1. Reflections on a Study of Transformation Mary Ellen Young, PhD
Russell Revisited:
Reflections on a Study of Transformation
Mary Ellen Young, PhD

2. Research Team: Jean Cole Spencer, PhD Mary Ellen Young, PhD Diana H
Research Team: Jean Cole Spencer, PhD Mary Ellen Young, PhD Diana H. Rintala, PhD Funding provided by: American Occupational Therapy Assoc. NIDRR Career Development Fellowship

3. “Russell” Study Single participant 31-year-old, Caucasian male
Sustained T-12 incomplete SCI
Left arm fractured in 4 places
Work-related injury
Purpose to study “adaptation to injury”

4. Data collection Planned daily interviews during rehab
Team of multidisciplinary researchers
Right to refuse daily interview
71 open-ended, conversational interviews
Observations and videos of therapy
Staff interviews

5. Data analysis Interviews transcribed and checked
“Microcoding” of first interviews
Identification of themes
Development of interpretive categories
Inventing the process: notecards, color coded transcripts, summary sheets
Constant comparison method

6. Trustworthiness Weekly team meetings for 1 year
Checking of transcripts for accuracy
Team agreement on codes and constructs
Peer debriefing
Participant checking

7. Reporting Results
Spencer, J. C., Young, M. E., & Rintala, D. H. (1995). Socialization to the culture of a rehabilitation hospital: An ethnographic study. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 49,

8. Reporting Results (cont.)
Rintala, D. H., Young, M. E., Spencer, J. C., & Bates, P. S. (1996). Family relationships and adaptation to spinal cord injury: A qualitative study. Rehabilitation Nursing, 21,

9. Reporting Results (cont.)
Bates, P. S., Spencer, J. C., Young, M. E., & Rintala, D. H. (1993). Assistive technology and the newly disabled adult: Adaptation to wheelchair use. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 47,

10. Recent Reflections
Research reasoning
Research as an agent of change

11. Research reasoning
During the interview, how does the interviewer choose what question to ask or what statement to make next?

12. Research Reasoning-- Responses Should:
Build rapport
Solicit specific information
Encourage him to speak freely and reflectively about his experience

13. Research Reasoning--Criteria for Evaluating Interview Statements
Research appropriateness
Social appropriateness
Ethical appropriateness

14. Research Appropriateness
Initiation of topics should not be done until participant has had adequate opportunity to initiate
Must be relevant to research questions
Must provide sufficient coverage of research questions

15. Social Appropriateness
Greetings
Farewells
Social amenities
Rapport building
Faux pas

16. Ethical appropriateness
Within scope of informed consent (autonomy)
Interventions (benevolence)
Withdrawal (nonmaleficence)
True to science (justice)

17. Uses of Research Reasoning
Training and evaluating students
Training research team members
Evaluating research results

18. What is not done is as important as what is done.

19. Research as an Agent of Change
The observer changes what is observed by the process of observing.
Active listening and empathetic responding are counseling interventions.
Does the research process become a therapeutic intervention itself?

20. Research as the Agent of Change
Did the research process change Russell’s of adaptation to disability?
Most likely, yes.

21. Recommendations
Understand the therapeutic power of the research process
Train interviewers
Clarify ethical issues
Minimize interventions
Observe and document differences brought about by research itself