Evidence Based Practice Module 3

What does dissemination mean in research?

Sharing research findings with other people so the information reaches researchers, clinicians, and other audiences.

Dissemination = spread the research.

What is a manuscript?

The written version of a research study prepared for publication in a professional or scientific journal.

Manuscript = written research paper.

What is a platform presentation?

An oral presentation where a researcher presents findings to an audience, usually using slides.

Platform = talk + slides.

What is a concurrent presentation?

A presentation occurring at the same time as other conference sessions.

Concurrent = multiple sessions running together.

What is a poster presentation?

Research displayed visually on a poster so attendees review the study and discuss it with the researcher.

Poster = research on display.

What is an e-poster?

An electronic version of a research poster displayed digitally instead of on a printed poster.

E-poster = digital poster

What does IMRaD stand for?

Introduction
Methods
Results
Discussion

I Made Research Data = IMRaD.

What are the major sections you should recognize in a research paper?

Title
Abstract
Introduction
Methods
Results
Discussion/Conclusion.

What is the purpose of a research paper title?

Clearly describe what the study is about using important keywords.

What information might appear in a research title?

Topic
Variables
Population or sample
Methodology
Sometimes a suggestion of the findings.

What should you ask when reading a title?

What was studied?
Who was studied?
What type of study might this be?

What is the abstract?

A short summary of the research paper.

It summarizes:
Problem
Methods
Results
Conclusions

Why should you read the abstract?

It helps you quickly decide whether the full paper is relevant enough to read.

What is the purpose of the Introduction?

Explain the research problem and why the study was needed.

What information is usually in the Introduction?

Research problem
Reason for the study
Previous research
Research questions
Hypotheses
General study design

What potential issue should you consider while reading the Introduction?

bias

What is the Methods section?

The section explaining exactly how the study was performed

What information belongs in Methods

Study design
Participants
Procedures
Measurements
Interventions
Data collection
Statistical analysis.

Why should Methods contain a lot of detail?

So another researcher understands how the study was performed and could replicate it.

Which section should you examine closely for potential bias?

Methods

What is the purpose of the Results section?

Present what the researchers found

What often appears in the Results section?

Numbers
Statistical tests
Tables
Figures
Outcome data.

Results vs Discussion?

Results = WHAT was found.

Discussion = WHAT it means.

What is the purpose of the Discussion?

Interpret the study findings and explain their meaning.

What does the Discussion connect the findings back to?

Research question
Previous literature
Clinical meaning
Study implications.

Why should you read the Discussion critically?

The authors are interpreting their own findings, so their conclusions need to match the actual results.

What does Introduction answer?

WHY was the study done?

What does Methods answer?

HOW was the study done?

What does Results answer?

WHAT did they find?

What does Discussion answer?

WHAT do the findings mean?

Why might a clinician read a research paper?

Stay current
Answer a PICO question
Support research
Perform critical appraisal
Inform practice or policy
Find additional references.

How should you read if you only want a quick overview?

Skim:
Title
Abstract
Conclusion

How should you read when answering a PICO question?

Use PICO to decide relevance, then focus closely on Methods and Results.

How should you read for clinical application?

Internal validity
External validity
Population
Intervention
Outcomes.

How should you read when critically appraising a paper?

Examine:
Methodology
Sample size
Statistics
Biases.

How should you read when writing a literature review?

Focus more closely on the Introduction and Discussion to identify themes and research gaps

Why does reading a research paper take multiple passes?

You first determine relevance, then return for increasingly detailed evaluation.

Do not read every word from beginning to end on the first pass.

What are the major research approaches emphasized in Module 3?

Quantitative
Qualitative
Mixed methods

What is survey research?

Research describing the current status of a topic or group.

What might survey research measure?

Preferences
Attitudes
Opinions
Current behaviors
Current characteristics

What does “bounded” mean in a case study?

The study focuses on a defined person, situation, group, program, setting, or issue

What is correlational research?

Research measuring the relationship between variables.

What statistic represents the relationship in correlational research?

Correlation coefficient

What range does a correlation coefficient have?

-1 to +1.

What does a correlation of 0 indicate?

No relationship.

What type of validity is usually high in efficacy research?

Internal validity.

Which research paper section helps you evaluate internal validity most?

Methods

What does “prospectively assigned” mean?

Researchers assign the intervention and then follow participants forward to evaluate outcomes.

What are the 3 trial types listed in the slides?

Therapeutic
Diagnostic
Preventive

What is a therapeutic trial?

trial examining the effect of a treatment or intervention on a disease or condition.

What is a diagnostic trial?

A trial examining the accuracy of a test used to identify a disease state

What is a preventive trial?

A trial testing whether a procedure or agent reduces the risk of developing a disease.

What is an explanatory trial?

A highly controlled trial testing whether an intervention works under ideal conditions.

Explanatory = efficacy = ideal.

What is a pragmatic trial?

A more flexible trial testing how an intervention works under real-world condition

Pragmatic = effectiveness = real life.

What is one problem with TOO MUCH experimental control?

It might reduce generalizability to actual clinical practice.

Why would a PT take repeated measurements?

To document whether the patient's condition is changing or progressin

What does it mean to assign a variable a level?

Assign a participant to a specific value, category, or label for that variable

What are the 4 levels of measurement?

Nominal
Ordinal
Interval
Ratio

NOIR

What is nominal data?

Categories or labels with no meaningful order.

Nominal = NAME only.

What is a dichotomous variable?

A nominal variable with exactly TWO levels

Di = 2

What is ordinal data?

Categories that have a meaningful order or rank.

Ordinal = ORDER

What is interval data?

Numerical data with ordered values and equal intervals, but no true zero.

Interval = equal INTERVALS, no true zero.

What is ratio data?

Numerical data with:
Order
Equal intervals
A true zero.

Ratio = REAL zero.