Reinforce chapter themes with free access to two journal articles for each chapter and further online readings. Select chapters will also include suggested weblinks.

Journal Article 1.1: Braverman, S. and Sidhu, R. (2011) ‘Effective streamlining of ethics and governance processes: Fact or fiction?’, Research Ethics 7: 66–70.

Discussion Points: How far are ethics important in health research? Are they currently handled with appropriate efficiency and proportionality? Could the processes involved be streamlined?

Journal Article 1.2: Ellenbecker, C. H. and Edward, J. (2017) ‘Conducting nursing research to advance and inform health policy’, Policy, Politics, and Nursing Practice 17(4): 208–17.

Discussion Points: What are the main roles of nurses in health policy research? What types of research design are best employed in health policy research? What priority should be given to working with interdisciplinary teams of researchers and synthesizing results?

Journal Article 1.3: Al-alawy, T. R. and Alwali, W. (2011) ‘Implementing public health in secondary care: A Rotherham perspective on strategy development and implementation’, Perspectives in Public Health 131: 137–43.

Description: This paper reports an approach to develop and implement a public health strategy in secondary care and uses smoking cessation as a means for measuring success. Rotherham Foundation Hospital Trust recognized its unique role to promote, prevent and protect health and well-being in Rotherham. Following consultation across key departments, the trust developed a public health strategy encompassing five priorities. We report ongoing commitment and engagement following the launch of the public health strategy. Over a period of one year (April 2008 to March 2009) 269 front-line staff were trained on smoking cessation brief interventions. We report 890 referrals to smoking cessation, resulting in 414 setting a quit date and 143 four-week quitters (35% conversion rate). Despite progress in implementing smoking cessation, more communication is required to ensure that GPs and hospital staff continue to maximize patient outcomes through brief interventions. The paper provides an approach to implement public health in secondary care. The Commissioning for Quality and Innovation payment framework would be a useful tool to ensure key public health areas such as smoking cessation are systemized in secondary care.

Journal Article 1.4: Alderson, P. (2011) ‘Trends in research about health in early childhood: Economics and equity, from micro-studies to big business’, Journal of Early Childhood Research 9(2): 125-36.

Description: Research about health is concerned with physical and mental well-being, illness and injury. Directly or indirectly, health relates to almost every aspect of early childhood. This article reviews the enormous range of research available, examining the aims and purposes of the studies, their methods and findings and the ways in which childhood and child–adult relationships are conceptualized. In particular, this article is concerned with whether the evidence available arises from studies concerned with cost-effectiveness or with equity and the re-distribution of wealth and resources.