Understanding Research and Evidence-Based Practice in Communication Disorders

William O. Haynes has been teaching courses in speech-language pathology at the university level for over thirty years and is currently a professor at Auburn University. Having written over fifty scientific articles and textbooks, Dr. Haynes is the author of Communication Disorders in the Classroom (Jones & Bartlett, 2006), Diagnosis and Evaluation in Speech Pathology (Allyn & Bacon, 2003) and Communication Development (Williams and Wilkins, 1998).    Carole E. Johnson is a professorat Auburn University and has been teaching courses in audiology at the university level for almost twenty years.  She has over 45 publications and has successfully written federal grants for many of her projects.  Dr. Johnson is the author of Handbook of Outcomes Measurement in Audiology (Singular-Thomson, 2002) and Guidebook for Support Programs in Aural Rehabilitation (Singular-Thompson, 1999). 

Section I:  Introduction to Research in Communication Disorders

 

Chapter 1:  The Importance of Research in Communication Sciences and Disorders

 

·        Learning Objectives

·        Preconceived notions

·        The role of research in making a profession(al) credible

·        Three examples of professional credibility

·        Our professional literature and the information base

·        The scientific method and clinical work:  The notion of clinician-researcher

·        Common research misconceptions

·        Parallels in clinical and research skills:  Diagnosis

·        Parallels in clinical and research skills:  Treatment

·        The benefits of becoming a clinician-researcher

·        Chapter Summary

·        Learning Activities

 

Section II:  The Nature of Scientific Inquiry and Essentials of Experimental Control 

 

Chapter 2:  Scientific Principles and Methods Used by Researchers

 

·        Learning Objectives

·        Sinister stereotypes

·        Ways of knowing about the world

·        Characteristics of science

·        The Systematic Nature of Science: Scientific method

o       Experimental Control

o       The Public Nature of Science

o       Replication in Science

o       The Empirical Nature of Science

o       Probabilistic Knowledge

·        Ethical issues in research

·        Junk science, pseudoscience and quackery

·        Chapter Summary

·        Learning Activities

 

   Chapter 3:  Crafting Scientific and Answerable Questions

 

·        Learning Objectives

·        Theories, problems, hypotheses and questions