Appendix 1
Search Sources and Strategies
Databases: Australian Education Index, Biosis Previews, British Education Index, CAB Abstracts, Digital Dissertations, ERIC, Global Health, Google (particularly for grey literature), Index to Theses, ISI Proceedings, IVIS, Medline, PsycInfo, Research and Development Resource Base, TimeLIT, Web of Science, WorldCat Dissertations and theses.
For evidence outside veterinary medical education databases such as CINAHL and INSPEC will be used.
Other sources:
-Electronic search of specific journals - JVME, JAVMA, Veterinary Record, Australian Veterinary Journal, Canadian Veterinary Journal
-Consultation with experts in the field
-Cited reference searches for each publication meeting inclusion criteria
-Hand search of JVME (Volume 1 to Vol 34 (electronically available)
Search terms for Medline (for search terms for other databases see appendix)
1. Clinical Competence/
2. Professional Competence/
3. exp Communication/
4. (skill$ adj3 (clinical or professional or communication)).mp.
5. practical$.mp.
6. exp interprofessional relations/ or professional-family relations/ or exp professional-patient relations/
7. fitness to practi$.mp.
8. attitude/ or health knowledge, attitudes, practice/ or "Attitude of Health Personnel"/
9. professionalism.mp.
10. (knowledge or understand$).mp. [mp=title, original title, abstract, name of substance word, subject heading word]
11. perform$.mp.
12. Problem Solving/
13. exp Decision Making/
14. clinical reasoning.mp.
15. Diagnosis, Differential/
16. or/1-15
17. Educational Measurement/
18. clinical.mp.
19. (OSCE or OSPE or OSPVE or OSPRE).mp. [mp=title, original title, abstract, name of substance word, subject heading word]
20. (objective structured adj (practical veterinary exam$ or practical exam$ or performance related exam$)).mp.
21. long case$.mp.
22. short case$.mp.
23. case$.mp.
24. (oral$ or viva$).mp.
25. (Clinical evaluation exercise$ or CEX or mini-CEX or miniCEX).mp.
26. portfolio$.mp.
27. peer$.mp.
28. (clinical$ adj3 proficien$).mp.
29. simulat$.mp.
30. model$.mp.
31. video$.mp.
32. standardised client$.mp.
33. Patient Simulation/
34. Clinical Clerkship/ or (clerk$ or clinical placement$ or extramural).mp.
35. "360".mp. [mp=title, original title, abstract, name of substance word, subject heading word]
36. checklist$.mp.
37. (global adj (rating or impression)).mp.
38. (chart stimulated recall or CSR).mp.
39. (MCQ$ or multiple choice question$).mp.
40. (EMQ$ or extended matching).mp.
41. (essay or short answer).mp.
42. or/17-41
43. (assess$ or exam$ or test$).mp. or educational measurement/
44. 16 and 42 and 43
45. (final year or licen$ or graduat$ or registration).mp.
46. 44 and 45
47. Veterinary Medicine/ or veterinar$.mp.
48. 46 and 47
49. (assess$ or exam$ or test$ or standard setting or outcomes assessment).mp. or educational measurement/
50. (final year or licen$ or graduat$ or registration or certificat$).mp.
51. 16 and 42 and 47 and 49 and 50
52. 51 not 48
53. from 52 keep 1-27
54. (final year or licen$ or graduat$ or registration or certificat$ or high stake$).mp.
55. 16 and 42 and 47 and 49 and 54
Study Selection Criteria
Papers identified which are essentially descriptive in terms of the use of an assessment method will be excluded. Studies describing controlled studies or other quantitative data describing the use of the particular assessment method will be included. Given the nature of the study and the small numbers of papers identified in initial pilot searches, we will provide a summary commentary on all papers identified in Phase 1 and present this as a mapping of current data specific to veterinary medical education before beginning Phase 2.
Data Extraction
Eligible papers will be catalogued and data extracted using a modified coding sheet (Appendix I). 2 independent reviewers will code each paper with a 3rd reviewer being employed to resolve any differences.
Data Synthesis
Data will be analysed using the Realist Synthesis method (Pawson 2002), which will allow analysis of the wide variety of evidence expected4.
Review Timeline
The overall project began in September 2006 with a launch workshop (details at and will run for 2 years.
Dissemination of Results
Results will be disseminated at national assessment workshops, conference presentations at the Association of Veterinary Teachers and Research Workers conference (AVTRW) and at the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) conference.
A publication will also be prepared for the Journal of Veterinary Medical Education.
Conflict of Interest
None of the group members is aware of any conflict of interest pertaining to this work.
References
1:
2:
3. Biggs J. Constructing learning by aligning teaching: constructive alignment. In: Teaching for Quality Learning at University, Open University Press, 2003, pp25-33
4.