Welcome to the Training Resources Repository
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) by Dr. Jonelle Ward
Dr. Jonelle Ward is a Canadian academic and researcher with expertise in aging, caregiving, and social policy. She completed her PhD in Social Gerontology at McMaster University in 2023.
Thematic Analysis Training by Dr. Tara Packham
Dr. Tara Packham is an occupational therapist who worked in the Hand Therapy Program at Hamilton General for over 20 years before completing her PhD. She is now an Assistant Professor in the School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University.
Qualitative Realist Synthesis by Dr. Sandra VanderKaay
Dr. Sandra VanderKaay is an Assistant Professor in the School of Rehabilitation Science and a CanChild Scientist at McMaster University.
Resources for this section will be available soon. Please check back later.
Resources for this section will be available soon. Please check back later.
Research Methods & Study Design Overview
Presented by: Met & Unmet Needs of Black Older Adults Team
This training session introduces qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods approaches and provides an overview of core study designs used in health and aging research. The session examines how methodological choices shape study rigor, interpretation, and knowledge translation, with applied examples drawn from peer-reviewed research on the met and unmet needs of Black older adults.
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Consensus-Building Techniques
Taught by Dr. Michael Kalu
This session explores the foundational principles and practical strategies involved in consensus-building approaches used in health research and collaborative design.
E-Delphi Methods Critiques
Taught by Dr. Michael Kalu
This session offers a critical look at E-Delphi methodology, its relevance to collaborative decision-making in healthcare research, and how it can be improved for diverse population engagement.
Overview of Reviews and Scoping Reviews
Date: May 10, 2025
This session introduced the landscape of knowledge synthesis, highlighting the difference between scoping and systematic reviews. It also covered when and why to use each method in research planning.
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Research Questions and Search Strategy Development
Date: May 17, 2025
This training explored how to build effective research questions and translate them into structured database search strategies using concepts, keywords, and Boolean operators.
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Conducting Search and Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria
Date: May 18, 2025
This session provided a walkthrough of the database search process and detailed guidance on developing inclusion and exclusion criteria for scoping and systematic reviews.
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Descriptive Synthesis of Study Meta-data
Taught by: Dr. Michael Kalu
This session demonstrates how to organize and summarize study meta-data for reviews, including study design, population, setting, interventions/exposures, and outcomes.
Meta-analysis for a Systematic Review
Taught by: Dr. Michael Kalu
This session provides an overview of meta-analysis for a systematic review, including key concepts and steps to support students and reviewers involved in evidence synthesis.
Thematic Synthesis for a Scoping Review
This session has not been taught yet. Resources for this section will be available soon. Please check back later.
Data Extraction Using Covidence for Literature Reviews
Taught by: Dr. Michael Kalu
This training session provided lab members with a practical walkthrough on how to extract data using Covidence, a widely used tool for conducting literature reviews, including scoping and systematic reviews.
Concept Analysis in Health Research
Taught by: Undergraduate Lab Students
This training session introduced lab members to concept analysis as a structured approach for clarifying vague or inconsistently defined concepts in health research by breaking them into simpler, meaningful elements. The session covered how defining attributes, identifying antecedents and consequences, and applying established methodologies such as Walker and Avant鈥檚 structured method and Rodgers鈥 evolutionary approach support theory development, strengthen research design, and improve measurement and communication across disciplines.
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How to Write an Introduction
Taught by: Dr. Michael Kalu
This session provides practical guidance on crafting compelling introductions for research manuscripts. It outlines how to establish context, identify gaps, and set the stage for your study鈥檚 significance.
Writing the Discussion Section
Taught by: Dr. Michael Kalu
This session offers practical strategies for writing an effective discussion section in a research manuscript. It focuses on interpreting results, connecting findings to existing literature, and highlighting the study's implications and limitations.
Foundations of Models, Theories, and Frameworks in Rehabilitation Research
Taught by: Dr. Michael Kalu
This session introduced the foundations of models, theories, and frameworks in rehabilitation research, highlighting how they shape research questions, study design, and interpretation. It emphasized aligning conceptual tools with research aims and critically examining their ethical, cultural, and methodological implications.
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Critiquing Frameworks: Methods, Tools, and Evidence
Taught by: Dr. Michael Kalu
This session examined structured approaches to theory evaluation and selection in rehabilitation research. The lecture distinguished critique frameworks from implementation science selection tools, emphasizing internal coherence, empirical adequacy, pragmatic strength, and contextual fit when justifying theoretical choices.
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Types of Socially Assistive Robots and How They Differ From Each Other
Presenter: Sara Lucente
Date: May 25, 2026
Perceptions, Attitudes, Beliefs, and Awareness: Understanding the Differences
Presenters: Gurneet Chahal and Tina Broujerdi
Date: May 25, 2026
Afrocentrism: A Concept Analysis
Presenter: Adithya Ramprasad
Date: May 25, 2026
Physical Literacy Frameworks
Presenters: Gurneet Chahal and Tina Broujerdi
Date: June 1, 2026
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