Data Collection in Dental Research: A Practitioner's Guide.

This article provides a detailed tutorial on best practices for data collection in dental research, focusing on three key elements: determining a specific research aim, designing the data-collection process, and documenting the process thoroughly. Using a hypothetical study comparing treatments for peri-implantitis, it illustrates how to formulate a clear, measurable aim; design a study that addresses ethical considerations, sample size, and randomization to minimize bias; and create well-structured data-collection sheets suitable for analysis. The article emphasizes the importance of validating data to identify errors without discarding valid outliers and advocates for comprehensive documentation, including a data dictionary (or key), to ensure reproducibility and clarity for future reference. Templates accompanying the article support researchers in applying these principles to their own dental research projects.