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[ Project Goals ]
[ Project Objectives ]
[ Dissemination and Utilization Strategies ]
[ Impacts ]
[ Year One Implementation ]

 

Project Goals:

Overall Goal: Identify priority independent living (IL) research information needs of the target population and barriers to the information; develop, test, and refine effective economical options for practical information dissemination; stimulate access to the research information, and maintain, test, and refine the new infrastructure.

The target population is divided into four groups: 1) individuals with disabilities, 2) CIL staff and administrators, 3) policy makers and planners such as SILCs, and 4) researchers.

Key products of the overall goal will include a number of new options that improve the IL research information infrastructure and increase the amount of IL research information dissemination and utilization.

 

Project Objectives:

Conduct a national consumer concerns survey to identify IL research information needs and barriers to that information and develop a taxonomy of IL research information priorities. The data will be presented and discussed in detail at the 1999 National Conference on Independent Living.

Products include the taxonomy of research information needs and barriers to that information.

With the priority information needs taxonomy, conduct literature searches and information searches from a wide variety of NIDRR-funded projects and centers and other sources, and identify needed priority research studies and information on the basis of the consumer priorities. The search will also include research information on non-researcher user-friendly presentation.

Products include a list of potential research studies for review and studies concerned with user-friendly formats for non-researchers.

Write reviews for relevant and priority IL information in a user-friendly format and test and refine the format and language through consumer feedback.

Products include a review of user-friendly research for non-researchers, "A Guide to Abstract Research Information for Non-Researchers," and abstracted research information. Abstracted information involves periodic searches and reviews over the life of the grant.

Develop, test, and refine an interactive searchable database that contains the priority IL research information reviews.

The product of this objective will be the interactive and searchable database that contains user-friendly reviews.

Provide research information reviews to Exploding Myths and other organizations so that it can be used for dissemination through popular media.

The product of this objective will be the IL research reviews.

Develop new information dissemination options that includes newsgroups, listservs, and IL links that can all be accessed through a single WWW page

Products include an IL research information WWW homepage, RIIL listserv, RIIL moderated news group, and links to other resources.

Develop and provide technical assistance for CIL brokering services to stimulate and facilitate acquisition of IL research information for consumers who do not have access to the Internet.

Products will include a "Brokering Guide for IL Research Information" that will be used with technical assistance and for information dissemination.

Develop, test, and refine a research primmer that can be used to assist consumers and service providers to better understand how to use research and facilitate research agendas.

The product of this objective is a guide entitled, "Guiding and Using Research for Independent Living."

Use a planned marketing and promotion program to stimulate consumer use of the searchable database and related support systems.

The product of this objective will include a marketing and promotion plan that includes separate strategies and contact points for each of the four target population sub-populations.

Provide technical assistance to researchers to abstract their research information in the user-friendly format developed for the searchable database.

The products of this objective will be researcher abstracts or reviews that are written in the user-friendly format and language contained in the guide entitled, "A Guide to Abstract Research Information for Non-Researchers."

 

Dissemination and Utilization Strategies:

The basic strategy is to develop a new infrastructure within the Internet that can be used to store, access, and discuss IL research information.

A back-up strategy for individuals who do not have Internet access to stimulate brokering services at centers for independent living and similar services through technical assistance.

An initial strategy is to use "informed respondents" across the U.S. to develop and complete a Consumer Concerns Survey that will be used to determine research information priorities and barriers to that information.

A support strategy is to provide assistance to the consumer population so those members understand the limitations and advantages of using research and setting research agendas.

Another support strategy is to facilitate use of IL research reviews by training researchers to write abstracts or reviews of their research in a user-friendly format and language.

The ongoing strategy involves updating information and disseminating it through various options that the target population selects.

Another ongoing strategy is to use a marketing and promotion plan to stimulate use of new options in the Internet infrastructure.

 

Impacts:

Two types of impacts are considered for RIIL, infrastructure impacts and individual and organizational impacts. The first impacts concern the additions and improvements to the broad information dissemination infrastructure. These additions and improvements represent new options for individuals with disabilities, family members, service providers, policy makers, and researchers.

The second types of impacts are those directly related to individuals and organizations. These impacts concern dissemination of information to individuals and organizations and utilization of that information.

Infrastructure Impacts: Results of the Consumer Concerns Survey will provide new information on research information needs that can be used to set priorities for dissemination and future research agendas. The impact of this survey will result in a prioritized research information database and hopefully prioritized research agendas.

Prioritized research reviews on the Center’s searchable and interactive database will provide accessible research information on IL that was not previously available.

The establishment of listservs and news groups present two new infrastructure options to learn about IL research.

The Center’s WWW page in another infrastructure improvement will link the resources of the Center and other IL-related organizations.

Individual and Organizational Impacts: The most important impacts and those that RIIL is designed to produce are consumer and organizational impacts. These impacts will include the number of individuals and organizations who request the Center’s information. Most requests will come through the searchable and interactive database. The database will automatically tabulate the number of users that visited each IL research review. Before a user can go on to the next review, the person will be asked if the information is useful. If they answer yes, they will be asked how they plan to use it and the impact that it might have. Similar information will be obtained from chatrooms and listservs. The number of visitors to the RIIL WWW home page and the number who used links to other resources will also be tabulated to determine use rates-the impact of individuals and organizations acquiring needed information.

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NOTE: It is important to note that we need to address consumers who will use our products and customers who fund the center as different groups.

Year 1 Implementation:

Conduct two (2) consumer concerns surveys within eight months of the beginning of the grant. One survey would be for consumers, one for CIL staff and administrators, and one for SILCs.

Use Informed Respondents (IR) to establish survey questions which include 1) research topics to provide priorities, 2) on accessing research information, and 3) effective means to stimulate use of the searchable database and other DRIC systems.

Integrate the questions into a Consumer Concerns Report Method (CCRM) format for two surveys.

Conduct the CCRM survey using stratified geographic samples.

Tabulate and analyze data from surveys.

Conduct a "Town Meeting" at the NCIL conference to further analyze result, establish priorities, and develop interventions. The two meeting will involve consumers, CIL staff and administrators, SILC representatives, policy makers, and NIDRR representatives. NOTE that a portion of the meeting would be used to review the initial abstract examples which contain language levels and formats that will be used to abstract research information.

Develop language level and format specifications to abstract IL research information, test the abstracts, refine the specifications and abstracts.

Develop general specifications for abstracting information.

Develop sample abstracts with the specifications.

Test sample abstracts with consumer groups.

Refine specifications and develop examples for in-house use and later for researchers.

Organize a cadre of research assistants to identify research information from various sources (including NIDRR projects and centers) on the basis of the taxonomy of IL research information needs.

Abstract information using the taxonomy and continue to refine language and format specifications and examples.

Develop a product draft of specification, examples, and related information that would be tested and could be used for technical assistance and dissemination to researchers.

Develop a searchable and interactive database that can be accessed through a WWW site.

Develop a prototype database.

Test use of the prototype database with all three consumer target groups.

Refine and maintain the database through initial tests and interactive feedback over time.

Develop any documentation or procedures to use the database.

 

For more information on RIIL, contact:

The RTC/IL 
(785) 864-4095 (Voice or TDD)
Jim Budde or Glen White
or
The ILRU Program 
(713) 520-0232 (Voice)  713-520-5136(TDD) 
Lex Frieden or Laurel Richards

RIIL is a joint venture of the Research and Training Center on  Independent Living (RTC/IL), University of Kansas and Independent  Living Research Utilization (ILRU), a program of The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research (TIRR).  The Center is funded by the National Institute  for Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR).