Family Medicine Faculty Research Essentials

Here is what you will find in this guide

Building a career in research and scholarship: Some guidance on questions to ask yourself about conducting meaningful research.
Understanding scholarship: A clear explanation of how research is defined in our department, using Boyer’s framework —covering discovery, integration, application, and teaching—with examples relevant to family medicine.
Exploring your path as a clinician scholar: A few examples of research trajectories by our own faculty and experiential learning opportunities to engage in research and scholarship.
Resources and tools: A curated list of software, services, and institutional supports available through McMaster and the DFM to help you plan, conduct, and share your research.
Policies and guidelines: Key departmental policies on authorship, ethics, confidentiality, and student engagement in research.

This guide is your starting point for building a meaningful and sustainable research career in family medicine. Explore the sections and connect with the DFM Research team for support along the way.

How do I set up my career to include a focus on research and scholarship?

The article “Getting started in research, redefined: five questions for clinically focused physicians in family medicine” by Ventres and Whiteside-Mansell (2019) encourages family physicians—especially those primarily engaged in clinical practice—to engage in research by redefining what research can look like in everyday settings. Rather than focusing on complex, resource-heavy studies, the authors propose a simple, five-step, question-oriented approach rooted in daily clinical experiences: observe, ask, reflect, explore, and define.

This method empowers clinicians to transform curiosity into meaningful inquiry as a starting point to engage in research and scholarship. The article also includes a case study illustrating how this approach can be applied in practice, and it emphasizes the value of reflective, practice-based research in enhancing care, sustaining professional interest, and contributing to the broader field of family medicine.

Defining Research and Scholarship at DFM

At the Department of Family Medicine, a broad range of faculty activities occur in clinical practice, teaching, and research, and many of these activities involve forms of scholarship. Over thirty years ago, Boyer (1990; 1996) and Rice (1991) made the case for a broadened understanding of scholarship that would move beyond the polarities of teaching vs. research, and articulated characteristics of scholarship and a framework to summarize its domains. The Boyer framework allows for an expansive and inclusive understanding of scholarly activity in the DFM and can be used to promote rigor and the value and use of our academic contributions.

In the table below, we have adapted Boyer’s scholarship framework to present four domains of scholarship, a description of each, and examples of activities that are relevant to our academic setting. The forms of scholarship are distinct but interrelated. Activities can be overlapping, but taken all together, the domains form a conceptual whole.

Domain	Description	Example Activities
Discovery What is to be known?	Original and specialized research, advancement of new knowledge, investigative	Test hypotheses using data Generate new knowledge and understanding Develop and refine methods Lead research initiatives
Integration How to make meaning, interpret and reinterpret findings to advance knowledge?	Synthesizing information across disciplines, illuminating facts and findings in larger contexts, patterns, or perspectives; the production of new knowledge requires constant reintegration	Write systematic literature reviews Develop guidelines Write case reports Lead an inter-disciplinary team grant application or publication
Application How can knowledge be applied?	Applying existing knowledge in new ways to contexts internal and external to the academy; dynamic interactions of theory and practice	Translate new knowledge into practice (e.g. quality improvement) Contribute to the development of scientific standards, health-related guidelines, or policies Apply expertise in service of broader community (e.g. peer review, advisory panel)
Teaching How best to teach and inspire?	Scholarship of teaching and learning through rigorous processes (Martin 2007); transforming, transmitting and extending knowledge beyond the classroom; advancement of pedagogy	Create educational content that is peer reviewed and placed in the public domain Develop curricular resources, including tutorial or simulation cases, videos, or web-based modules

In addition to the framework, Boyer established six criteria that define scholarship for the purposes of evaluation (1996). These “standards” of scholarship were further adapted by Glassick (2000), as follows:

Boyer's six criteria

Criteria for Scholarship	Descriptive Questions
Clear goals	Does the scholar state the basic purpose of their work clearly? Does the scholar define objectives that are realistic and achievable? Does the scholar identify important questions in the field?
Adequate preparation	Does the scholar show an understanding of existing scholarship in the field? Does the scholar bring the necessary skills to their work? Does the scholar bring together the resources necessary to move the project forward?
Appropriate methods	Does the scholar use methods appropriate to the goals? Does the scholar apply the methods selected effectively? Does the scholar modify procedures in response to changing circumstances?
Significant results	Does the scholar achieve the goals? Does the scholar’s work add consequentially to the field? Does the scholar’s work open additional areas for further exploration?
Effective presentation	Does the scholar use a suitable style and effective organization to present their work? Does the scholar use appropriate forums for communicating the work to its intended audiences? Does the scholar present their message with clarity and integrity?
Reflective critique	Does the scholar critically evaluate their own work? Does the scholar bring an appropriate breadth of evidence to their critique? Does the scholar use evaluation to improve the quality of future work?

Exploring your path as a clinician-scholar

Researcher trajectories

This section of the TRAction Toolkit showcases examples of primary care research trajectories led by our DFM faculty. These examples highlight a range of scales, methodologies, and topics, illustrating the diverse nature of our research.

We’ve included both DFM-funded projects that secured further funding and publications, as well as larger initiatives that progressed from early-stage pilots to full-scale studies. Our goal is to demonstrate the evolution of research projects and the various stages they undergo—from initial concept to broader impact.

Watch Henry Siu share his journey as a researcher in the Department of Family Medicine. From starting with a small pilot study to leading large-scale implementation projects in long-term care, Henry reflects on the lessons learned, the importance of asking the right questions, and the value of collaboration and taking risks.

Research and Scholarship Opportunities

The Department of Family Medicine offers a wide range of experiential learning opportunities to support faculty in engaging with research and scholarship. These opportunities span from early exposure and collaboration to more advanced roles in leading projects and mentoring others. Whether you’re interested in contributing to existing initiatives, developing your own research ideas, or expanding your scholarly impact, there are many ways to get involved.

We invite you to explore the tiers below to identify your current stage and take the next step in your research journey.

Tier 1: Getting Started

Participate in relationship-building and networking events
- Attend research and scholarship conferences or workshops (e.g. DFM Conference, Trillium, NAPCRG, AFHTO, ICAM, FMF, CAHSPR)
- Join or start a scholarship interest group or journal club
Use self-guided tools and resources to develop your scholarly ideas and skills
- DFM resources: TRAction: A Toolkit for Research in Action, monthly Research Knowledge and Skill Builder sessions, DFM Research website and newsletter
- Other resources: Health Sciences Library, Sherman Centre for Digital Scholarship, Canadian Primary Care Research Network, HDRN
Seek out a research and scholarship mentor whose interest aligns with yours
Join a research team as a team member or co-investigator
- Consult with colleagues or DFM Research staff to learn about research projects that align with your skills or interests
- Contribute as a co-author to scholarly work (e.g. publication, conference submission, infographic)
- Complete required training for investigators; review Good Clinical Practice Training from Health Research Services
Curate your profile as a DFM researcher: update your McMaster Experts profile, set up your ORCID ID
Request a research and scholarship consultation through the Research Advice Cafe
Apply to the DFM Research Fund to initiate your own small project
- Apply through the Letter of Intent stream to receive support with proposal development and join a community of practice for new researchers
Become an Inquiry tutor to support residents in learning foundational tools for scholarship, including literature reviews, critical appraisal, and designing a good question

Tier 2: Advancing Your Research Skills

All opportunities in Tier 1, plus:

Apply for mid-sized grants (FMA, PSI, HAHSO) to build on past scholarship; include experienced Primary Investigators on your team
Pursue research-based courses (e.g. Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster Continuing Education, open-online courses) to enhance skills; consider completing courses as part of a microcredential, graduate degree, diploma, or as one-off opportunities for learning
Take a leadership role on one project component within a larger research team
Apply for clinical release time to conduct research (e.g. sabbatical or other opportunities available in your clinical setting)
Join a grant review committee as a mentee or in a shadow role (e.g., DFM Fund, DFM FMA Grant, HAHSO)

Act as a reviewer for journal articles, under the mentorship of an experienced reviewer

Tier 3: Leading and Mentoring

All opportunities in Tiers 1 and 2, plus:

Lead a larger research project; consider leading a sub-project within an established DFM program of research to increase support
Apply for multi-year funding
Publish research protocol or original research as lead author or co-author
Become a mentor to Faculty new to research or students (undergraduate, graduate, practicum students)\
Conduct peer reviews for journals
Participate on grant review committee (e.g., DFM Fund, DFM FMA Grant, HAHSO)

Researcher Resources and Tools

Faculty at the Department of Family Medicine have access to a wide range of research supports—many of which are available at no cost. These resources are designed to help you engage in research and scholarship more effectively, whether you’re exploring an idea, developing a project, or preparing for publication.

From software and librarian support to consultations, funding opportunities, and secure data tools, these offerings are intended to reduce barriers and enhance your capacity to contribute to primary care research.

We invite you to explore the resources below to identify what’s available to support your work in research and scholarship.

Contact dfmresearch@mcmaster.ca for assistance with any of the following, see our website: Research Supports and Funding – Family Medicine

Free from McMaster

Microsoft 365
Endnote software for literature review
Covidence software for systematic review
Zoom
Access to a Health Sciences librarian for literature searching
Agreements with publishers to waive Article Processing Fees. Search the McMaster Open Access Publishing Journal Search Tool to find waivers and discounts to publish open access
Scite.ai: Use an AI software to help with quick reviews of the literature

Free from the Department of Family Medicine

Research Advice Café: 1 hour consultations about research ideas, ethics, methods and knowledge translation with our Research Staff Support Team.
TRAction Toolkit: an open source toolkit for conducting primary care research
Research Knowledge and Skill Builders: monthly webinars presented by DFM faculty and staff
Software
- REDCap software for secure quantitative data collection and management
- Access to SPSS or NVivo software on a laptop available for loan
Meeting rooms and office space on the 5th floor, DBHSC, 100 Main Street West, Hamilton

Resources for DFM Faculty Members by Application

DFM Fund: annual competition for $5000-$10,000 2-year grants (FMA and community physicians)
FMA Fund: annual competition for $100,000 grant for 2 years (FMA members only)
Open Access Funding: limited funds available by application to cover publication fees
Research staff support for short-term projects on a cost recovery basis (grant applications, literature review)

DFM Guidelines for Researchers

Below are important departmental guidelines for researchers. Contact dfmresearch@mcmaster.ca with any questions about these guidelines.

DFM Conflict of Interest Policy
Authorship Guidelines
Considerations for Engaging Students in Research
DFM Confidentiality for Researchers
DFM Guide to Submitting an Ethics Application – this page requires a request to access; contact dfmresearch@mcmaster.ca

Works Consulted

Boyer, E. L. (1990). Scholarship reconsidered: Priorities of the professoriate. Princeton University Press.

Boyer, E. L. (1996). From scholarship reconsidered to scholarship assessed. Quest, 48(2), 129-139.

Glassick, C. E. (2000). Boyer’s expanded definitions of scholarship, the standards for assessing scholarship, and the elusiveness of the scholarship of teaching. Academic Medicine, 75(9), 877-880.

Martin, L. (2007, Summer). Defining the scholarship of teaching versus scholarly teaching. STLHE Newsletter, 46.

Rice, R. E. (1991). The new American scholar. Metropolitan Universities,1(4), 7-18.