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Believe you can and you’re half way there.
—Theodore Roosevelt
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LEARNING OUTCOMES
The information provided in this chapter will assist the reader to:
Explore the reasons for publishing a study or project.
Determine publishing goals and consider how they impact publication style and approach.
Differentiate between peer-reviewed and non–peer-reviewed publications.
Choose an appropriate target publication for the identified publication goals.
Use the formatting guidelines discussed to write an article for submission to the target publication.
Identify additional resources and tips for composing a quality article.
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No research study or evidence-based practice project is complete until the results are shared. Unfortunately, this is often the point at which researchers and practitioners lose momentum; as a result, the material languishes in a drawer waiting to be written. Until colleagues, consumers, policy makers, or the general public are informed about the findings of the study or project, those findings are not useful. Specific reasons to pursue publication may include:
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To share knowledge gained via research or evidence-based practice efforts to allow informed decision-making by professionals and consumers
To allow fellow researchers or practitioners to build on your work
To enable others to avoid pitfalls noted in your study or project in their future endeavors
To network and collaborate with others in your discipline or those interested in your topic area
To expand your professional research and writing skills
To build your resume for future employment or funding opportunities
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DEFINING PUBLISHING GOALS
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Once you have decided to pursue publication, it is important to consider the goals you hope to achieve in this effort. For example, are you most interested in sharing your results with fellow professionals who could benefit from or build on your work? Might your work be appropriate to share with the general public who are consumers of your service? Or could your work impact the decisions of policy makers or administrators, in which case it really needs to be shared with them? Depending on the nature of your study or project, you may find one or more of these options to be fitting. There are usually multiple opportunities for publication within a single study or project. Boxes 14-1 and 14-2 show examples of a research study and an evidence-based practice project, respectively, with some potential publication avenues for each.
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BOX 14-1 Example Research Study and Potential Publication Opportunities
A research study was conducted by three physical therapy students and their faculty advisor to explore the impact of a balance training program on the incidence of falls within one senior retirement community. Seventy-six subjects were randomized into one of two study groups: an experimental group that participated in the balance training program three times per week for 2 months and a control ...