How Does Your Research Measure Up?

Association between funding and quality of published medical education research.  Reed DA, Cook DA, Beckman TJ, Levine RB, Kern DE, Wright SM. JAMA. 2007; 298(9): 1002-1009. Available online from the Baystate Health Sciences Library, or from PubMed at your institution. 

In their quest for determining the quality of funded versus non-funded educational research, Reed and his colleagues could not find in the literature a tool to measure the quality of medical education research. SO, they did what each of us would have done in the same situation - they developed and validated one. 

Thus, this article double dips as a call for funding in medical education research (yay!) and a tool that holds us researchers accountable for producing higher quality research (wait, what?). 

Those of us who are familiar with Reed and Cook in the literature have likely already dog-eared and highlighted this synopsis of rigorous quantitative research. The tool (medical education research study quality instrument, or MERSQI) and the description of its development boil down elements of rigorous research that should guide our work. 

In fact, what the MERSQI lacks in snappy name recognition, it makes up for in utility. Consider the emphasis on study design, data analysis, and validity. Admittedly, the authors omit "subjective" criteria from their MERSQI, such as relevance of the research question and appropriateness (and use!) of a conceptual framework. Also, the MERSQI should not be used with qualitative research. Additional side effects may include the urge to rely too heavily on a recipe that may not be appropriate for your research question. 

Ultimately, having access to a tool like this and knowing how to use it are the aspects that make research difficult (and great). 

Bottom Line:  

The medical education research study quality instrument (MERSQI) - developed to help the authors answer their research question - is the real meat of this article. Use it like guard rails on the highway to keep your research on the right path.