Reading Research: A User-Friendly Guide for Nurses and Other Health Professionals

Reading Research is the ideal tool for anyone new to research or perhaps intimidated by the subject. Perfect for students or anyone with an interest in health sciences research, this easy-to-use, compact guide introduces the essential elements of research and helps to bridge the gap between investigation and practice. Used by thousands of students, Reading Research introduces the basic steps for understanding and assessing research articles, and shows how research results are ultimately incorporated into clinical practice. Written to address both qualitative and quantitative research, the authors’ user-friendly approach provides advice on easier research access through clinical practice guidelines, meta-analysis and systematic reviews. A Canadian best-seller, Reading Research is the perfect companion for any student of nursing.

"This book is essential reading for all nursing undergraduate students and is in essence a knowledge translation tool. . . I think that the universities in Atlantic Canada should be using this book as well."
- Jennifer D., PhD student, New Brunswick, Canada.

• Concise overview of health sciences-related research.


• Beginner-level introduction of the basics of research, both qualitative and quantitative.


• Easy to read conversational style.


• Helpful, succinct tips.


• An accompanying web site provides up-to-date web links for relevant research projects and other research-related sites, and offers Reader's Companion Worksheets for download.

• Improved balance in coverage of qualitative and quantitative research.


• A new section on determining the quality of sources and academic rigor.


• A new section on clinical practice guidelines.


• A new glossary of terms.


• Reading research now discussed in terms of reading for both professional and personal interest.

Barbara Davies, RN, PhD, FCAHS is a professor emeritus at the University of Ottawa, School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, and has taught research methods in undergraduate and graduate programs. She was the co-director of the Nursing Best Practice Research Centre for 9 years and Vice-Dean Research for the Faculty of Health Sciences. She received a Premier’s Research Excellence Award from the Ministry of Enterprise, Opportunity and Innovation, of Ontario, Canada. She is a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. Her research program aims to increase the translation and uptake of evidence into practice for frontline health care workers, decision makers, and consumers. She is actively involved in the development, implementation, evaluation, and sustainability of best practice guidelines in nursing and health care.

Jo Logan, RN, PhD, is an adjunct professor at the University of Ottawa, School of Nursing, where she taught in the undergraduate and graduate programs. She is an affiliate member of the Ottawa Health Research Institute. Her research interests include evidence-based practice and supportive care. She is co-developer of the Ottawa Model of Research Use, which has been used in many research and clinical projects and has been described in numerous articles and book chapters. She has presented many workshops on professional practice and research use and was a director of Nursing Research, Education, and Quality Improvement at the Ottawa Civic Hospital.