Principles of public health research and writing

A sound public health practice is based on robust public health research. Research enables answering the challenges posed in routine public health practices. In addition, research identifies newer questions and the unknown aspects in the domain to explore further. The findings from research also influence the policies of various sectors beyond health, e.g., tobacco regulation and universal iodization in India. Hence, public health must generate and collate the evidence necessary for research leading to informed policy decisions and program implementations. Considering its vital role, public health research is acknowledged as one of the 10 listed essential public health services globally. This chapter will discuss various principles of public health research, research methodology, public health ethics, and public health communications.