ABSTRACT
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) 1 is now a major part of the healthcare system in all advanced societies. 2 It is also a common part of discourse in medicine and healthcare. This growth of interest has only partially been matched by academic study of it. Indeed, over recent years there has been an increasing recognition that CAM is essentially under-researched (House of Lords 2000). However, with this recognition has come an increasing concentration on a particular form of research – that geared towards the production of an evidence base and/or an immediate relevance to policy and practice.
