June 2007 • Vol. 3, No. 3
	Advancing Orthotic and Prosthetic Care Through Knowledge

How the Research Education Committee Selects the 'Best of' Resident Research Reports

Have you ever wondered how the Academy selects the "Best of" resident research reports? Here is the answer: The Research Education Committee, as part of the Research Council, reviews every research report accepted by NCOPE, applies a set of evaluation criteria, and narrows down a longer list of candidates to a short list of finalists. This year, the committee is reviewing approximately 118 reports.

Edward S. Neumann, PhD, PE, CP, Research Education Committee chair.

Committee chair Edward S. Neumann, PhD, PE, CP, said, "Many Residents probably wonder if anyone reads their reports. The answer is, ‘Yes!' Not only are they read, but they are also evaluated by the Research Education Committee for quality in a number of areas. Those that we feel merit recognition for their informational content and research design are awarded ‘Best of' status."

Scott Cummings, PT, CPO, FAAOP, chair of the Research Council, sees the awarding of "Best of" status to resident reports as helping to fulfill the mission of the Council in several ways. "First, it emphasizes the importance of research to clinical practice and promotes interest in research. This helps support the Council's goal of moving the profession forward through the implementation of evidence-based practice. Second, posting ‘Best of' reports online creates a source of potentially useful information for practitioners."

Five reviewers for the reports fall into the prosthetics category, and five reviewers are in the orthotics category. Reports in each category are first screened for overall quality by the reviewers in that area, and each group recommends candidates from the batch they have been assigned to screen. The candidate reports are then evaluated and voted on by all reviewers from that category. There is no limit on the number of reports that can earn "Best of" status during a year. It can be zero if none meet the standards set by the committee, or it can be a large number if many are of high quality.

There is no limit on the number of reports that can earn "Best of" status during a year. It can be zero if none meet the standards set by the committee, or it can be a large number if many are of high quality.

Scientific studies are evaluated separately from literature reviews. The criteria for evaluating scientific studies follow generally accepted guidelines for the review of scientific papers. Scientific merit is the overriding factor. The research problem must be clearly defined, the study methods must be appropriate, the results presented and discussed adequately, and the topic should be relevant to clinical practice. Grammar and spelling must be correct, and thoughts must be communicated clearly. Originality is factored in as well as whether the report can serve as a model for other residents. Literature reviews are evaluated based on topic, purpose, organization, quality of writing, and contribution to professional practice. Case studies presently are excluded from review because scientific criteria cannot be applied to them.

Committee members who are reviewers of prosthetics papers include Neumann; Steven A. Gard, PhD; Mark Geil, PhD; Sam Phillips, CP, FAAOP; and Susan Kapp, MEd, CPO, LPO. Orthotics paper reviewers from the committee include Bryan Malas, MHPE, CO; Kevin Meade, PhD; and Phil Stevens, CO. Additional orthotics review assistance is provided by John French, CO, and Scott A. Sanford, CO.

The process can take up to six months from the time reports are received from NCOPE to the time "Best of" status is awarded. It then takes additional time to post them on the Academy's website. Neumann feels that while the process involves significant work on the part of the committee members and Academy staff, the undertaking yields substantial benefits. "Our committee is developing a very good grasp of the research education needs of students in O&P programs. We feel that the Academy can play a very significant role by helping students to understand what constitutes good research. In this way, they will become better consumers of research as O&P practitioners. Awarding ‘Best of' status also recognizes the effort that goes into the design and execution of a quality research project."