Physical Therapy Research: Principles and Applications, ed 2

Physical Therapy Research: Principles and Applications, ed 2

Domholdt E. Philadelphia, PA 19106,

WB Saunders Co, 2000, paperback, 536

pp, illus, ISBN: 0-7216-6963-8, $41.

This book covers the principles of research and their application, which physical therapists need to understand in order to be consumers and producers of research. The book is divided into 8 sections and 6 comprehensive appendixes. The length of each section varies, ranging from 2 to 6 chapters. Each chapter starts with an outline of topics covered and ends with a list of references. The author creatively uses figures and tables to emphasize points made in the concise and easy-to-understand text. The author uses the terminology in the Guide to Physical Therapist Practice.

Section 1 addresses the fundamentals of research, including the history of research in physical therapy, theory, and ethical issues. The author uses current clinical issues in physical therapy to explain the abstract theory and the relationship between theory and clinical research.

Section 2 provides an overview of how the research problem is identified, hypothesis testing, basic research design, issues related to research validity, and sampling. The author presents an introduction of quantitative, qualitative, and single-subject design. Sections 3 and 4 discuss research design in detail. She uses physical therapy examples to explain internal, construct, and external...