Friday 17 June 2016

Understanding Research Methods


Whether you're critically appraising a journal article or undertaking your own research project, having a good grasp of the research methods used in healthcare is an essential skill.

And the Library has lots of resources to help. Here are some top recommendations;


Introduction to research in the health sciences  - gives a good overview of health research methods including a glossary of terms.











The Oxford Handbook of Clinical and Healthcare Research  - likewise gives a very thorough introduction with a stronger clinical focus.











The Research Process in Nursing - is one of the most popular books we have. Chapter 7 (8 in the latest edition) provides a good starting point for critically appraising studies.








Research Methods for Nursing and Healthcare - provides more detail of the different methodologies.









Searching StarPlus for the particular research method you're interested in will also help you to find further resources.

There are also lots of free online resources you can use. For critical appraisal try using the following checklists;

http://www.sign.ac.uk/methodology/checklists.html