The concept of research impact pervades contemporary academic discourse - but what does it actually mean?

Research impact is often talked about, but how clear is it what this term really means? Kristel Alla, Wayne Hall, Harvey Whiteford, Brian Head and Carla Meurk find that academic literature discusses research impact but often without properly defining it, with academic discourses mostly drawing on bureaucratic definitions originating from the UK. The authors highlight four core elements that comprise most research impact definitions and propose a new conceptualisation of research impact relevant to health policy

Expert in my pocket: creating first person POV videos to enhance mobile learning

Worldwide, there has been a rapid increase in both the use of mobile technologies as a conduit for student learning and the use of wearable cameras to record sporting and recreational activities. The Expert in My Pocket project (EiMP) has combined these two technologies to produce a repository of freely available short videos and supporting materials to enhance student development of psychomotor clinical skills. The videos are presented from a first person point of view (1PPOV) with expert health professionals ‘thinking aloud’ as they demonstrate selected skills. Research indicates that students and educators overwhelmingly support the concept of EiMP videos and more importantly value the 1PPOV as an authentic view. This paper demonstrates the techniques and equipment employed to produce these videos, which consisted of a chest or head mounted GoPro camera operated via an iPad. Additionally, the paper explains another innovative feature, Quick Response (QR) Codes, that when linked to the videos placed on equipment assists with “just in time” mobile learning

How do we define the policy impact of public health research? A systematic review

Background: In order to understand and measure the policy impact of research we need a definition of research impact that is suited to the task. This article systematically reviewed both peer-reviewed and grey literature for definitions of research impact to develop a definition of research impact that can be used to investigate how public health research influences policy

An appraisal of practice guidelines for smoking cessation in people with severe mental illness

Objective: To review the quality of current smoking cessation guidelines that include recommendations for people with severe mental illness. Methods: A systematic search of scientific databases, central government health authority websites, psychiatry peak bodies, guideline clearing houses and Google was undertaken for relevant smoking cessation guidelines. Three reviewers independently assessed guideline quality using the AGREE II (Appraisal of Guidelines for REsearch and Evaluation II) instrument. Two reviewers extracted recommendations specific to smokers with severe mental illness. Results: Thirteen guidelines met the inclusion criteria. Seven guidelines scored ⩾60% in at least four domains. Median scores for ‘Editorial independence’, ‘Rigour of development’, ‘Stakeholder Involvement’ and ‘Applicability’ were less than 60%. The highest median scores were for ‘Scope and purpose’ (87%, 69–96%) and ‘Clarity of presentation’ (87%, 56–98%). ‘Editorial independence’ (33.3%, 0–86%) and ‘Rigour of development’ (54%, 11–92%) had the lowest median domain scores. The guidelines varied greatly in their recommendations but the majority recommended nicotine replacement therapy, bupropion or varenicline as first-line pharmacotherapy, along with behavioural support. Conclusion: Many guidelines did not adequately report their methods or the competing interests of the authors. Future guidelines development may benefit from more specifically addressing AGREE II criteria and the needs of smokers with severe mental illness

Can automated content analysis be used to assess and improve the use of evidence in mental health policy? A systematic review

This review assesses the utility of applying an automated content analysis method to the field of mental health policy development. We considered the possibility of using the Wordscores algorithm to assess research and policy texts in ways that facilitate the uptake of research into mental health policy.The PRISMA framework and the McMaster appraisal tools were used to systematically review and report on the strengths and limitations of the Wordscores algorithm. Nine electronic databases were searched for peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2003 and 2016. Inclusion criteria were (1) articles had to be published in public health, political science, social science or health services disciplines; (2) articles had to be research articles or opinion pieces that used Wordscores; and (3) articles had to discuss both strengths and limitations of using Wordscores for content analysis.The literature search returned 118 results. Twelve articles met the inclusion criteria. These articles explored a range of policy questions and appraised different aspects of the Wordscores method.Following synthesis of the material, we identified the following as potential strengths of Wordscores: (1) the Wordscores algorithm can be used at all stages of policy development; (2) it is valid and reliable; (3) it can be used to determine the alignment of health policy drafts with research evidence; (4) it enables existing policies to be revised in the light of research; and (5) it can determine whether changes in policy over time were supported by the evidence. Potential limitations identified were (1) decreased accuracy with short documents, (2) words constitute the unit of analysis and (3) expertise is needed to choose 'reference texts'.Automated content analysis may be useful in assessing and improving the use of evidence in mental health policies. Wordscores is an automated content analysis option for comparing policy and research texts that could be used by both researchers and policymakers

Additional file 1: of How do we define the policy impact of public health research? A systematic review

Definitions of research impact included in the study. Table S1. RCUK definitions. Table S2. REF/HEFCE definitions. Table S2a. Research impacts as benefits, effects or changes (REF/HEFCE not cited). Table S3. ARC/RQF definitions. Table S4. Bibliometric definitions. Table S5. Use-based definitions. Table S6. Original definitions. (DOCX 58 kb

Use of videos to support teaching and learning of clinical skills in nursing education: A review

Information and communications technology is influencing the delivery of education in tertiary institutions. In particular, the increased use of videos for teaching and learning clinical skills in nursing may be a promising direction to pursue, yet we need to better document the current research in this area of inquiry. The aim of this paper was to explore and document the current areas of research into the use of videos to support teaching and learning of clinical skills in nursing education. The four main areas of current and future research are effectiveness, efficiency, usage, and quality of videos as teaching and learning materials. While there is a clear need for additional research in the area, the use of videos seems to be a promising, relevant, and increasingly used instructional strategy that could enhance the quality of clinical skills education