Book excerpt: Students embarking on their first clinical research protocol are often daunted by the task at hand, particularly by the statistical terminology, concepts and the choice of appropriate statistical tests. The authors understand the difficulties and pitfalls students might encounter and have written an introductory text that will make writing that first protocol 'a breeze'. Beginning with a section entitled 'Whats in it for me', which outlines the benefits of research, the text provides ideas and advice on topics such as finding the research focus, writing the proposal, considering ethical requirements, compiling a budget and writing the executive summary.