Subject Resources: EBP

Subject Resources: EBP

Listed below are Reusable Learning Objects (RLOs) developed by the School of Nursing, Midwifery & Physiotherapy in the subject area of EBP. Click on a title link to view the RLO. To keep up to date on released RLOs, keep checking our news section, or link to our RSS news feed (what's RSS?). Use of these RLOs is governed by our Terms of Use.

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Full list of RLOs
RLO FAQ

Overwhelmed? Try this suggested EBP RLO Pathway for students, by Associate Professor Stephen Timmons.

EBP RLOs
Title Description Detail
Asking the right question This RLO outlines why asking the right question can help in the search for evidence, and explains how to construct good questions using the PICO technique. View further information on this RLO.
Case series and cross-sectional studies Case series typically involve a much smaller number of patients than the more powerful case-control study or Randomised controlled trial (RCT). In this design patients with a known exposure to a treatment are tracked prospectively to identify new forms of disease or adverse effects. Case series can also be retrospective - here medical records are examined to identify a link between exposure and disease. View further information on this RLO.
Case-control studies This resource looks at cases (diseased subjects) and controls (non-diseased subjects) and investigates their exposure status. View further information on this RLO.
Cohort and case-controlled studies This RLO explains what are case-control and cohort studies, and outlines the difference between them. View further information on this RLO.
Cohort Studies This resource looks at cohort studies in relation to medical research and investigates medical disease and establishes links between risk factors and health outcomes. View further information on this RLO.
Confidence intervals This RLO defines the term 'confidence intervals' and demonstrates how they can be used to determine the significance and range of possible sizes of a treatment effect. View further information on this RLO.
Descriptive statistics for interval and ratio scale data Describing the use of measures of central tendency - mean, mode, median - and dispersion - range, Standard Deviation. View further information on this RLO.
Designing a Questionnaire This RLO introduces good practice in questionnaire design, step by step. View further information on this RLO.
Determining the clinical importance of trial results This RLO demonstrates how to interpret and use clinical trial data (ARR, RRR, NNT, NNH, and confidence intervals) in practice. View further information on this RLO.
How to conduct a literature search Practical examples of searching databases of journal articles (eg CINAHL, BNI), including screen movies of actual searches. View further information on this RLO.
Levels of Measurement To understand the different levels of measurement and the arithmetic operations that can be performed on them View further information on this RLO.
Levels of Measurement: what you can and can't do arithmetically An explanation of the statistical operations that can be performed on the different levels of measurement. This resource has been re-purposed and an HTML5 version has replaced the original version. View further information on this RLO.
Meta-analysis This RLO provides an introduction to the basic concepts of meta-analysis, which is an important and valuable tool for summarising data from multiple studies. View further information on this RLO.
Numbers needed to treat and numbers needed to harm This RLO considers how to measure and interpret the magnitude of effect in clinical trial results using number needed to treat (NNT) and number needed to harm (NNH). View further information on this RLO.
Positive and negative predictive value of diagnostic tests This RLO explains how diagnostic test results are a combination of true and false positive, or true and false negative. View further information on this RLO.
Presenting and interpreting meta-analyses How to present and interpret the results of a meta-analysis using forest plots. View further information on this RLO.
Probability associated with inferential statistics An introduction to probability, and the probability of sample errors affecting research results. View further information on this RLO.
Qualitative and quantitative research Outlining the distinction between qualitative and quantitative methods of doing research. View further information on this RLO.
Qualitative Data Analysis The aim of this Reusable Learning Object (RLO) is to give you an idea of how qualitative data analysis is done. It's aimed at students studying evidence based practice or research methods, with a basic understanding of what qualitative research is. View further information on this RLO.
Quantitative Study Designs This resource explains study design and looks at the situations in which you might apply the different types of design methodology. View further information on this RLO.
Referencing Books using Harvard This resource outlines the information that is required to accurately reference a book for the Harvard referencing scheme. It also outlines where that information can be found within a book. View further information on this RLO.
Referencing Journals using Harvard This resources outlines the information that is required to accurately reference a journal article for the Harvard referencing scheme. It also outlines where that information can be found within a printed journal. View further information on this RLO.
Relative risk reduction and absolute risk reduction This RLO considers how to measure and interpret the magnitude of effect in clinical trial results using relative risk reduction (RRR) and absolute risk reduction (ARR). View further information on this RLO.
Search strategy for locating Randomised Controlled Trials Introduction to search strategies for locating randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in online databases. View further information on this RLO.
Sensitivity and Specificity This RLO explains how diagnostic test accuracy is described by the terms sensitivity and specificity. Sensitivity describes the accuracy of the test in detecting disease. Specificity describes the accuracy of the test in detecting health. View further information on this RLO.
SI Units and calculating unit changes To identify what SI units are, when they are used, and how to calculate unit changes. View further information on this RLO.
Steps in conducting a systematic review This RLO outlines the five fundamental steps to conducting a systematic review of health care research so as identify, select and critically appraise relevant research. View further information on this RLO.
Surrogate Outcomes This RLO considers the type of evidence which should be used when making decisions about patient care. View further information on this RLO.
Types of qualitative research This RLO outlines the variety of types of qualitative research that there are. It's aimed primarily at students studying evidence based practice and research methods. View further information on this RLO.
Using databases to find journal articles An introduction to online databases of journals relevant to nurses (eg CINAHL, BNI). View further information on this RLO.
What are Journals? This learning object introduces educational journals and describes three types: Academic, Professional and Subject. The examples used are drawn from the area of nursing, but the concepts are cross-discipline. View further information on this RLO.
What is a randomised controlled trial? This RLO outlines how Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) work. View further information on this RLO.
What is Evidence Based Practice? This RLO introduces the concept of evidence based practice and explains, in outline, how evidence based practice is done. View further information on this RLO.
Why critique research? Why published research needs to be appraised by readers. View further information on this RLO.