scholarly journals Evaluating the evidence in evidence-based policy and practice: Examples from systematic reviews of literature

2017 ◽  
Vol 102 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beng Huat See
Keyword(s):  
Research Evidence ◽  
Quality Criteria ◽  
Quality Of Education ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Biased Reporting ◽  
Quality Of Research ◽  
Minimum Quality

With the push for evidence-informed policy and practice, schools and policy makers are now increasingly encouraged and supported to use and enagage with research evidence. This means that consumers of research will now need to be discerning in judging the quality of research evidence that will inform their decisions. This paper evaluates the quality of evidence behind some well-known education programmes using examples from previous reviews of over 5,000 studies on a range of topics. It shows that much of the evidence is weak, and fundamental flaws in research are not uncommon. This is a serious problem if teaching practices and important policy decisions are made based on such flawed evidence. Lives may be damaged and opportunities missed. The aim of this paper is to show how widespread this problem is and to suggest ways by which the quality of education research may be improved. For example, funders of research and research bodies need to insist on quality research and fund only those that meet the minimum quality criteria. Journal editors and reviewers need to be cognizant of fundamental flaws in research and reject such submissions. One way to do this is to encourage submission of the research design and research protocol prior to acceptance, so acceptance or rejection is based on the design and not on the outcomes. This helps prevent publication bias and biased reporting. Individual researchers can improve quality by making it their moral responsibility to be truthful and transparent.

Bringing the best evidence to the point of care

2010 ◽  
pp. 22-27
Author(s):  
Paul P. Glasziou
Keyword(s):  
Patient Care ◽  
Evidence Based Medicine ◽  
Research Evidence ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Clinical Decision ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Based Medicine ◽  
Quality Of Research

You must always be students, learning and unlearning till your life’s end. Joseph Lister Neither our memories nor our textbooks are complete and up to date with all the research relevant to the patients we will see today. The scattering of necessary research across a vast ocean of literature makes it inaccessible at the point of clinical decision. The consequences for patient care have given rise to the discipline of evidence-based medicine (EBM), whose two central concerns are with the quality of research evidence and with its appropriate usage in clinical care....

Evidence-Based Policy in the Real World: A Cautionary View

2018 ◽  
Vol 678 (1) ◽  
pp. 180-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Gamoran
Keyword(s):  
Real World ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
High Quality Evidence ◽  
Growing Body ◽  
Increasing Demand ◽  
Quality Evidence

The evidence movement has attended more to improving the supply of evidence than to increasing demand, so even as rigorous evidence production has increased, the use of evidence remains all too rare. A growing body of research indicates that the quality of relationships between researchers, policy-makers, and intermediaries plays a central role in whether rigorous evidence informs decisions in policy and practice. Creating structures to support such relationships remains a major challenge. Yet even when high-quality evidence is used, the intended benefits may not ensue because of broader challenges in society at large. Consequently, we should temper our expectations for the benefits of evidence-based policymaking, but not give up the effort.

An experience of performing spirometry by trained general practitioners

2020 ◽  
pp. 34-36
Author(s):  
M. A. Pokhaznikova ◽  
E. A. Andreeva ◽  
O. Yu. Kuznetsova
Keyword(s):  
General Practitioners ◽  
Quality Criteria ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Male Gender ◽  
Study Research ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Quality Of Research ◽  
Forced Expiratory Maneuver ◽  
Maximal Effort

The article discusses the experience of teaching and conducting spirometry of general practitioners as part of the RESPECT study (RESearch on the PrEvalence and the diagnosis of COPD and its Tobacco-related aetiology). A total of 33 trained in spirometry general practitioners performed a study of 3119 patients. Quality criteria met 84.1% of spirometric studies. The analysis of the most common mistakes made by doctors during the forced expiratory maneuver is included. The most frequent errors were expiration exhalation of less than 6s (54%), non-maximal effort throughout the test and lack of reproducibility (11.3%). Independent predictors of poor spirogram quality were male gender, obstruction (FEV1 /FVC<0.7), and the center where the study was performed. The number of good-quality spirograms ranged from 96.1% (95% CI 83.2–110.4) to 59.8% (95% CI 49.6–71.4) depending on the center. Subsequently, an analysis of the reasons behind the poor quality of research in individual centers was conducted and the identified shortcomings were eliminated. The poor quality of the spirograms was associated either with the errors of the doctors who undertook the study or with the technical malfunctions of the spirometer.

Stuttering mHealth Applications: A Qualitative Rubric Assessment (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fazwa M. Fadzilah ◽  
Noreen Izza Arshad ◽  
Izuddin Zainal-Abidin ◽  
Hui Min Low ◽  
Ahmad Kamil Mahmood ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Research Evidence ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Standard Form ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Evaluation Instrument ◽  
Collective Effort ◽  
Speech Therapists

BACKGROUND Mobile applications (apps) that offer a variety of techniques to improve stuttering have been flourishing in the digital marketplace. In evidence-based clinical practice, speech therapists will recommend audio-enriched mobile apps to individuals with stuttering problems based on empirical research evidence. Unfortunately, many stuttering mobile apps available in the market are developed without a substantial research base. Hence, speech therapists necessitate a guideline which they could use to assess the quality of a stuttering mobile app before recommending the app to stutterers. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study is to develop a rubric for assessing the quality of the stuttering mobile app in assisting speech therapists to make informed recommendations METHODS The rubric was initially developed based on a set of criteria reviewed from the literature. Online surveys and focused group discussion were then conducted for results verification. RESULTS The outcome of this study is a rubric designed with four categories and 18-evaluative dimensions tailored to analyze the quality of stuttering mobile apps. The stuttering mobile app assessment rubric presented in the serve multiple purposes, including an evaluation instrument, providing guidelines for developing stuttering mobile apps and for creating a standard form that can be shared with professionals to facilitate a collective effort. CONCLUSIONS This rubric also offers a guidance to steer drive the future development of stuttering mobile apps that are evidence-based, and theoretically grounded

Evidence-based skills in Welsh youth justice settings

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pamela Ugwudike ◽  
Gemma Morgan
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Research Evidence ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Positive Finding ◽  
Youth Justice ◽  
Relationship Skills ◽  
Supervision Practice ◽  
Justice Practice ◽  
Integrate Research

This chapter presents the findings of a study that examined supervision skills within three youth offending teams. The study focused on youth justice practice in Wales and its objective was to explore how best to integrate research evidence into frontline practice. It found that participating practitioners employed mainly relationship skills. This is a positive finding but there was limited use of evidence-based skills embedded in what is described as the ‘structuring principle' of effective interpersonal interactions (Bonta and Andrews 2017). The skills are change-focused and they impact on what young people learn during interactions with practitioners and the quality of the influence the practitioners exert over them. This chapter examines the factors that impede the application of structuring skills and concludes with a discussion of the ways in which gaps between research and supervision practice can be bridged to enhance the quality of youth justice practice.

scholarly journals The Implementation of Distance Learning during the Covid-19 Pandemic

MADRASAH ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 114-125
Author(s):  
Raden Adji Suryo Utomo ◽  
Fitri Nur Mahmudah
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Distance Learning ◽  
Data Sources ◽  
Quality Of Education ◽  
Case Study Approach ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Quality Of Research

The implementation of learning is the most important part in improving the quality of education. The Covid-19 pandemic period is part of the challenge for education so that learning continues. The purpose of this study was to investigate in depth the implementation of distance learning during the Covid-19 pandemic. The method used in this research is qualitative with a case study approach. The research was conducted at Muhammadiyah Pakel Elementary School. The data sources in this study were teachers, parents, and students. Data collection techniques using structured interviews assisted with guidelines that are structured questions systematically. Data analysis using the Denzin Licoln case study model assisted by atlas.ti software version 8. The technique used to improve the quality of research is source triangulation. The results of this study provide information that in the implementation of the implementation of distance learning there are three factors, namely policy, distance learning process, and human resource activeness. These three factors are novelty which can be recommendations for the three education centers in order to be part of improving the quality of distance learning education during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Assessing the Quality of Education Research Through Its Relevance to Practice: An Integrative Review of Research-Practice Partnerships

2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 170-194
Author(s):  
Richard O. Welsh
Keyword(s):  
Education Research ◽  
Research Quality ◽  
Quality Of Education ◽  
Research Practice ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Quality Of Reporting ◽  
Education Leaders ◽  
Research In Education ◽  
The Impact

The contemporary social, economic, and cultural conditions within and outside the academy prompt important questions about the role of research in education policy and practice. Scholars have framed research-practice partnerships (RPPs) as a strategy to promote evidence-based decision-making in education. In this chapter, I interrogate the notion that RPPs offer an insightful framework to consider how the quality of research can be measured through its use. The findings suggest that using RPPs to assess the quality of education research enhances the relevance to policy and practice as well as attention to the quality of reporting, and pivots from the preeminence of methodological quality. RPPs increase local education leaders’ access to research and bolster the use of research. RPPs may also strengthen the alignment between education research and the public good. Notwithstanding, employing RPPs as a vehicle to assess research quality has its challenges. Valuing the work of RPPs in academia is a work in progress. Building and sustaining an RPP is challenging, and there is still much to learn about the ways in which RPPs work and overcome obstacles. Assessing the impact of RPPs is also difficult. Future considerations are discussed.

Evidence-Based Surgery

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl Y. Bilimoria ◽  
Benjamin S Brooke
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Surgical Techniques ◽  
Internal Validity ◽  
Surgical Care ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Services Research ◽  
Surgical Decision ◽  
Evidence Based Surgery ◽  
Quality Of Research

The practice of surgery has undergone a dramatic evolution over the last century with the availability of new scientific evidence supporting different surgical techniques and management.  Evidence-based surgery is defined as the judicious and systematic application of scientific evidence to surgical decision making and the establishment of standards of surgical care. This includes efforts to appraise the strength of scientific evidence and evaluate the quality of research studies or evidence, as well as efforts to interpret and apply evidence to clinical practice. In this review, we discuss important methodology and approaches in surgical health services research to accomplish these goals and improve the quality of care in surgery. By providing this overview, we hope readers will be able to navigate the surgical literature and apply evidence-based science to their own surgical practice. This review contains 1 figure, 3 tables, and 43 references. Key words: bias, comparative effectiveness, confounding, evidence, external validity, implementation science, internal validity, pragmatic trials, quality, risk adjustment, surgery

scholarly journals Global Efforts towards Quality Education for All : Evidence and Reflections from an International and Comparative Educational Perspective

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 39-58
Author(s):  
Vinayagum Chinapah ◽  
Mikiko Cars ◽  
Sarit Grinberg
Keyword(s):  
Educational Research ◽  
Quality Of Education ◽  
Education For All ◽  
Sustainable Society ◽  
Regional Strategies ◽  
Learning Conditions ◽  
Educational Perspective ◽  
Effective Use ◽  
Minimum Quality

In the process of constructing post-2015 development global frameworks, education is increasingly seen globally to be a powerful tool for preparing students to enter the labor market as well as to create a peaceful and sustainable society. International and comparative educational research conducted on the achievement of the EFA goals has clearly revealed that despite important efforts accomplished in many countries, there are still serious challenges in terms of the quality of education that is offered. The paper examines the extent to which a minimum Quality of Education for All (QEFA) can be reached through effective use and application of evidence-based international and comparative educational research. Global efforts to attain QEFA are examined by investigating major international surveys of learning outcomes. The case of Arab states demonstrates diverse socio economic and political contexts of each country and should be reflected in regional strategies to achieve QEFA. Evidence from data on national, regional and international assessments indicates that low achievement is globally widespread and stronger government intervention will be needed. This research demonstrates that the diversity of learning conditions and environment across and within countries should be carefully reflected into quality assurance by enhancing each individual´s learning potentials.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jer.v3i2.8397Journal of Education and Research August 2013, Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 39-58

scholarly journals Don't know, can't know: embracing deeper uncertainties when analysing risks

2011 ◽  
Vol 369 (1956) ◽  
pp. 4730-4750 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Spiegelhalter ◽  
Hauke Riesch
Keyword(s):  
Level Structure ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Formal Models ◽  
Intergovernmental Panel ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Risk Modelling ◽  
Based Medicine ◽  
Expression Of Uncertainty ◽  
Modelling Process

Numerous types of uncertainty arise when using formal models in the analysis of risks. Uncertainty is best seen as a relation, allowing a clear separation of the object, source and ‘owner’ of the uncertainty, and we argue that all expressions of uncertainty are constructed from judgements based on possibly inadequate assumptions, and are therefore contingent. We consider a five-level structure for assessing and communicating uncertainties, distinguishing three within-model levels—event, parameter and model uncertainty—and two extra-model levels concerning acknowledged and unknown inadequacies in the modelling process, including possible disagreements about the framing of the problem. We consider the forms of expression of uncertainty within the five levels, providing numerous examples of the way in which inadequacies in understanding are handled, and examining criticisms of the attempts taken by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to separate the likelihood of events from the confidence in the science. Expressing our confidence in the adequacy of the modelling process requires an assessment of the quality of the underlying evidence, and we draw on a scale that is widely used within evidence-based medicine. We conclude that the contingent nature of risk-modelling needs to be explicitly acknowledged in advice given to policy-makers, and that unconditional expressions of uncertainty remain an aspiration.

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