Reading Research. A User-Friendly Guide for Health Professionals. Edition No. 7

Table of Contents

1 Introduction

Why Read Research Articles?

Some Friendly Advice About Reading Research Articles

Check Out the Reader's Companion Worksheets

2 Easy Steps for Reading Research

Title Abstract

Introduction

Theory Issues

Methods

Design

Part 1: Qualitative Design Methods

Rigour in Qualitative Studies

Sample and Setting

Data Collection

Data Analysis and Results

Part 2: Quantitative Design Methods

Experimental Designs

Non-Experimental Designs

Rigour in Quantitative Studies

Sample

Data Collection

How to Judge the Rigour of a Data Collection Tool

Sensitivity and Specificity

Data Analysis and Results

Descriptive Statistics

Inferential Statistics

Part 3: Mixed Methods Research

Mixed Methods Study Characteristics

Mixed Methods Data Collection and Analysis

Results and Discussion

A Final Suggestion: The Acknowledgements

3 Finding Interesting Research Results

Where and How to Start

Define Your Clinical Question

Steps in Constructing a PICO Chart

Search a Database for Relevant Research

Search Terms

How Far Back Should You Search?

Review Articles

How to Read the Fictional Forest Plot Depicting a Meta-Analysis

Appraising Reviews

Searching the Internet for Research Articles

Peer Review

A Cautionary Note About Predatory or Fake Journals on the Internet

How Will I Know If a Journal Is Fake?

Why Should I Be Concerned If the Paper Is Published in a Predatory Journal

Web Portals

Other Types of Databases

Keeping Up to Date

Social Media: Facebook

4 Using Research Results

Research Utilization

The Questions to Ask

Clinical Practice Guidelines

Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation

Practice Guideline Websites

The Decision to Use Research Results

Gathering Support and Resources

Want to Learn More?

Bibliography

Glossary

Journals That Publish Peer-Reviewed Research

Worksheets

1. Qualitative Research: The Reader's Companion Worksheet

2. Quantitative Research: The Reader's Companion Worksheet

3. Mixed Methods Research: The Reader's Companion

Worksheet

4. Systematic Reviews: The Reader's Companion Worksheet

5. Using Research Results: The Reader's Companion

Worksheet

Authors

Barbara Davies School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON. Barbara Davies, RN, PhD, FCAHS is a professor emeritus at the University of Ottawa, School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, and has taught research methods in undergraduate and graduate programs. She was the co-director of the Nursing Best Practice Research Centre for 9 years and Vice-Dean Research for the Faculty of Health Sciences. She received a Premier's Research Excellence Award from the Ministry of Enterprise, Opportunity and Innovation, of Ontario, Canada. She is a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. Her research program aims to increase the translation and uptake of evidence into practice for frontline health care workers, decision makers, and consumers. She is actively involved in the development, implementation, evaluation, and sustainability of best practice guidelines in nursing and health care. Jo Logan School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON. Jo Logan, RN, PhD, is an adjunct professor at the University of Ottawa, School of Nursing, where she taught in the undergraduate and graduate programs. She is an affiliate member of the Ottawa Health Research Institute. Her research interests include evidence-based practice and supportive care. She is co-developer of the Ottawa Model of Research Use, which has been used in many research and clinical projects and has been described in numerous articles and book chapters. She has presented many workshops on professional practice and research use and was a director of Nursing Research, Education, and Quality Improvement at the Ottawa Civic Hospital.