Let’s Hear It for the Researchers
Last week, you heard all about how I got involved in research, first as an undergraduate then as a graduate student. There were many small steps involved, and I won’t minimize any of them. To recap, they were:
Reading my professor’s CV prior to class and learning about her background
Finding an area of her research that was interesting to me
Approaching her outside of class to talk about that research
Being fortunate that she was willing and able to take on a student researcher (and a bonus that I was able to be paid for the position)
Being able to continue to grow in that position, and continue to have her as a mentor throughout my academic and professional career
If you read last week’s post, then it’s a high probability you’re interested in pursuing scientific research yourself. I thought it might be helpful to hear from other researchers on how they came to their positions and what advice they would give to students and working healthcare professionals who are trying to break into the scientific research world. Without further ado, here is their advice:
“One: Absolutely avoid any research that you’re not passionate about. It will haunt you.
Two: If you’re thinking about doing research but you’re not sure you’re ready… just start. A literature review will bring everything into clarity!”
You can find Erik on Instagram as @OTunleashed. He is currently working on his OTD at UW-Milwaukee (go Panthers!), specializing in Assistive Technology and Universal Design.
“1. You don’t have to go into a specific type of research! There is wet lab research, statistics, social science research clinical and translational research, even historical research. Whatever you’re interested in, it’s probably out there.
2. Make sure the team you’re working with is a team you enjoy spending time with. It’s not going to help you or them if you’re working in an environment that’s not a good fit for you.
3. Don’t get discouraged if it takes a while to find a good PI who wants to work with you. Sometimes PIs need a lot of students, sometimes they don’t need any. You’ll find the right fit.
You can find Delia on Instagram as @enby.delia. They are a medical student (MS2) whose advocacy and work focuses on creating inclusive, accessible, intersectional healthcare spaces for trans and intersex people.
About - EquipMeOT (Lindsay DeLong)
“I actually started by researching the Amazon world because I knew I wanted to sell there. Then I looked through my long list of ideas and cross reviewed with products that had some existing traction on Amazon SEO. Then I got professional drawings done so I could communicate with manufacturers. I also picked my product based on simplicity. Fewer moving parts, fewer types of material is easier… the rest has been trial by fire!”
Lindsay DeLong is the creative mind behind @equipmeOT and the inventor of EOT Wellness, found on Amazon. EOT Wellness is currently market testing their newest adaptive device, which this editor gave 5/5 stars to.
Khalilah Robinson Johnson, PhD, MS, OTR/L | Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy (unc.edu) My Bibliography - NCBI (nih.gov)
“For those debating how to develop a program of research, first consider what wicked problems or situations keep haunting you? Which populations are you committed to collaborating with to develop sustainable change. Let that guide how you step into the work. Seek out continuing Ed opportunities that are specifically aimed at building capacity to design and implement research—they exist. Serve on research advisory boards to “dip your toes” into the research pond. It also provides an opportunity to shadow the research process.”
Dr. Khalilah R. Johnson (@theacademicdiva) is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her article, “The Equity Agenda in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research” was recently published in the American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
Kathryn Rubey, MD | Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (chop.edu) Kathryn M. Rubey's research works | The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA (CHOP) and other places (researchgate.net)
“The easiest way is to realize you have similar interests to someone who you meet during lectures/rotations. In that case, you should share your interest and ask if they’re looking to bring a trainee on to the project.
Not feeling lucky or want to get started sooner?
Think through what type of research and topics interest you.
Use your school’s website to identify faculty who are doing research as primary investigators (PI). Read individual faculty’s pages (or lab websites) to learn about their research interests and questions they are currently pursing to find what labs sound like they might be a good fit.
Email the PI to introduce yourself. Let them know you’re interested in gaining research experience, and what it is about their research program that caught your eye. Ask to schedule a meeting with them to discuss more.
Unsure what you really want to study? Ask a trusted advisor/rotation leader/dean etc for help! In residency, I actually serendipitously found my research project! By that time I knew that NICU was for me and I would be applying for a fellowship. The third day of orientation I went up to one of our assistant program directors who was also a Neonatologist. I explained that I was going to be applying for Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship, and therefore, wanted to get research experience in the area. I asked if she knew anyone that was looking for a trainee to join their project. My future mentor just happened to be sitting next to her and heard. He then, asked me a few questions about my previous experience, and offered me a rotation spot with him right then! It never hurts to ask :)
Remember you don’t have to know it all just yet - so if something sounds interesting, go for it. Worst case scenario is you realize you don't actually like it. If it’s actually not for you, you should help the project through until someone else can take over your duties. During that time, you can look for other learning opportunities, and it’s better to know what you do and don't like early while you’re training!”
Dr. Kate Rubey (@drkater) is a Board-Certified Neonatologist at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Her area of research is nanomedicine. She is also a pro at making bows for babies!
Ryan Lavalley | Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy (unc.edu) Ryan Lavalley - Google Scholar
“My first question would be what research skills do you feel competent in and which do you feel like you may need some refreshers or learning in?
I would likely talk through some of the main skills:
Reading literature critically
Understanding the methodologies of published literature
Designing a methodology for the study with supporting theoretical framework
Adhering to and examine ethical issues in each methodological approach
Disseminating your findings (e.g. writing)
If there are quite of few that need some improvement, I might suggest taking a research course at a community college or maybe asking to audit research courses at your local OT program or starting a research reading group, or even just systemically reviewing textbooks and other research materials alone. There is a lot of free materials out there.
If the person feels like they have a good foundation in skills in general (essentially that of a graduating MS student), then I think they are set up well to think about the next questions.
Why do you want to get involved in research? Because of specific and particular thing keeps bothering you in practice? Because you like the research process in general? Because you think you have a big question that may take multiple or large studies to examine? To be a thought/practice leader by developing new ideas/practices?
My first answer/question is sort of the same here no matter what someone says… have you already looked in the literature about the question or area of practice you hope to influence? Some people may just not have access to literature writ large to be able to answer some of the questions that come up in practice. Here, I would recommend reaching out to faculty at their local OT program/university or reaching out to their local library to see if they can assist in getting access to literature that may answer the questions. Once, it is confirmed that there isn’t really a clear answer to their question or idea, then we can move forward.
If someone is just interested in researching a particular question broadly but aren’t as excited about leading the actual research process, then I would say partnering with a researcher is probably the best option. Building a research team by building relationships with researchers.
If they are interested in just answering a particular question about their own practice or organization, then I would actually say a well-structured program evaluation would be the way to go there rather than a formal research study, which can be a helpful – less red-tapey approach to still finding an answer to your question.
My third question would be how “involved” in research do you want to be? Leading it? Small studies? Or just want to offer your skills as an OTP to research projects?
If they are interested in leading major research projects for a long period of time, I would suggest considering a PhD. While I believe people without PhD’s can be good researchers, many competitive funding sources look for PIs with PhDs to ensure the quality and ethics of the project.
If they are interested in partnering with a PhD for some regular research projects, then I would say reach out to a local university’s faculty or research institute to build relationships and begin thinking about the realistic opportunities for a research project. Many faculty love partnering with practitioners to move research forward. In these cases, it is also helpful to come with a topic or research question you are interested in exploring – and as I said in the first question maybe researching a bit which faculty may already be working in that area.
If you are interested in doing or even leading smaller studies or less “expansive” research about a topic, then I think reaching out to OT programs and either volunteering or applying for adjunct positions to lead MS or OTD student research projects may be a good place to start. Again, ensuring you demonstrate that you have the skills necessary to lead and teach this content would be necessary.
All of this to say that “doing research” can mean a lot of different things, and unfortunately – but in some cases justifiably – doing research is gatekept to ensure those who lead it have the necessary skills and knowledge to prevent unethical practices or dissemination of misinformation. So, if someone really wants to lead research, then brushing up on those research skills and competencies will be very important – particularly if they want to lead research without necessarily getting a PhD. It is possible, but you may have to prove your competencies very regularly – and unfortunately some funding sources simply will not fund PIs who do not have a PhD or equivalent research degree.”
Dr. Ryan Lavalley (@ryanlavalley) is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research interests include Community Occupational Therapy Practice, Community Program Development and Implementation, Aging, Housing, Antiracism and Queer Liberation.