As deputy editors for Paramedicine journal as well as peer-reviewers for numerous other journals, we have the privilege of reading and providing constructive feedback to our research colleagues to improve the rigour and contribution of their research and clarify its message. Whilst we are frequently impressed by some of the strong work submitted, we have seen many research submissions to these journals where design flaws present from the inception of the project mean the findings are not meaningful and do not (or cannot) contribute to the broader body of knowledge. Often it is clear that an enormous amount of time and effort has gone into the work, only to produce something that is not publishable. There is much that can be discussed about taking the time to thoroughly investigate and identify the most appropriate methodological approaches for a study. However, in this editorial, we want to limit this examination to the significance of outcome measures, and in particular, the need to ensure the correct outcome measures and tools are used at the correct time.
Eastwood et al. The importance of outcome measures that matter in paramedicine research
