Cover -- Half Title -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Dedication -- Table of Contents -- List of figures -- List of tables -- Preface -- Chapter 1: Research is simple -- Chapter outline -- What is research? -- Definitions of research -- Scientific method -- Research -- Evidence-based practice -- The 'salt bath' and poor methodology -- Research: a two-headed beast -- You already know about research -- What has research to do with healthcare practice? -- Practice and research -- the same motivation -- Why knowledge can't simply be passed on from one person to another -- A practice discipline

Where is research? -- The role of research in clinical practice -- Who does research today? -- Research: why get involved? -- What do you want to be doing in 5 years' time? -- What kind of practitioner do you want to be? -- Concluding remarks -- Summary -- Further reading -- References -- Chapter 2: Reviewing the literature: getting started -- Chapter outline -- Why look at the existing literature? -- What is 'the literature'? -- How do I trust the literature? -- Where do I find the professional literature? -- Making sense of published research -- The use of analysis in the literature

How to review the literature -- Identify a clear objective -- what exactly do you want to find in the literature? -- Identify the best source of literature -- where shall you look? -- Identify the type of literature -- Identify what resources you have available -- Identify the academic level of literature you wish to access -- Get help if you need it -- Make notes on everything you read -- What notes to make -- Be prepared to read and re-read your literature -- Writing your literature review -- Concluding remarks -- Summary -- Further reading -- Journal databases -- References

Chapter 3: Reviewing the literature systematically: the SystematicLiterature Review -- Chapter outline -- Once upon a time ... -- What is a Systematic Review? -- Writing a Systematic Literature Review -- Selecting a topic -- Identify the question -- Set inclusion and exclusion criteria -- Search for the literature -- Creating a record of each research paper reviewed -- Suggested contents list for a Systematic Literature Review: -- Conclusion -- References -- Chapter 4: Evidence-based practice -- Useful web sites -- Chapter outline -- What is evidence-based practice?

Meaning 1: The use of research as one of many forms of evidence -- Meaning 2: the implementation of research -- Non-research forms of evidence -- Peer review -- Clinical audit -- Benchmarking -- Established clinical expertise -- Tradition -- Experience -- Policy and guidelines -- Research that does not meet the standard of scientific criteria -- Practice that is supported by anecdotal evidence and by the literature -- The failure to use evidence -- Intuition -- Trial and error -- Why is there not more published research in nursing and healthcare? -- The implementation of research