Training for research is only available in a few places in the world, so that usually the researcher has to learn to master every step by himself. This entails planning the research, finding out how to obtain funds, searching the literature, analysing the data statistically, preparing visual material and slides, speaking about it in public, writing it up for journals and so on. Books on various aspects of this subject are readily obtain able but this is an attempt to deal with all the steps that are necessary from the start to the finish, and chapters have been planned sequentially with this in mind. Although most of the authors are doctors of medicine, it should help those in any area of science where the undertaking and publishing of research is important. Marco Sorgi conceived the idea of the book and, during an appointment in the University of Birmingham, invited Clifford Hawkins to help in achieving its delivery. May the effort be found to be worthwhile.
