Review of evidence assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Review of evidence assignment - Essay Example A thorough literature review provides a foundation on which to base new knowledge. For a clinical problem, such as OA, it would likely also be necessary to learn as much as possible about the â€Å"status quo† of current procedures relating to the topic, and to review existing practice guidelines or protocols. Normally, researchers have their research critiqued by peers, consultants, or other reviewers to obtain substantive, clinical, or methodological feedback before implementing the plan (Cormack, 2000, 82-85). Moreover, an integrated and critical review of existing research and theory relevant to the topic should provide a solid rationale and evidence in favour of or against contemporary concepts, practice, or guidelines. The ultimate objective of any research is to undertake a systemic search and collection of data and to analyse and interpret them in order to verify or testify existing knowledge (Clarke, 2004, 100-102). Broadly these data can be classified into two variet ies, numerical and descriptive. Depending on the intended type of data, usually a research is designed into different types, and varieties of information may be revealed. However, irrespective of the type of methodology, critical and systemic review of research can serve two purposes. In that sense, critical reviews are both scientific research and the application of common sense. They serve to identify studies relevant to a particular question, to appraise and assess the eligibility of these studies, and to summarise them, using statistical techniques to combine their results, if feasible and appropriate (Chinnock, Siegfried & Clarke, 2005, 367-369). Research methods are techniques used by researchers to structure a study through which information is gathered and analysed to answer the research question. The two alternative paradigms have strong implications for the research