Advanced Science Initiative: A Systematic Review of Participation Literature

Overview
As science advances, so does its methods. Recently, rigorous methods for conducting systematic literature reviews have been established to assess and consolidate knowledge. For a more detailed literature review, click here

Purpose
The project goal is to conduct a systematic review of the literature on participation in community life. 

Anticipated Benefits
Besides expanding knowledge about participation of people with disabilities, existing knowledge in the literature will be consolidated to further research in the area participation as it relates to people with disabilities.

Study Design
The first step is to sponsor a series of discussions with a variety of experts in the field. The discussions of this Expert Review Panel will lead to group agreement on key elements regarding participation among people with disabilities.  Next, key questions will be decided to focus the literature review.

After deciding what to include and what to exclude, the experts will list key search terms and decide what information is needed from each publication.
At this point, a research librarian will find abstracted publications that meet the search guidelines. Trained readers will then determine whether a publication should be included or excluded. After additional review, staff will locate full articles of selected articles and record their information and produce statistical information from them. Initial findings will help set the agenda for a State-of-the-Science Conference.

About
Abstract
Typically, an abstract describes the study purpose, participants, methods used, results, and implications in about 150 words. These condensed reports not only help researchers quickly locate information that might apply to their research, they make it easier for a variety of audiences to access the study information.

Literature review
Before a study begins, a comprehensive survey of scholarly publications in a specific field of study or related to a particular line of research is done to determine what is known about a topic.

Scientific method
Investigation generally includes observing something, learning more about what others have found out on the subject, coming up with a probable reason about that thing, an experiment to see if this theory is correct or not, and a conclusion that supports or changes the theory. The experiment should be done in a way that other scientists could do the same experiment and get similar results.

For more information on systematic reviews, visit
National Rehabilitation Information Center
NIDRR systematic reviews
How to Read a Paper: Papers that Summarise Other Papers (Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (article from the 1997 British Medical Journal 315, 672-675)

For more information, contact Tom Seekins, Ph.D., ruraldoc@ruralinstitute.umt.edu, or the Research and Training Center on Measurement and Interdependence in Community Living at the RTC/IL, 4089 Dole, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045, 785.864.4095 (voice), 785.864.0706 TTY, RTCIL@ku.edu
National Institute of Disability Rehabilitation Research grant H133B060018