Summa Health supports research through Research, Sponsored Programs & Innovation at Summa and the Office of Research Administration. There are research programs dedicated to several of our clinical departments. Check out the DISCOVER Center for additional research support.
Evidence-based practice projects, managed by the Center for Clinical Inquiry, are separate from research initiatives. If you're looking for support on an EBP project, check out the CCI's page on the intranet or the library's Nursing & Allied Health webpage.
The Medical Library does not directly participate in research or publishing at Summa. However, we are happy to provide resources! This guide contains a variety of resources dedicated to searching, research concepts, citation management, publishing models, and more. The Library also provides access to the books and articles you may need to conduct your research.
Below are resources for writing and research, including descriptions of some types of research, websites, ebooks, and print books.
Clinical trials, also known as interventional studies, are a type of original research that seek to test the effectiveness of intervention(s) among participants in one or more groups. Volunteer participants are assigned to a group either randomly or intentionally. Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTS), where participants are randomly assigned to a group, are among the most valuable research methodologies. Some clinical trials may be investigational, meaning that the intervention (e.g. a medication) may not yet be approved for practitioners to prescribe to patients.
Clinical trials require IRB review and approval.
A literature review is a summary and synthesis of previous research in a subject area. These reviews are often one component of a broader research project but may also be a standalone publication. Literature reviews may vary in comprehensiveness, but generally aim to capture the entire landscape of research in a subject area.
When conducting a literature review, researchers should be sure to document their search strategy, including the date(s) on which the searches were conducted. This facilitates reproducibility.
A systematic review is a type of comprehensive synthesis of all relevant evidence on a topic to answer a specific, clearly defined question. In health sciences, questions may address questions of the effectiveness of interventions, quality improvement, prevalence/prognosis of a condition, etc. These reviews must have inclusion and exclusion criteria and require they require documentation of a structured, comprehensive, and reproducible search strategy.
These are among the more time- and labor-intensive types of research projects, often taking longer than a year to complete. Instead, they require a team of content experts and expert searchers. This is a result of the complexity of the project, particularly as it relates to finding and reading through the articles included in the review. A systematic review cannot be completed by one person alone.
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are considered the highest level of evidence in research and evidence-based practice.
Reporting guidelines help authors report key information about their systematic review. At a broad level, this information includes the purpose of the review, its methods, and the review's findings. PRISMA Guidelines (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) are one of the dominant reporting guidelines for systematic reviews, including in the realm of health sciences. Check with your project lead to be sure you are using the best guidelines for your discipline and project.
The books listed below are just a snippet of what is available to you through the library. Search for more books, articles, and other types of publications in our catalog.
Designing Clinical Research
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JAMA Guide to Statistics and Methods
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Polit and Beck's Nursing Research
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Protecting Study Volunteers in Research: a Manual for Investigative Sites
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Research During Medical Residency
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Single-Case Research Designs
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Survey Methods for Medical and Health Professions Education
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Anatomy of Writing for Publication for Nurses, Fourth Edition
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Health Literacy from a to Z
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Medical Writing: a Guide for Clinicians, Educators, and Researchers
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AMA Manual of Style
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Concise Guide to APA Style
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Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
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Research Methodology and Scientific Writing
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Survey Methods for Medical and Health Professions Education
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Anatomy of Writing for Publication for Nurses, Fourth Edition
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Writing for Publication in Nursing and Healthcare
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AMA Manual of Style
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