Abstract
One of the major aims of clinical research is to develop practical applications of basic medical research. Stagnation in clinical research in Japan would cause serious disadvantages to the Japanese people. Clinical research is therefore required from both the scientific and social points of view. Physicians can play an important role in clinical research, but opportunities for education and training clinical research is limited in Japan. In this paper, we review essential elements of clinical research including study design, study ethics, and the biological statistics used in clinical research. Physicians with knowledge of these can be leaders in promoting clinical research.
