1. THE SCIENCE OF WORDS AND THE SCIENCE OF NUMBERS

Introduction

Evidence and evidence-based practice

Research designs: which one?

Ontology and epistemology

Qualitative and quantitative approaches: a comparison

Mixed methods

Research rigour: trustworthiness and reliability/validity

Sampling issues

2. GETTING STARTED: DESIGNING AND PLANNING A RESEARCH PROJECT

Introduction

Designing research

The research process

Research problems and research questions

Literature review

3. WHAT IS ETHICAL RESEARCH?

Introduction

Converging principles in medical, health and social care research?

Understanding and applying the principles of ethical research

Autonomy

4. THE IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWING METHOD IN HEALTH

Introduction

What is an in-depth interview?

Framework options for the in-depth interview

Questions and in-depth interviews

Types of questions

Doing an in-depth interview: the sequence

Practical issues in doing an interview

5. FOCUS GROUPS IN HEALTH RESEARCH

Introduction

Why choose focus groups as a method of enquiry?

Planning the focus groups

Conducting the focus groups

Developing proficiency in conducting focus groups

6. NARRATIVE ENQUIRY AND HEALTH RESEARCH

Introduction

What is narrative enquiry?

Narrative enquiry method

7. ETHNOGRAPHY AS HEALTH RESEARCH

Introduction

A method with a long pedigree

Ethnography in health settings

Designing an ethnographic study

8. GROUNDED THEORY IN HEALTH RESEARCH

Introduction

The Historical Development of Grounded Theory

Symbolic Interactionism

Common Principles of the Grounded Theory Approach

Theoretical Sensitivity

Theoretical Sampling

Constant Comparative Analysis

Memo Writing

Analytical Coding Procedures in Grounded Theory

Theoretical Saturation

Data Collection in Grounded Theory Research

Objectivist Versus Constructivist Grounded Theory

9. PHENOMENOLOGY AND REHABILITATION RESEARCH

Introduction

Phenomenology

Designing and conducting phenomenological research in rehabilitation practice

Data collection: conducting qualitative interviews

The role of the researcher in phenomenological research

The data analysis process

Strategies of rigour

Contribution to evidence-based practice

10. CLINICAL DATA-MINING AS PRACTICE-BASED EVIDENCE

Introduction

Data-mining: definition

Context for its use

Comparison with other research methods

Clinical data-mining: its advantages and drawbacks

Clinical data-mining: the process

Clinical data-mining: a case study

11. MEASURE TWICE, CUT ONCE: RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY OF CLINICAL MEASUREMENT TOOLS

Introduction

How do we measure?

How are assessment tools developed?

Psychometric (measurement) properties

Criteria for selecting tests and measures in research and practice

Criteria for evaluating studies that examine the measurement properties of a tool

12. SINGLE-SUBJECT EXPERIMENTAL DESIGNS IN HEALTH RESEARCH

Introduction

Are RCTs and group designs always the designs of choice?

What are single-subject experimental designs?

When did SSEDs develop? Are they a popular design? Are they considered powerful?

Types of SSEDs

Analysis of SSED data

13. SURVEYS AND QUESTIONNAIRES IN HEALTH RESEARCH

Introduction

Why do we use surveys and questionnaires?

What are the main survey designs?

How is measurement theory applied to survey research?

How are surveys designed?

Survey format

How are survey questions constructed?

How are surveys administered?

14. HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT WE KNOW? EPIDEMIOLOGY IN HEALTH RESEARCH

Introduction

The who, the where and the when

Observational studies: descriptive versus analytical epidemiology

Population health data

15. CLINICAL TRIALS: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

Introduction

Good trials versus bad trials

Randomised controlled trials

Issues that affect the internal validity of a randomised trial

Issues that affect the external validity of a randomised trial

Reporting RCTs

Assessing the quality of clinical trials

16. EVIDENCE-BASED HEALTH CARE

Introduction

Defining ‘evidence’

Evidence-based practice

Misconceptions of EBP

Appraising clinical guidelines

Implementing EBP: issues, strategies and using audit for implementation

17. EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE IN THERAPEUTIC HEALTH CARE

Introduction

Evidence hierarchies and evidence quality

Current practice

Therapy case study

Diagnosis case study

18. METASYNTHESIS IN HEALTH CARE RESEARCH

The ‘what’ of metasynthesis

The ‘why’ of metasynthesis

The ‘how’ of metasynthesis

19. EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS

Introduction

A step-by-step guide to conducting  a systematic review

20. INTEGRATED METHODS IN HEALTH RESEARCH

Introduction

Integrated approaches

Ontological integration

Epistemological integration

Sampling

Design

Analysis, display, interpretation and synthesis of results

21. THE USE OF MIXED METHODS IN HEALTH RESEARCH

Introduction

Different types of mixed methods

Why use mixed methods?

Critical appraisal of mixed methods studies

A case study: exploring reasons why women do not use breast screening

Challenges and terrors of mixing methods

In conclusion or inconclusion?

Pranee Liamputtong is a Professor of Public Health, Dean's Unit with the School of Science and Health at Western Sydney University

Contributors:

Karen Anderson is a lecturer in public health at La Trobe University.

Terese Bondas is a Professor of Nursing Science at Faculty of Professional Studies, University of Nordland, Norway and Adjunct Professor (Methods of Health Research), University of Eastern Finland.

Christine Carpenter current research initiatives are focused on the long-term experience and quality of life issues involved with living with a disability or chronic condition.

Megan Davidson is an associate professor and Head of the Department of Physiotherapy at La Trobe University.

Patricia Davidson is professor and Director of the Cardiovascular and Chronic Care Centre in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Curtin University of Technology.

Priscilla Ennals is a lecturer in occupational therapy and researcher within the Living with Disability Research Centre at La Trobe University.

Deirdre Fetherstonhaugh is the Acting Director of the Australian Centre for Evidence Based Aged Care (ACEBAC) at La Trobe University.

Annemarie Gallichio (formerly Nevill) is a Lecturer with the School of Health and Social Development, Deakin University.

Leila Gholizadeh is a lecturer at the University of Technology, Sydney.

Melissa Graham is a senior lecturer in epidemiology and health research methods at Deakin University.

Carol Grbich is a professor in the School of Medicine at Flinders University.

Susan Greaves is Senior Occupational Therapist (Neurodevelopment) at the Royal Children’s Hospital.

Elizabeth Halcomb is an Associate Professor at the University of Western Sydney in the School of Nursing & Midwifery.

Elisabeth O.C. Hall is professor emerita in clinical nursing and connected to Department of Nursing Science, School of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.

Linsey Howie is an adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy in the School of Allied Health, La Trobe University.

Ross Iles is a Senior Lecturer  in the Department of Physiotherapy at Monash University.

Christine Imms’ research encompasses intervention effectiveness and outcome measurement for children.

Christine Forrester-Knauss is a research fellow in the Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Bern and at the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute in Basel, Switzerland.

Karl B. Landorf is a Senior Lecturer and Research Coordinator within the Podiatry Department at La Trobe University.

Rhonda Nay is Professor of Interdisciplinary Aged Care at La Trobe University ; Director of the Victorian and Tasmanian Dementia Training Studies Centre; Director of the Institute for Social Participation and a partner in the Dementia Collaborative Research Centre 3.

David Nilsson is a lecturer in the School of Social Work and Social Policy at La Trobe University.

Paul O’Halloran is a health psychologist and a senior lecturer, who lectures in research methods at La Trobe University.

Jane Pierson is a lecturer in the School of Public Health at La Trobe University

Priscilla Pyett is an associate professor with over 20 years’ experience as a sociologist and health researcher working with collaborative methodologies.

Paul Ramcharan is Senior Lecturer in Disability Studies, RMIT University in Melbourne.

Helen Rawson is a Research Fellow in Deakin University's School of Nursing and Midwifery and the Centre for Nursing Research Deakin University and Monash Health Partnership.

Miranda Rose is a Senior Research Fellow in the School of Human Communication Sciences at La Trobe University, and an Australian Research Council Future Fellow.

Margot Schofield is Professor of Counselling and Psychotherapy in the School of Public Health and Human Biosciences at La Trobe University, Melbourne, and Head of the Department of Counselling and Psychological Health.

Tanya Serry is a speech pathologist, lecturer and researcher at La Trobe University.

Nora Shields is an associate professor in the Department of Physiotherapy at La Trobe University.

Virginia Schmied is Professor of Midwifery and Director of Research in the School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Western Sydney and she holds a Visiting Professorship at University of Central Lancashire (UK).

Anke van der Sterren is completing her PhD on Indigenous models of public health.

Ann Taket is Professor of Health and Social Exclusion and Director of the Centre for Health through Action on Social Exclusion (CHASE) at Deakin University.

Peter Waples-Crowe is a Koori with over 20 years’ experience working in Aboriginal health and is currently a Team Leader at the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation.

Anita Wikberg is a Senior Lecturer in Health Care at Novia University of Applied Sciences, Finland.

Jon Willis is an Associate Professor and Director of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit at the University of Queensland, Australia.

Margaret Winbolt is a Senior Research Fellow in the Australian Centre for Evidence Based Aged Care, La Trobe University.

Pauline Wong is a lecturer in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at La Trobe University, Australia.

The following resources are available for lecturers using Research Methods in Health, third edition:

• Image gallery including figures, tables, diagrams from the text
• Instructor’s Manual to assist lecturers and tutors in implementing the book in their course
• Test bank of multiple choice and short answer questions

Read a sample from Research Methods in Health, third edition:

Chapter 1: The Science of Words and the Science of Numbers