Student research: can recent research governance developments help?

It is well documented that research capacity within the therapy professions is underdeveloped and that opportunities to engage in research training must be therefore be created and seized (Department of Health 1994, Ilott and Bury 2002, Healey and Jenkins 2009). Over the last decade the development of bureaucratic research governance procedures has had a negative impact on research education and training; largely due to the difficulties associated with gaining the necessary permissions and approvals to conduct research within tight academic timeframes (Corr et al 2006). Recent research governance developments have aimed to correct this and make the research process more accessible (Pettican and Bostock 2009). These developments are presented and analysed below for their potential to enable pre-registration student research