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Book Review
Making Sense of Research: An Introduction for Health and Social Care Practitioners
Gil Hek and Pam Moule
ISBN: 978-1-412923-62-0 2006 168 pages Sage Publications Ltd
Julie Henderson
Department of Public Health, Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA
The authors of this book say their purpose is to ‘demystify’ research through assisting health and social care professionals ‘to become research literate or research aware’ (2006: 2). As such, it is not a text on how to conduct research but rather on how to read, understand and evaluate the research of others. The structure of the book reflects this goal. The early chapters explore the importance of research and research literacy to professional practice, ways of knowing and sources of knowledge for health and social care practitioners. The book then provides an overview of the research process and a number of aspects of this process including conducting literature reviews, methodological approaches, the construction of research questions, sampling, data collection and analysis and ethical considerations. In each case, the purpose is not to provide a recipe for performing these tasks. Instead, the reader is given insight into how a researcher might approach the elements in constructing and undertaking research. Hek and Moule conclude with a discussion of how to critically appraise research articles. This chapter draws upon the information presented in the preceding chapters and is supplemented by an appendix containing a framework for evaluating each of the issues outlined above.
The text is clearly written and accessible and well supported by examples of research from clinical and social care settings. Of particular interest is the discussion on ways of knowing and of what constitutes evidence. The authors provide a brief discussion of the development of evidence-based practice, accompanied by a hierarchy for evaluating the strength of evidence which gives highest priority to experimental research undertaken through random control trials. The authors challenge this hierarchy, adopting a more inclusive understanding of research as:
… a systematic approach to gathering information for the purposes of answering questions and solving problems in the pursuit of creating new knowledge about health and social care (2006: 10).
The following chapter expands upon this theme by exploring the ways health and social care practitioners develop knowledge about practice. They address: the role of tradition and rituals; intuition and tacit knowledge; common sense; trial and error; and practices and policies established by those in authority and scientific knowledge. While the authors identify the limitations of each source of information, they are loathe to dismiss intuition and trial and error in favour of scientific knowledge, arguing that all can provide a ‘valid basis for care’ (2006: 17). An unwillingness to privilege inductive, experimental research is also evident throughout in a balanced discussion of both qualitative and quantitative methods.
The central limitation of the text is that it was developed from the authors’ experiences of teaching nursing students and practitioners. Consequently, it primarily addresses issues of relevance to clinical practice within health care settings and draws on debates within nursing literature. The authors also assume an article format consisting of a review of literature, methods, results and discussion sections, which may be less evident in social science and social care articles, calling into question the applicability of the framework for evaluating research articles for this audience. As such, the book is probably most appropriate for health professionals. Furthermore, the coverage of many topics is superficial, reflecting the intention of the text.
On the whole, the book meets the goals established by the authors effectively. It provides a useful introduction and overview to research in professional settings and has the potential to be a useful reference text for those new to research. Its primary audience is health and social care practitioners, but it could also serve as an introductory or reference text for undergraduate students undertaking health or social care courses and could be used as a reference text by postgraduate students undertaking a review of the literature for the first time.
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