The Researching Therapist: A Practical Guide to Planning, Performing, and Communicating Research.

The Researching Therapist: A Practical Guide to Planning, Performing, and Communicating Research

Jenkins S, Price CJ, Straker L. New York NY 10011, Churchill Livingstone Inc: 1998, paperback, 206 pages, illus, $14.95.

In the foreword, the authors state that "few practitioners are in a position to really know whether the treatments they so enthusiastically support are truly effective. Indeed, many recent studies have cast substantial doubt on time-honoured treatment practices.... It is certainly time for there to be an even greater focus on research in the therapies." In response to this situation, the authors wrote this book "for use by practising therapists wishing to evaluate aspects of their clinical practice."

Using this philosophy as a guide, the authors have written a practical book for physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech pathologists who wish to conduct clinically related research but find the task formidable or foreign. The book is organized into 4 sections that cover the research process from developing an idea to communicating the results through presentation at scientific meetings or publication. The first section is simply an introduction to the process, and it outlines what will be covered in the remainder of the book. Section 2 deals with research planning, from the creation of a plausible question to developing a formal research proposal. Topics that other texts often overlook, such as research ethics, applying for research funds, and presenting the proposal to an audience, are also discussed. The third section discusses practical issues related to conducting the research. The authors have included such topics as how to work in a team situation, how to utilize outside experts, how to manage time, and how to ensure the quality of the data that are collected. The final section covers what I would call the mechanics of how to communicate research results to others. In a series of 10 chapters, the authors cover topics related to scientific writing style, how to deal with authorship, and what constitutes a journal article versus what constitutes a thesis. There is also a chapter concerning the best ways to use tables, graphics and figures in a research paper to communicate your results. Finally, this section covers attendance at scientific conferences, including how to prepare a poster presentation for a conference and how to chair a session. These topics are rarely discussed in texts on research design, and yet they are extremely important for the novice, especially if an experienced mentor is not readily available.

The book is intended to be a practical guide for therapists to conduct clinically relevant research; and, to this extent, it fulfills its purpose. The emphasis of the book is very different from that of most texts on research design. It covers what I would call the "nuts-and-bolts" issues of doing research and, more importantly, the "culture" of research. Both of these are usually taught in a very informal manner (and not always completely) by a researcher's advisor or mentor. Those individuals who do not have an advisor or mentor or who find themselves in a less-than-ideal situation will find this book very useful and enlightening. The neophyte to research and its culture will also find the book worthwhile. On the other hand, the seasoned researcher will probably find that the sections dealing with the preparation of good-quality slides or posters to be of the most benefit.

Mark W Cornwall, PhD, PT CPed Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, Ariz

Dr Cornwall is Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and Co-Director of the Gait Research Laboratory. His research interests are in biomechanics and the foot and ankle.