Malissa Martin

Longitudinal Evaluation of Journal of Athletic Training Author Credentials: Implications for Future Research Engagement in Athletic Training

PURPOSE To employ retrospective trend analysis in an attempt to provide a layered description of the relative contribution (per credential) of clinical athletic trainers (those without terminal degrees) to authoring scientific literature in the Journal of Athletic Training (JAT). From these data, our secondary purpose was to evaluate trends relative to changes in journal policy and increased educational rigor or professional limitations over the past decade, discussing how they may affect the potential for clinical athletic trainers to contribute to JAT. DESIGN Exploratory study design with trend analysis. PARTICIPANTS Data collection and analysis included a trend evaluation of the credentials of clinical athletic trainer authors in JAT and the teams (by credential) of authorship to determine the credentials of authors who published in JAT. MEASUREMENTS Longitudinal tabulation of JAT author credentials from 1995 through 2007. RESULTS We noted increases in the absolute number of research articles per volume and the number of authors per article and a decrease in the relative percentage of authors who were athletic trainers. The results also suggested that the bachelor of science degree (BS-ATC, representative of clinical athletic trainers without advanced degrees) and Doctor of Medicine (MD) credential may be underrepresented in JAT authorship. CONCLUSIONS Postgraduate research training may facilitate scientific article contribution by athletic trainers. Continued evolution in the athletic training evidence-based medicine movement should foster research-based mentorship during education. Cultivating collaborations between clinical athletic trainers and research teams may also promote outcomes assessment trials, which will benefit athletic training practices.

Validation of the Quantitative Diagnostic Thinking Inventory for Athletic Training: A Pilot Study.

Context: The cognitive process of making a clinical decision lies somewhere on a continuum between novices using hypothetico-deductive reasoning and experts relying more on case pattern recognition. Although several methods exist for measuring facets of clinical reasoning in specific situations, none have been experimentally applied, as of yet, to the profession of athletic training. The Diagnostic Thinking Inventory (DTI) has been used with medical doctors and medical students to determine their level of clinical reasoning as it applies to diagnosis making. Objective: To validate the DTI for Athletic Training (DTI-AT) and associated interview questions for use in the field of athletic training. Design: Mixed methodology. Setting: Online inventory and Skype-based interviews. Patients or Other Participants: Convenience sample of 25 senior-level athletic training students. Main Outcome Measure(s): Participants completed an online version of the DTI-AT which rated clinical reasoning tendencies on a 6-point L...

Effectiveness of Mobile Learning on Athletic Training Psychomotor Skill Acquisition.

Context: Instruction of psychomotor skills is an important component of athletic training education. Accommodating the varied learning abilities and preferences of athletic training students can be...

Evidence-Based Concept Mapping for the Athletic Training Student.

Context: A concept map is a graphical and cognitive tool that enables learners to link together interrelated concepts using propositions or statements that answer a posed problem. As an assessment ...