Research Methodologies in Health Professions Education Publications: Breadth and Rigor

Abstract

Purpose Research methodologies represent assumptions about knowledge and ways of knowing. Diverse research methodologies and methodological standards for rigor are essential in shaping the collective set of knowledge in health professions education (HPE). Given this relationship between methodologies and knowledge, it is important to understand the breadth of research methodologies and their rigor in HPE research publications. However, there are limited studies examining these questions. This study synthesized current trends in methodologies and rigor in HPE papers to inform how evidence is gathered and collectively shapes knowledge in HPE. Method This descriptive quantitative study used stepwise stratified cluster random sampling to analyze 90 papers from 15 HPE journals published in 2018 and 2019. Using a research design codebook, the authors conducted group coding processes for fidelity, response process validity, and rater agreement; an index quantifying methodological rigor was developed and applied for each paper. Results Over half of research methodologies were quantitative (51%), followed by qualitative (28%), and mixed methods (20%). No quantitative and mixed methods papers reported an epistemological approach. All qualitative papers that reported an epistemological approach (48%) used social constructivism. Most papers included participants from North America (49%) and Europe (20%). The majority of papers did not specify participant sampling strategies (56%) or a rationale for sample size (80%). Among those reported, most studies (81%) collected data within 1 year. The average rigor score of the papers was 56% (SD = 17). Rigor scores varied by journal categories and research methodologies. Rigor scores differed between general HPE journals and discipline-specific journals. Qualitative papers had significantly higher rigor scores than quantitative and mixed methods papers. Conclusions This review of methodological breadth and rigor in HPE papers raises awareness in addressing methodological gaps and calls for future research on how the authors shape the nature of knowledge in HPE.

What you think you know shapes what you see: How epistemology shapes curriculum, teaching, and learning

“…While this chapter focuses on illustrating how epistemology is foundational to teaching and learning, it would be incomplete without recognizing that epistemic beliefs also lay the foundation for HPE scholarship. Most HPE research and scholarship is grounded in post‐positivism, resulting in calls for studies with alternate epistemological underpinnings (Han et al., 2022; Regehr, 2010). As several have asserted, HPE could be strengthened through valuing and employing epistemological diversity, which might be best achieved by interdisciplinary collaborations (Hayes & Doherty, 2017; Varpio & MacLeod, 2020).…”

“…Researchers have recently begun to call for HPE journal editors to create opportunities for research with different epistemic underpinnings. This could include pursuing articles that reflect a broader array of epistemologies (Han et al., 2022), diversifying editorial boards (Yip & Rashid, 2021), and recruiting reviewers with more diverse perspectives (Krlev & Spicer, 2023).…”

Phenomenology and Human Resource Development: Philosophical Foundations and Implication for Research

“…A third example, referenced earlier, is Van Nistelrooij and Visse’s (2019) exploration of the dynamics of professional responsibility to provide care in a nursing environment. In the HPE context, phenomenological research contributes to innovation by filling “methodological gaps” identified in a large-scale analysis of methods employed in HPE research (Han et al, 2022, para 1).…”

Centering Criticality in Medical Education Research: A Synthesis of the 2022 RIME Papers

“…Han et al 8 conducted a descriptive quantitative study to examine current trends in methodologies and rigor in health professions education (HPE). Their work found that HPE primarily used quantitative methodologies, and that there was a lack of "subjectivist epistemologies and philosophical frameworks highlighting critical inquiry, feminism, and postmodernism. "…”

“…Han et al 8 conducted a descriptive quantitative study to examine current trends in methodologies and rigor in health professions education (HPE). Their work found that HPE primarily used quantitative methodologies, and that there was a lack of “subjectivist epistemologies and philosophical frameworks highlighting critical inquiry, feminism, and postmodernism.” This is an important paper because it raises larger questions about how knowledge is created in our profession, what methodologies are leading these efforts, and the potential consequences in staying with the current trends.…”