Research guidance

Supplementary guidance Good practice in research and Consent to research set out the good practice principles that doctors are expected to understand and follow if they are involved in research.

They provide more detailed guidance on how the principles in Good Medical Practice and in Consent: patients and doctors making decisions together apply in the context of research.

Good practice in research and Consent to research should be read in conjunction with our other guidance on research. In particular, the advice in Confidentiality on research and other secondary uses of data, and in 0-18 years: guidance for all doctors about involving children or young people in research. Together, these guidance documents set out the GMC’s advice to doctors involved in research. The new research guidance contains clear links to the advice in Confidentiality and 0-18 years: guidance for all doctors where relevant.

• Use the tabs below to navigate the guidance;
• Find resources explaining how the principles in this guidance apply in situations doctors often encounter or find hard to deal with;
• Read about the background to the development of the guidance.