Scottish Institute of Reflexology

What is Research?

There are a lot of myths surrounding research, such as – it takes too long, it costs too much money, it's only done in labs by academics. All of this is nonsense as the main aim of research is to inform practice. We already all do this if we are meeting regularly and discussing case studies. If we are involved with Clinical Supervision then we will be discussing, dissecting and coming to conclusions about reactions to and outcomes of treatment.

Research is about being systematic and rigorous in examining our professional work. It is about looking, listening, trying new strategies and learning from experience (Kane 2004).

Research is about supplying a body of evidence and there are different types of evidence that can be gathered.

Scientific Evidence

It is generally accepted that in order for research to be robust and reliable it must be carried out in a controlled and systematic way. It must be clearly documented and must be replicable by others and the same results achievable. Research studies are most commonly done using three methods, Qualitative, Quantitative and Triangulation.

Empirical Evidence

This is evidence that is based on direct experience or observation – in the case of practitioners this is something that is very easy for us all to build on via the Case Study Summary Sheet & Yellow Forms. By completing one of these after a session or period of treatment it is possible for the SIR to collate these into patterns and themes of similarity. This can then be used as an empirical evidence base.

Anecdotal Evidence

This evidence is based on personal experience and is passed on by word of mouth and not documented in a scientific manner. It is often the case that anecdotal evidence is unreliable if it is stated as fact when it is merely a generalisation of experienced reactions. Having said that it cannot be completely discounted and 'lived experiences' are often documented in qualitative research in a controlled way.

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