Some information is adapted from an FAQ on the Brooks Rehabilitation Research website.
Finding Research
What is research?
The Oxford English Dictionary defines research (n.) as:
Systematic investigation or inquiry aimed at contributing to knowledge of a theory, topic, etc., by careful consideration, observation, or study of a subject. In later use also: original critical or scientific investigation carried out under the auspices of an academic or other insitution.
Oxford English Dictionary
In colloquial terms, research is at least one person trying to gather information about something. In rehabilitation, this often includes scientists, clinicians, and participants working together to explore therapeutic strategies.
What are clinical trials?
Clinical trials are a subset of research. Per the National Institute of Health, clinical trials are studies where one or more participants are assigned to interventions (which may include placebo or controls) to evaluate the effects of those interventions on health-related biomedical or behavioral outcomes.
Why is research important?
Research studies generate new knowledge, and advance and improve the science, technology, and care for individuals receiving rehabilitation services now and in the future.
Top tips for finding quality research
- Look for reputable sources (e.g. NIH, WHO, PubMed)
- If a study is cited in a news article, it should link to the original publication so you can see whether it was a reputable, peer-reviewed source
Some sources of reputable research:
How to read and interpret research
What does each section of a published study usually include?
Research publications typically follow a standardized format: abstract, background, methods, results, discussion, and conclusions. Each section can be generalized to include the following:
- Abstract. This is a summary of the article and gives a brief overview of the other sections in the paper. Typically, the abstract is always free to read (even if the publication is behind a paywall).
- Introduction and Review of Literature. This section provides the background and context for the study that was completed. Typically, authors will justify why their study was necessary by highlighting a gap in the current literature and practice.
- Method. The researcher will provide step-by-step instructions on the participants and how they completed the study.
- Results. The detailed results of the method. Typically, this section contains tables and figures to display the reported statistics.
- Discussion and Conclusion. In this section, the author interprets the results. They may also discuss the strengths and limitations of the study and directions for future research.
A printable PDF summary of these sections created by the APA can be found here.
Roadmap to reading research
A research study can be a daunting read. If you’d like a different roadmap to reading a published study that may be more digestible, read it in the following order:
- Abstract
- Introduction
- Discussion
- Methods
- Results
- Conclusion