Doing good research is highly challenging. There is a large variety of methods, designs and measures available in implementation science. It can range from descriptive observational studies, to process evaluations, to hybrid effectiveness trials (type 2 and 3) employing some form of randomization to reduce confounding. Choose the one(s) that suit your research best. Your research question is leading! Relevant outcomes can vary as well, ranging from levels of acceptance, to reach, uptake and more specific measures. And, it is very very very helpful to start with drawing a logical model of the thing you are interested in. How to get started, and how to keep your eyes on the prize?

Articles on implementation research methods, designs & measures

Research designs

  • Peters, D. H., Adam, T., Alonge, O., Agyepong, I. A., & Tran, N. (2013). Implementation research: what it is and how to do it.Bmj,347. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.f6753
  • Brown, C. H., Curran, G., Palinkas, L. A., Aarons, G. A., Wells, K. B., Jones, L., ... & Cruden, G. (2017). An overview of research and evaluation designs for dissemination and implementation.Annual review of public health,38, 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031816-044215
  • Curran, G. M., Bauer, M., Mittman, B., Pyne, J. M., & Stetler, C. (2012). Effectiveness-implementation hybrid designs: combining elements of clinical effectiveness and implementation research to enhance public health impact.Medical care,50(3), 217.
  • Mazzucca, S., Tabak, R. G., Pilar, M., Ramsey, A. T., Baumann, A. A., Kryzer, E., ... & Brownson, R. C. (2018). Variation in research designs used to test the effectiveness of dissemination and implementation strategies: a review.Frontiers in public health,6, 32. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2018.00032
  • Moore, G. F., Audrey, S., Barker, M., Bond, L., Bonell, C., Hardeman, W., Moore, L., O'Cathain, A., Tinati, T., Wight, D., & Baird, J. (2015). Process evaluation of complex interventions: Medical Research Council guidance. BMJ, 350, h1258.

Outcome measures

  • Proctor, E., Silmere, H., Raghavan, R., Hovmand, P., Aarons, G., Bunger, A., ... & Hensley, M. (2011). Outcomes for implementation research: conceptual distinctions, measurement challenges, and research agenda.Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research,38(2), 65-76. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-010-0319-7
  • Chaudoir, S. R., Dugan, A. G., & Barr, C. H. (2013). Measuring factors affecting implementation of health innovations: a systematic review of structural, organizational, provider, patient, and innovation level measures.Implementation science,8(1), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-8-22
  • Mettert, K., Lewis, C., Dorsey, C., Halko, H., & Weiner, B. (2020). Measuring implementation outcomes: An updated systematic review of measures’ psychometric properties. Implementation Research and Practice, 1. https://doi.org/10.1177/2633489520936644
  • Hermes, E. D., Lyon, A. R., Schueller, S. M., & Glass, J. E. (2019). Measuring the Implementation of Behavioral Intervention Technologies: Recharacterization of Established Outcomes. J Med Internet Res, 21(1), e11752.

Websites on implementation research methods, designs & measures

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Publishing implementation research

And then you need to publish it. Yet, finding a journal that publishes your
implementation research is not straightforward and several choices need to be
made. What are your options?

First the scope. Each self-respecting journal has a mission statement and explanation of the type of papers they are looking for. And this might change over time. BMC Implementation Science for example, first applied a more specific definition of implementation research: methods that promote the uptake of interventions in routine practice [1]. Recently and as the field and recognition thereof has progressed, the journal adjusted the scope in more generic terms with more emphasis on empirical studies of implementation interventions [2]. Some known examples of journals that primarily aim at implementation research include: Implementation Science, Implementation Science communications,Implementation Research and Practice (SIRC), and the Implementation Science section of Frontiers in Health Services.

Alternatively, and as implementation research inherently is of an inter-disciplinary nature, field-specific journals often also welcome implementation related content. Occasionally, journals tend to publish thematic topics, which might be open to implementation related research. The point here is that in the end, the scope of journal can affect the way you frame your research to ensure the audience understands and appreciates the research and findings you want to discuss.

And then you need to make sure your article gets found. The journals’ impact factor can be an indicator of this, but it can also be worthwhile to check the journals’ indexing services it is associated with.

Mielke and colleagues conducted an expert consultation on ‘findability’ of implementation science content across various journals [3]. This might provide you a good starting point for selecting your target journal for your next implementation research paper. And last but not least. This website can help you find a journal that fits your topic.

  1. Eccles, M.P., et al., Implementation Science six years on--our evolving scope and common reasons for rejection without review. Implement Sci, 2012. 7: p. 71. https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-7-71
  2. Wensing, M., et al., Implementation Science and Implementation Science Communications: a refreshed description of the journals' scope and expectations. Implement Sci, 2021. 16(1): p. 103. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-021-01175-3
  3. Mielke, J., et al., Relevant Journals for Identifying Implementation Science Articles: Results of an International Implementation Science Expert Survey. Front Public Health, 2021. 9: p. 639192. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.639192

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