Background The importance of correlational research has been reported in the literature yet few research texts discuss design in any detail.

Aim To discuss important issues and considerations in correlational research, and suggest ways to avert potential problems during the preparation and application of the design.

Discussion: This article targets the gap identified in the literature regarding correlational research design. Specifically, it discusses the importance and purpose of correlational research, its application, analysis and interpretation with contextualisations to nursing and health research.

Conclusion: Findings from correlational research can be used to determine prevalence and relationships among variables, and to forecast events from current data and knowledge. In spite of its many uses, prudence is required when using the methodology and analysing data. To assist researchers in reducing mistakes, important issues are singled out for discussion and several options put forward for analysing data.

Implications for practice Correlational research is widely used and this paper should be particularly useful for novice nurse researchers. Furthermore, findings generated from correlational research can be used, for example, to inform decision-making, and to improve or initiate health-related activities or change.