Disability Researcher Shares Consortium Grant
to Study Disability Participation Literature

Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Contact: Tom Seekins, 406-243-2654, ruraldoc@ruralinstitute.umt.edu

LAWRENCE, KS –
Literature reviews have employed the use of scientific techniques to become more rigorous than ever before. Publications now often go through a series of test questions to determine their inclusion in these new systematic reviews of research literature. 

Tom Seekins, director of the University of Montana Rural Institute, is funded by a consortium grant from the National Institute of Disability Rehabilitation Research to systematically examine literature regarding participation of people with disabilities. After developing search terms and publication requirements, Seekins will then work with trained readers to extract and code information from relevant publications. This information then will become part of a literature review that will guide a state-of-the-science conference in 2009.

Seekins, who is also a professor in the psychology department, is working with the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Measurement and Interdependence in Community Living (RTC/MICL) consortium. RTC/MICL scientists in disability-related research from their respective academic institutions in Washington University, the University of Montana, Kansas University, Cornell University and the Oregon Health Sciences University have combined efforts to further the use of measurement in the advancement of community participation for people with disabilities.  

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