Rehabilitation Research: Principles and Applications

Written to help rehabilitation students and professionals change and improve their practices on the basis of the evidence, this edition provides a practical framework for understanding and applying the systematic process of research. Highlighting both traditional research methods and emerging approaches, this book keeps the reader apprised of the current and future focus of rehabilitation research and emphasizes the importance of the joint effort of the producers and consumers of research. It uses straightforward language and relevant examples to capture the diversity and complexity of research that is of interest to rehabilitation professionals.

4th edition due September 2010, and can be found under Carter: Rehabilitation Research 4e.

• Provides a solid grounding in traditional research design and analysis and an introduction to emerging research topics, all in the context of physical therapy research
• Covers outcomes research, epidemiology, qualitative design, single-system design, case reports, survey research, and the data analysis techniques used with these research approaches
• Each chapter is supported with a wide variety of contemporary and classic references, for those readers who require more details on a particular topic

• Unique contributions from an interdisciplinary team representing physical therapy and athletic training, speech language pathology, and occupational therapy
• A new chapter on Synthesizing Bodies of Evidence provides ways and reasons to synthesize the literature
• More social science and educational research techniques and tools to reflect the variety of ways that different authors conceptualize function across the studies cited in this edition
• Increased emphasis on randomized controlled trials and evidence-based practice
• Expanded glossary with more than 150 new words
• Valuable additions added to the chapter on locating the literature

I. RESEARCH FUNDAMENTALS
1. Rehabilitation Research
Definitions of Research
Reasons for Developing Rehabilitation
Research
Barriers to Rehabilitation Research
Status of Rehabilitation Research
2. Theory in Rehabilitation Research
Relationships Among Theory, Research,
and Practice
Definitions of Theory
Scope of Theory
Evaluating Theory
3. Research Ethics
Boundaries Between Practice and
Research
Moral Principles of Action
Informed Consent
Research Codes of Ethics
Research Risks

II. RESEARCH DESIGN
4. Research Problems, Questions, and Hypotheses
Developing Answerable Research
Questions
Criteria for Evaluating Research Problems
5. Research Paradigms
Quantitative Paradigm
Qualitative Paradigm
Single-System Paradigm
Relationships Among the Research
Paradigms
6. Design Overview
Identification of Variables
Design Dimensions
Control
7. Research Validity
Internal Validity
Construct Validity
External Validity
Relationships Among Types of Validity
8. Selection and Assignment of Participants
Significance of Sampling and Assignment
Populations and Samples
Probability Sampling
Nonprobability Sampling
Assignment to Groups
Sample Size

III. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGNS
9. Group Designs
Randomized Controlled Trials
Single-Factor Experimental Designs
Multiple-Factor Experimental Designs
10. Single-System Design
Problems with Group Designs
Characteristics of Single-System Designs
Single-System Designs
Limitations of Single-System Designs

IV. NONEXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH
11. Overview of Nonexperimental Research
Description
Analysis of Relationships
Analysis of Differences
12. Clinical Case Reports
Contributions of Case Reports to Theory
and Practice
Purposes of Case Reports
Format of Case Reports
13. Qualitative Research
Assumptions of the Qualitative Paradigm
Qualitative Designs
Qualitative Methods
14. Epidemiology
Ratios, Proportions, and Rates
Screening and Diagnosis
Nonexperimental Epidemiological
Designs
15. Outcomes Research
Purpose of Outcomes Research
Frameworks for Outcomes Research
Measurement Tools for Outcomes
Research
Design Issues for Outcomes Research
16. Survey Research
Scope of Survey Research
Types of Information
Types of Items
Implementation Overview
Mailed Surveys
Internet Surveys
Interview Surveys

V. MEASUREMENT
17. Measurement Theory
Definitions of Measurement
Scales of Measurement
Types of Variables
Statistical Foundations of Measurement
Theory
Measurement Frameworks
Measurement Reliability
Measurement Validity
Responsiveness to Change
18. Methodological Research
Reliability Designs
Validity Designs
Responsiveness Design

VI. DATA ANALYSIS
19. Statistical Reasoning
Data Set
Frequency Distribution
Central Tendency
Variability
Normal Distribution
Sampling Distribution
Significant Difference
Errors
Power
Statistical Conclusion Validity
20. Statistical Analysis of Differences: The Basics
Distributions for Analysis of Differences
Assumptions of Tests of Differences
Independence or Dependence of Samples
Steps in the Statistical Testing of
Differences
Statistical Analysis of Differences
21. Statistical Analysis of Differences: Advanced and Special Techniques
Advanced ANOVA Techniques
Differences Between More Than One Independent Variable
Analysis of Single-System Designs
Survival Analysis
Hypothesis Testing with Confidence Intervals
Power Analysis
22. Statistical Analysis of Relationships: The Basics
Correlation
Linear Regression
23. Statistical Analysis of Relationships: Advanced and Special Techniques
Reliability Analysis
Multiple Regression
Logistic Regression
Discriminant Analysis
Factor Analysis

VII. BEING A CONSUMER
24. Locating the Literature
Types of Information
Types of Professional Literature
Focused Literature Search
Ongoing Literature Search
Obtaining Literature Items
25. Evaluating Evidence One Article at a Time
Elements of a Research Article
Guidelines for Discussing Published
Research
Generic Evaluation of Original Research
Studies
Generic Evaluation of Review Articles
Structured Evaluation by Clinical
Research Issues
Evaluation of Levels of Evidence
Evaluation of Randomized Controlled
Trials
26. Synthesizing Bodies of Evidence
Reasons to Synthesize the Literature
Ways to Synthesize the Literature
Preparing for a Systematic Review
Synthesizing the Literature
Reporting on Systematic Reviews

VIII. IMPLEMENTING RESEARCH
27. Implementing a Research Project
Proposal Preparation
Human Participants Protection
Funding
Obtaining Participants
Data Collection
Data Analysis
28. Publishing and Presenting Research
Publication of Research
Presentation of Research

Appendices
A. Random Numbers Table
B. Areas in One Tail of the Standard
Normal Curve
C. Questions for Narrative Evaluation of a
Research Article
D. Basic Guidelines for Preparing a
Journal Article Manuscript
E. AMA Style: Sample Manuscript for a
Hypothetical Study
F. APA Style: Sample Manuscript for a
Hypothetical Study
G. Effect of Initial Arc of CPM on Motion
and Function Following TKA
Glossary