician assessment to evaluate shoulder function and pain. Developed by the ASES Committee in 1994 and published in the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, the ASES Score ha

1 source1994
veterinary medicine

Anesthesia Risk Scoring in Veterinary Medicine

Anesthesia risk scoring is a systematic preoperative assessment method that stratifies patient risk based on medical history, physical findings, and health status. Adapted from the American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status classification (developed for humans in 1941) and refined for veterinary species thro

3 sources1941
veterinary medicine

Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing in Veterinary Medicine

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) is a systematic in vitro laboratory method that determines which antimicrobial agents are effective against an isolated bacterial or fungal pathogen. Standardized by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) and other regulatory bodies since the 1960s, AST guides

3 sources1960
clinical assessment

APACHE II Score

The Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score, introduced by Knaus et al. in 1985, is a 71-point severity of illness classification system for critically ill patients. It combines acute physiological parameters, age, and chronic health status to predict intensive care unit (ICU) mortality, facili

2 sources1985
clinical assessment

Apgar Score

The Apgar score, introduced by Virginia Apgar in 1952, is a 10-point rapid assessment of newborn vital status immediately after birth. It evaluates appearance, pulse, grimace (reflex irritability), activity, and respiration at 1 and 5 minutes of life, providing an objective, reproducible measure of neonatal condition a

2 sources1952
speech language pathology

Aphasia Impact Questionnaire

The Aphasia Impact Questionnaire (AIQ), most commonly administered as the Stroke and Aphasia Quality of Life Scale (SAQOL-39), is a comprehensive 39-item self-report measure of health-related quality of life in adults with aphasia following stroke or acquired brain injury. Developed by Hilari and colleagues (2003), AIQ

3 sources2003
occupational health

Areas of Worklife Scale

The Areas of Worklife Scale (AWS) is a multidimensional assessment tool designed to measure organizational and job factors associated with occupational burnout. Developed by Leiter and Maslach in 2004, the AWS evaluates six critical job dimensions: workload, control, reward, community, fairness, and values alignment. U

1 source2004
pharmacology

Arrhenius Stability

Arrhenius stability testing predicts pharmaceutical product shelf-life by conducting accelerated degradation studies at elevated temperatures and using the Arrhenius equation to extrapolate to storage conditions. Based on Svante Arrhenius's 1889 equation relating reaction rate to temperature, this method is regulatory

2 sources1889
physical therapy

Ashworth Scale for Spasticity

The Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) is a clinical rating scale for assessing muscle spasticity, quantifying the resistance to passive movement on a 0-4 scale plus an additional grade. Originally developed by B. Ashworth in 1964 and refined by Bohannon and Smith in 1987, the MAS is the most widely used bedside tool for ev

2 sources1964
rehabilitation science

Assessment of Life Habits

The Assessment of Life Habits (LIFE-H) is a comprehensive, interview-based measure that evaluates participation in 11 key life domains—from basic self-care and nutrition to work, recreation, and community engagement. Developed in Quebec by Fougeyrollas, Noreau, and colleagues, LIFE-H operationalizes the ICF concept of

2 sources1992
integrative medicine

Attitudes toward CAM Scale

The ACAMS is a self-report instrument measuring healthcare professionals' and students' attitudes toward complementary and alternative medicine. Developed in the early 2000s, it assesses openness, acceptance, and perceived legitimacy of CAM alongside conventional medicine, helping identify educational gaps and organiza

2 sources2003
health measurement

AUDIT Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test

The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is a 10-item screening and assessment tool developed by the World Health Organization in 1993. It rapidly identifies hazardous alcohol use, harmful drinking, and alcohol dependence across diverse populations. The AUDIT has become the gold-standard alcohol screening

3 sources1993
health measurement

AUDIT-C

The AUDIT-C is a 3-item brief alcohol screening tool derived from the first three questions of the full AUDIT. Published by Bush and colleagues in 2003, it assesses alcohol consumption frequency and quantity in under one minute. The AUDIT-C has become the standard ultra-brief screen for problem drinking in primary care

3 sources2003
addiction medicine

AUQ

The AUQ is an 8-item self-report instrument that measures the intensity of urges and desire to drink alcohol. Developed by Bohn, Krahn, and Staehler in 1995, it is designed to assess craving in individuals with alcohol use disorder who are abstaining or attempting to reduce drinking. The AUQ is a brief, validated tool

1 source1995
healthcare management

Balanced Scorecard in Healthcare

The Balanced Scorecard is a strategic performance management framework that translates an organization's mission and strategy into a comprehensive set of performance measures across four perspectives: financial, customer, internal processes, and learning and growth. Developed by Kaplan and Norton in 1992 for general bu

3 sources1992
addiction medicine

BAM

The BAM is a 17-item self-report instrument designed to provide rapid, multimodal assessment of substance use, craving, risk factors, protective factors, and psychosocial functioning in individuals receiving addiction treatment. Developed by Cacciola and colleagues in 2013, it serves as an efficient outcome monitoring

1 source2013
health behavior

Barriers to Physical Activity Questionnaire

The Barriers to Physical Activity Questionnaire (BPA) is a scale designed to identify and measure perceived obstacles to exercise engagement. Rooted in the Health Belief Model and Health Promotion Model, the BPA assesses multiple categories of barriers—time constraints, lack of motivation, physical discomfort, cost, la

1 source1987
rehabilitation

Barthel ADL Index

The Barthel Index is a brief, observer-rated scale measuring independence in activities of daily living (ADL) in patients with disability, stroke, and neurological conditions. Developed by Barthel and Mahoney in 1965, it has become a widely used outcome measure in rehabilitation, stroke care, and geriatrics for assessi

3 sources1965
nursing

Barthel Index

The Barthel Index (BI) is one of the most widely used functional assessment tools measuring independence in activities of daily living. Developed by Florence I. Mahoney and Dorothea W. Barthel in 1965, the Barthel Index evaluates a patient's ability to perform ten essential self-care and mobility activities. Its longev

2 sources1965
health behavior

Basic Psychological Needs Scale

The Basic Psychological Needs Questionnaire (BPNQ), developed by Gagné (2003) and grounded in Self-Determination Theory by Deci and Ryan, measures satisfaction of three fundamental human psychological needs: Autonomy, Competence, and Relatedness. According to Self-Determination Theory, these three needs are universally

2 sources2003
nursing

Bates-Jensen Wound Assessment Tool

The Bates-Jensen Wound Assessment Tool (BJWAT), originally developed as the Pressure Sore Status Tool, is a comprehensive instrument for objectively assessing pressure ulcer characteristics and monitoring healing progress. Created by Barbara M. Bates-Jensen, the tool evaluates 13 distinct wound dimensions including siz

2 sources1990
epidemiology

Bayesian Case Series

Bayesian case series is an observational epidemiological method that applies Bayesian inference to case series data — typically records of patients who experienced both a drug or vaccine exposure and an adverse health event. By incorporating prior evidence and computing posterior estimates of the incidence rate ratio w

2 sources1995
epidemiology

Bayesian Case-Control Study

A Bayesian case-control study applies Bayesian statistical inference to the classic case-control epidemiological design, formally combining prior knowledge about exposure-disease associations with observed case and control data to estimate posterior odds ratios and credible intervals. Rather than relying solely on obse

2 sources1990
epidemiology

Bayesian Case-Crossover Design

The Bayesian case-crossover design is a self-matched epidemiological method that estimates the transient effect of a time-varying exposure on the risk of an acute event. Each case serves as their own control, eliminating confounding by time-stable individual characteristics. Bayesian inference replaces or supplements t

2 sources1991
epidemiology

Bayesian Cohort Study

A Bayesian cohort study follows a defined group of individuals over time to estimate incidence, risk, or rate of outcomes, while using Bayesian statistical inference to incorporate prior knowledge and quantify uncertainty through posterior probability distributions rather than classical p-values and confidence interval

2 sources1990
epidemiology

Bayesian Competing Risks Analysis

Bayesian competing risks analysis is a time-to-event method for settings where subjects can fail from more than one mutually exclusive cause — such as death from cancer versus death from cardiovascular disease — and prior knowledge or small-sample uncertainty makes a Bayesian framework advantageous. It extends classica

2 sources1980
epidemiology

Bayesian Cox Proportional Hazards

The Bayesian Cox proportional hazards model combines Cox's classical semiparametric survival regression with Bayesian inference, replacing point estimates and p-values with full posterior distributions over regression coefficients. It handles right-censored time-to-event outcomes, quantifies uncertainty about hazard ra

2 sources1972
epidemiology

Bayesian Diagnostic Accuracy Study

A Bayesian diagnostic accuracy study evaluates how well a medical test distinguishes between people who have a condition and those who do not, using Bayesian statistical methods that formally incorporate prior knowledge into the estimation of sensitivity, specificity, and related measures. Unlike classical approaches t

2 sources1995