Small-scale Service-related
Research Projects
Anna Adlam
a.r.adlam@exeter.ac.uk
September 2014
Aims and Objectives
• Research module updates
• Describe the purpose of small scale research
projects (SSRP)
• Discuss the roles of the trainee, research
tutor, and clinical supervisor/service
commissioner
• Differentiate between audit, service
evaluation, and research
• Different ways to disseminate study findings
• Obtain your feedback
Research Module Updates
DClinPsy Research Team 2013/14
Professor Ed Watkins (0.2)
Director of Professional
Doctorate Research/
DClinPsy
Research supervisor
Dr Janet Smithson (0.3)
Qualitative teaching lead
Research supervisor
Dr Anna Adlam (0.6)
Deputy Director of
Professional Doctorate
Research/DClinPsy
Research supervisor
Dr Nick Moberly (0.6)
Quantitative teaching
lead
Research tutor
Year 2 research lead
Research supervisor
Dr Anke Karl (0.4)
Research tutor
Year 1,3 research
lead/SSRP lead
Research supervisor
Dr Phil Yates (0.1)
Research supervisor
Professor Huw Williams (0.2)
Research tutor
Research supervisor
Emma Woodcock
Administrator
DClinPsy Research Team Interests
Professor Ed Watkins
CBT & depression, cognitive
bias modification, mental
habits in depression –worry,
rumination, transdiagnostic
approach
Dr Janet Smithson
Qualitative research &
family function & health
Dr Anna Adlam
Executive processes in
memory; executive
processes in mood disorders & interventions
(children/dementia)
Dr Nick Moberly
Motivation, goal
processing, & rumination
in depression
Dr Phil Yates
Brain injury & health
Dr Anke Karl
PTSD & postnatal
depression
Professor Huw Williams
Mild traumatic brain
injury, crime & socioemotion processing
DClinPsy Research Team Roles
•
Director of Professional Doctorate Research (Ed) & Deputy Director (Anna)
– Oversees research strategy of the programme
– Represents research module at Programme (SMG), College, and Faculty
level
– Short-listing & selection; allocates research supervisors; manages research
team;
•
Research tutors (Nick, Anke, Huw)
– Year 1: 3 x research tutorials
– Co-supervisor for SSRP during Year 1 & 2 (Janet Smithson for consultation
on qualitative projects)
– Weekly research consultations Years 1, 2, & 3 (Anke & Nick)
•
Research supervisors (all research team via Research Fair in Year 1)
– Thesis supervision: March of Year 1 through to end of training
– Monthly supervision, review write-up
– Tracking of research progress via MyPGR and regular progress reports at
research tutor meetings and SMG
DClinPsy Research Aims
• Scientist-practitioner model
• Part of the leadership role of clinical psychology
• Prepare graduates for a changing clinical world
– Understand and contribute to the clinical research literature
– Conduct sound, high-quality research with a firm grounding in
the best research methodology at a PGR level
– Be able to effectively utilise clinical research in day-to-day
clinical practice and to respond fluidly and knowledgeably to
changing clinical demands (BPS Core Competency, HCPC
Standard of Proficiency)
– Draw on and contribute to the research base to shape clinical
programmes and service delivery, and guide practice
DClinPsy Research Context
Research teaching delivered in Year 1 is based on the Medical Research
Council’s Complex Interventions Framework
SSRP Definition & Aims
SSRP Definition & Aims
• Small-scale clinically relevant research
informed by psychological theory/models
• Aims
– To provide trainees with experience of completing
high quality service-related research within a
clinical/healthcare context
– To foster the development of research awareness
and skills
– To increase awareness of theory-practice links
BPS Core Competencies
• 3.6 Research (BPS, 2006)
– Identifying and critically appraising research
evidence relevant to practice
– Conducting service evaluation and small N
research
– Conducting collaborative research
– Planning and conducting independent research,
i.e. identifying research questions, demonstrating
an understanding of ethical issues, choosing
appropriate research methods and analysis,
reporting outcomes and identifying appropriate
pathways for dissemination.
BPS Accreditation
• “Trainees must complete at least one
formally assessed small-scale project
involving the use of audit, service
development, service evaluation or applied
research methods within a clinical
placement setting.” (BPS Accreditation
criteria, 2011)
HCPC standards
• Clinical psychologists are expected to
be able to conduct service related
research
SSRP Designs
• Either service evaluation or service audit (will
come back to these definitions)
• No set rules on design!
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Quantitative or qualitative
Group design or case series
Test for differences or associations (correlation)
Retrospective (anonymised) data or new data
Data collected by service or data collected by trainee
Independent projects or joint/collaborative projects with other
trainees
– Service evaluation within a research framework
– Service audit/evaluation working alongside
commissioners (demonstrating the added value of
trainee clinical psychologists to commissioners;
engaging trainees in leadership & clinical
commissioning issues)
SSRP Process
SSRP process
• Study should be conducted in the trainee’s locality
• Timetabled teaching sessions on research methods
and design in Year 1
• Previous SSRP titles and abstracts are available to
trainees
• Research PBL assignment Year 1 involves critically
evaluating and designing a SSRP
• SSRP to be submitted in Year 2 (June 2016), and
Thesis submitted Year 3 (May 2017) – timelines will
overlap
• However, trainee has study time throughout all three
years including Years 1 and 2
Proposed Timelines for SSRP
Year 1
Aug-Sep 2014
Nov-Dec 2014
Jan-Feb
2015
Feb–Dec 2015
Research team to contact
potential SSRP providers
and develop project
proposal; (internal review
& feedback); trainee is
allocated project based on
locality
Trainee meets with
SSRP supervisor and
research tutor. Trainee
submits SSRP to
University ethics/R&D
Trainee starts SSRP
with ethical approval
Design measures/data
collection/data collation
June 2015 – October 2015 focus on thesis project
proposal
Year 2
Jan-March 2016
April-May 2016
June 2016
Data analysis
Write report
Submit report
Dissemination
Jan 2016 – April 2016 apply for ethics
for thesis project proposal
May 2016 – start data collection for
thesis project
Roles & Responsibilities
SSRP Roles and Responsibilities
• Trainee
– Arrange to meet with SSRP supervisor/research tutor
(November/December 2014) to discuss project
– Conduct literature search relevant to project proposal
– Submit project proposal to University ethics (January/February 2015)
– Obtain R&D approval for service-based studies
– Arrange regular SSRP supervision with clinical supervisor
– Arrange to meet with research tutors during research consultancy
– Recruit/collect/collate data
– Data analysis
– SSRP report write up
– Dissemination to the service and wider academic/clinical community
SSRP Roles and Responsibilities
• Local clinical supervisors/commissioners
– Propose SSRP project ideas to research tutors and develop
these with the allocated research tutor
– Provide regular SSRP supervision as arranged with trainee
– Promote SSRP within the service and facilitate
recruitment/data collation
– Facilitate dissemination of study findings to service, and
academic/clinical community
SSRP Roles and Responsibilities
• Research tutors
– Facilitate the development of SSRP study idea in
collaboration with clinical supervisors/commissioners
– Provide guidance on UoE criteria for SSRPs
– Provide consultation/guidance on study design, project
proposal for ethics submission
– Provide regular research consultations throughout Year 1 &
2
SSRP Report
• 4,000 word report to be submitted June 2016 (Year 2)
– Abstract
– Introduction to background psychological theory/literature and
clinical implications
– Rationale, study aims/hypotheses
– Methods including sample, procedure, ethical considerations
– Study results
– Discussion of study findings in the context of the specific
problem being addressed
– Recommendations for future research
– Clinical practice implications and service provision
– Presentation - APA 6 formatting
– Appendices must include evidence of ethics and R&D
approval, evidence of dissemination process (or plans),
summary of trainee’s contribution to research if part of a
collaborative project.
Defining service evaluation, audit,
and research
See NRES (2010) Defining research leaflet
Dissemination
Why is dissemination important?
Context of Dissemination
• Marked assignments
– SSRP report
• Service related
– Multi-disciplinary team
– Service users
• Academic
– Conferences
– Peer-reviewed journal articles
• Clinical
– Clinically relevant publications
– Special interest groups
– Policy making, service development, service stakeholders
Forms of Dissemination
•
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•
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Written reports
Summary letters
Oral presentations
Posters
Magazine articles
Peer-reviewed journal articles
Websites
Video films, media (radio)