One method to determine trends in occupational therapy research is to survey the literature published in occupational therapy journals. This study describes the types and topics of articles published in five prominent occupational therapy journals over a 5-year span. Feature articles published between 2001 and 2005 were analyzed to determine the types of articles and research and subject areas. The percentage of research articles published between 2001 and 2005 increased from 65% to 78% of all articles published and is higher than previous reports. More than 70% of the research articles used designs that substantially contribute to the evidence base for occupational therapy (defined by Kielhofner, Hammel, Finlayson, Helfrich, & Taylor [2004] as correlational-comparison, experimental, qualitative, and meta-analysis). Of the research articles, 60% addressed pediatric, physical disability, and rehabilitation topics. The 5-year period showed a trend of increasing frequency of geriatric and pediatric topics in research reports. Scholars should emphasize research designs that build the evidence for occupational therapy approaches and practices and focus on research topics of highest value to society.
Are Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) graduates more successful than BS graduates in accessing and analyzing research literature? This retrospective cohort study used a survey sent to Ohio State University MOT graduates, asking why they need information for their practice, what types of information they seek, and how they search for and use it. Results suggest that the MOT program has fostered higher-level skills than did the BS program in independent writing, a greater focus on evidence-based practice, and the use of bibliographic databases. The MOT graduates report high confidence in their ability to apply research to practice and high satisfaction with the lifelong learning skills they learned. The survey findings support the importance of collaboration between Occupational Therapy faculty and medical librarians in developing MOT educational programs.
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