One of the most important goals of the health care profession is to improve patient care by changing practice through research. The ASPEN Research Toolkit, developed by the Research Committee, aims to provide you with a starting point for developing your own projects and the confidence to move forward with your research.
Click the links below to navigate the toolkit modules. The first two modules in Section 1, “Research vs. Evidence-Based Practice vs. Quality Improvement” and “Asking Practice Questions” are available for public viewing, but the remaining modules are for ASPEN members only.
Section 1: The Basics
Section 2: Quality Assessment
Section 3: Data Management
Section 4: Project Related Resources
Section 5: IRB and Ethics
Section 6: Scientific Publications and Presentations
Section 7: Career Development
Section 1: The Basics
Research vs. Evidence-Based Practice vs. Quality Improvement
Learn how to categorize your own proposed projects and follow the appropriate methodology with a discussion of the difference between research, evidence-based practice, and quality improvement.
View Module – Free to all; login or create a free ASPEN account to access
Asking Practice Questions
Learn the critical elements to asking a clinical question and practice writing a question in your area of interest.
View Module – Free to all; login or create a free ASPEN account to access
Performing a Literature Review
Simplify the process to conducting a literature review and gain an understanding of current evidence around your clinical question.
View Module – Members Only
Research Design
Review research methodologies to help you best answer your research question.
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Identifying and Measuring Outcomes
Gain an understanding of the various types of research outcomes and effective collection methods.
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Section 2: Quality Assessment
Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses
Review the processes and utilization of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
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Levels of Evidence
Learn how to compare different levels of evidence to determine the quality of a study, and understand the importance of study design, reproducibility, internal validity, and external validity in determining the quality of evidence.
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Section 3: Data Management
Data Analysis
This module will help you differentiate between types of research variables, comprehend concepts associated with basic data analysis and interpretation, and understand which statistical test should be used for the various research designs and variables.
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Clinical Research Data Management
Explore the process of data management by walking through the definition, creating a data management plan, collection tools, and organizational plans and data storage.
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Section 4: Project Related Resources
Public Research Datasets
This module explores public research datasets and a brief overview of the resources needed when proposing research using such pre-existing data.
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Biorepositories
This module reviews how biorepository specimens are collected, how they can be used after the original study, and specific ethical and procedure considerations for this kind of research.
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Section 5: IRB and Ethics
Institutional Review Board and the History of Ethics
This module discusses the history and evolution of protection for human subjects in research, identifies principles of research ethics, and describes the function of an Institutional Review Board (IRB).
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Navigating the IRB Process
This module covers when oversight by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) is necessary, the three basic categories of IRB review, and central requirements for IRB review and approval.
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Section 6: Scientific Publications and Presentations
Scientific Publications
This module discusses factors to consider when submitting a paper for publication, and provides simple and straight-forward tips to writing a high-quality paper.
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Scientific Presentations
This module covers the aspects of submitting an abstract and designing oral and poster presentations.
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Section 7: Career Development
Mentorship and Building Research Collaborations
This module discusses the main components in building effective research collaborations, the criteria required for authorship, and the characteristics of a good mentor.
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Networking
This module discusses how to build a social network, including the benefits of networking and methods to become an effective networker.
View Module – Members Only