Navigating the Budding Researchers through Different Study Designs in Homeopathy: Part 1 of Research Method Series

Abstract

Homeopathy is a complementary and alternative system of medicine that has been in practice for over 200 years. Despite its widespread use, there is still debate on the effectiveness of homeopathy, and research in this area is controversial.In the era of evidence-based healthcare, the scientific community seeks high quality evidence for informed clinical decisions. In homeopathy, research awareness is limited among the practitioners and stakeholders, which results in minimum number of studies, and mostly of compromised quality. This largely contributes to the subjected criticism against the effect of homeopathy.Despite various existing reporting guidelines, methodological frameworks, and research literatures, the submissions of homeopathic research papers reflect serious flaws. In this article, we provide an overview of the research question, hypothesis, objectives, outcome selection and commonly used study designs in homeopathic research.While homeopathic research can be challenging due to the individualised nature of treatment, a properly framed research question and adequately fitted study designs can help researchers investigate the effect of homeopathic treatment and provide valuable insights into multiple fascinating areas of interest.In conclusion, this article is intended to provide the readers with a better understanding of the research process and study designs particularly relevant to homeopathy. It is hoped that this will help researchers design better studies to provide more conclusive evidence of the effects of homeopathic treatments.

A Guide to Writing Case Series in Homeopathy: A Supplement to Part 2 of the Research Method Series

“…They are primarily observational in nature, providing an account of clinical experiences and outcomes. 4 To establish cause and effect, rigorous experimental designs, such as randomised controlled trials or well-designed cohort studies, are required.…”

“…Case series offer a unique opportunity to explore the effectiveness, safety and outcomes of homeopathic treatments in real-world clinical settings. 1 4 These studies provide valuable evidence that can guide clinical decision-making, inform treatment protocols and foster collaboration between homeopathic practitioners and other healthcare professionals.…”

“…Among the study designs used to generate such evidence, case series play a crucial role in providing valuable insights and contributing to the existing medical knowledge. 4…”

“…Case series must be conceptualised in addition to the concepts and facets pertains to the case report. Therefore, we insist the authors to go through the first 4 and second part of the research method series to have a comprehensive idea on research and reporting. Particularly, this article is a complement to the second part of the research method series, where we discussed about case reports in details.…”

Unleashing the Power of Narratives: Crafting Compelling Homeopathic Case Reports—Part 2 of the Research Method Series

“…To fully comprehend the content of this and subsequent articles, we strongly recommend readers to begin with the part 1 article in the series. 9 Building a foundation from the initial instalment will provide a cohesive understanding of the subsequent articles, allowing for a more comprehensive exploration of research methodology in homeopathy. Let us embark on this journey together to foster excellence in case reporting and advance the field of homeopathic research.…”