It is important that when gathering information to use in an assessment report, that you only use information that is from reputable sources.  A reputable source is one that has produced or reported evidence applying strict quality control measures.

In your face to face learning this week, you were introduced to different sources of information.   You also applied some checking questions that can be used to assess the quality of article.   Let’s see what you have been able to retain from that learning.

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When is it ok to use articles or opinion-based articles sourced through a normal Google search?

While the majority of information you source for your assessments should ideally come from primary sources, or high-quality secondary sources, there are times where using information from an interesting online article is ok too.

These types of articles can be useful in establishing a context in a report, or to draw the reader in.  For example, in your face-to-face lesson you were introduced to a news article about red wine and how it might be able to replace exercise for cardiac health.  While the information in the article was essentially rubbish, it did provide an interesting context for the discussion and learning that followed.  It was also a more interesting way to start the learning, than simply talking about resveratrol and how rubbish the report is.  I’m sure some of you wanted the claim the article was making to be true!

General online searches are a great way to find out what is being said about a given topic.  They can be useful to use in a report’s introduction to create interest before you dive deeper to find the answer to the question your report is trying to uncover.  Claims made in online articles that have no sources provided or clear evidence to back them up are fine to use but should be presented as “evidence”.

What about reputable organisations that write articles or recommendations (but don’t provide sources for their information)?  

Let’s say the NZ Stroke Foundation released a set of recommendations for assisting a stroke victim to regain function in the year after a stroke, but there were no references given for the information provided.  Can you trust the information?  In short, yes.

Sometimes you simply need to make a judgement call on the reputability of the organisation.  National organisations and Government organisations (like the Ministry of Health) are generally classed as trustworthy organisations.

If the articles they produce give an author, look them up to establish their level of expertise. You will often find these organisations have some of the brightest minds in areas related to the organisation working for them.  However, often they don’t provide an author for the information.

These organisations should provide their sources, however, as long as you attribute the information you used to these organisations, that’s fine.  It obviously wouldn’t hurt to add additional findings from other reputable sources to corroborate the findings.

Validity

When providing evidence in your academic reports, you may be asked to address the validity of the sources you have used.  Regarding evidence, validity essentially is a measure of how well the study measured what they were trying to find out, and how usable the evidence is, and how it can be applied outside of the context of the study.

For example, a research experiment conducted on 6 people wouldn’t hold as much weight as one completed on 6,000 people.  Similarly, if the subjects of a study were all of the same gender and age, can we apply the learnings from the study to other populations?  

Scientific studies have to address the validity of their study in a section of their report.  This section is usually called “limitations”.  In this section, the authors are supposed to write about who the evidence applies to and who it doesn’t.  They must also disclose any factors that may have influenced the results of the study.  The authors must also disclose if there are any conflicts of interest that are related to the study.  For example, an author may work for a company that may benefit from the study findings.

When you are addressing the validity of the sources you have collected evidence from, you should consider:

• The quality of the source – primary, secondary etc.
• The author/s of the article – level of expertise, experience etc.
• The reputability of the publication – peer reviewed journal, newspaper article, blog etc.
• The range of people included in the study (age, gender etc.), sample size and duration of the study.
• The methods used to produce results in the study.
• Any validity issues or conflicts of interest raised by the authors.

Knowledge Check

Answer the following questions to show you have taken on board the information covered above.

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The following task is a “choose your path” scenario designed to put your knowledge of information source selection to the test.  See if you can get to the end of the task by choosing the right answer at each step.  Be careful!  If you give a wrong answer, you will be taken back to the start of the journey!

The point of conducting online research is to answer a question.  In the case of assessments, the questions are dictated by the tasks.  When assessment tasks call for evidence-based answers, you need to conduct your own research to search for evidence.  To gather evidence from academic articles, you need to know how to read them!

You now know how to find high-quality articles to use in your assessment reports.  Finding them is one thing, reading and understanding them is another!  Often you are only after a small amount of information, but the article includes pages of dense academic writing.  This section is designed to help you navigate these articles to find the information you need.  There are a few different types of articles you may come across in your online research.  Let’s start with the most common.  Academic journal articles reporting the findings of a study or experiment.

Reading Academic Journal Articles

All journal articles that present a scientific study are formatted in the same way.  Each article is broken into the following sections:

1. Abstract
2. Introduction
3. Methods
4. Results
5. Discussion – including limitations
6. Conclusions

Let’s take a brief look at each of these sections in turn.  In the learning that follows, you will be introduced to the sections involved in an academic journal article.  Each section introduced will include a reading task designed to get you familiar with the way in which these sections are presented.  A critical skill in academic research is the ability to scan articles to find the critical information you need.  This skill requires you to be able to filter through some of the higher-level academic writing to find the elements of the article that will be useful to include in your assessment (while still understanding the context of the article).

What follows is a series of these reading tasks where you will be asked to read sections of different academic articles to find specific information. Up first, the article abstract.

The Abstract

This one you have already come across.  An abstract is provided at the very start of each academic journal article.  It is a brief overview of all parts of the article.  In it, you should be able to find out key information that will let you know if this is an article worth reading further, i.e., might it help you answer the question you need to answer for your assessment?  A quick scan of an abstract should tell you what the purpose of the study was, how they conducted the study (and on who) and what the results of the study showed.  It should finish by giving the author’s conclusions and/or recommendations based on the findings.

The passage below is an abstract taken from a journal article called “The Effect of Music on Anaerobic Exercise Performance” written by T. Attan (2013).   The paragraphs in the abstract have been mixed up!  Drag the paragraphs into the correct order, then read the abstract and answer the questions that follow.

If we can’t use this, then simply pace the abstract text in an emphasis box and change the instructions above to “Read the abstract and answer the questions that follow” (then jump straight to the question set below).

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The Introduction

This segment of the article outlines the purpose of the current study (this may be given at the start or end of the introduction).  It also gives some background or context to the study by introducing findings from previous (related) research.  An introduction should also introduce any key concepts a reader should understand before reading the results of the current study.  This may include specific terms of reference or abbreviations that will be used throughout the article.

Introductions can be quite lengthy, depending on the amount of previous research they decide to discuss.  Often, because the authors of the current study are using multiple research sources, they will summarise the findings of multiple studies that found similar outcomes. They indicate the sources they have used by bracketing the numbers which correspond to the order in which the sources are presented in the post text referencing section, e.g., (3,4,11,13) is saying that the sources the information came from was from source number 3, 4, 11 and 13 in their reference list at the end of the article.

The key to reading an introduction is to develop the ability to skim read the text to understand what the context of the current research is (and what previous research has found).  Let’s work on this skill now.

Below is an example of an Introduction from an article by Arnett (2001) entitled “The Effect of a Morning and Afternoon Practice Schedule on Morning and Afternoon Swim Performance”.  Read the introduction and answer the questions that follow.

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Methods

This is where the experimental design for the study is detailed along with information on the subjects (if any) that participated in the study (age, gender, etc.)   This section will outline the different groups or processes used during the study investigation, what the groups had to do, along with how frequently and how long they had to do it for.  It will also outline any measures or measurement techniques used for collecting data during the study and discuss how the data was used.

Below is a link to an article by Correia et al (2020) entitled “The Effect of plyometric Training on Vertical Jump Performance in Young Basketball Athletes.”  By clicking on the link, you will download a PDF of the full article on your computer.  Navigate to the “Methods” section in the article.  Keep this article open while you answer the questions below (look at a question then scan the article to find the answer).

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Results

This is where all results from the study are detailed.   This section usually includes diagrams and graphs to illustrate the results.  The results section is often quite detailed and complex, and data is typically presented without any context or discussion.  While you are likely interested in the results of a study for your assessment, it is often better to read what the results mean from the perspective of the authors as this will include some context and discussion that will make the results easier to absorb and understand.  This information can be found in the next section – Discussion.

Discussion

In this section the authors discuss the results and give some context to them in relation to the question the research was designed to answer.  The authors may also compare their study’s findings, to the results of previous studies completed on the same (or similar) topics.  This section often includes “practical applications” to let people know how the results of the study might be used by people in industry (i.e., what it might help them to do).

The discussion section from a study by Esmarck et al (2001) has been detailed below.  This experiment was conducted to explore the effect of post exercise protein timing on muscle hypertrophy in elderly humans.  In the study, 13 over 70 males  did 12 weeks of resistance training. Half received a protein meal immediately after the exercise session, while the other half had the same meal 2 hours post exercise.  The passage below discusses the results of the experiment.

Read the discussion passage from the study, then answer the questions that follow.’

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Information relating to limitations may be a section on its own or could be included in the discussion section of an article (as it was in the article above).  This is where the authors raise any concerns around the way the experiment was conducted, (the methodology) or the subjects used in the study that may have influenced the results.  The authors also have to state any conflicts of interest that may cause bias towards finding a particular result.  For example, if a hydration study was funded by Gatorade and concluded that Gatorade was the best sports drink for replacing electrolytes, this would be a conflict of interest.

Conclusion

This is where the authors sum up their findings and make suggestions for further areas of study.  This is where the answer to your question will likely be found.  The conclusion will provide one of these two common scenarios:

1. A clear result from the study that answers the research question being asked with clear recommendations for how that information might be used, i.e., the results of the study suggest, or appear to suggest that…
2. An unclear finding, or one of limited significance with a suggestion that further study is required in this area.

Here is an example of a conclusion statement.  It is the conclusion from the experiment on protein ingestion timing on hypertrophy in elderly subjects.   The authors are pretty confident in their findings!

Recap of learning

The following task is designed to check your understanding of how to navigate a journal article to find specific pieces of information related to a study.  Each flash card in the task below will ask a question.  The answer to each question is one of the article sections we have discussed above.  Type the article section you believe answers the question into the space provided on the flashcard.  Note:  you only need to type one of the following words (without “the” in front of it).

• Abstract
• Introduction
• Methods
• Discussion
• Limitations
• Conclusion

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Time to put it all together and have a crack at a full academic article.  Below is a link to an article published in the Journal of Physiology.  This article is also related to protein ingestion post exercise but has a slightly different focus.  This experiment by Areta et al (2013) wanted to know if the manner in which protein was ingested following resistance training impacted on muscle fibre protein synthesis (growth).

Click on the link and download the article onto your computer.  Have the article open in another window.  Rather than read the article in full.  Begin reading the question below then navigating to the appropriate section of the article and skim read until you find the information you are looking for.  Type the answer into the passage when you find it.

Scan the relevant section of the article to find the answers that will complete the following passage of writing.

Could it be possible for a secondary source to be an even better source of information that a primary source?

Actually, yes!

Remember, most experimental studies have their limitations.  For example, the two protein articles we have used in our online learning today were both small studies (13 and 24 subjects respectively).  The first study was conducted on older people and the 2nd was on young healthy males, so quite a limited age range.  If only someone who was an expert in the subject had read all the available articles, screened them for quality, and then written some conclusions considering all the available evidence.

Wait….in many cases they have!  Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are considered more reliable and valid than independent singular experiments.  

Systematic Reviews

A systematic review aims to answer a research question by identifying, critically appraising and synthesising relevant primary evidence.  A systematic review has 4 main objectives:

• It surveys articles from the available evidence in your chosen area of study, applying a strict list of criteria to ensure only the most robust and valid studies are included.
• It collates the findings of the remaining studies into a summary.
• It critically analyses the information gathered by identifying gaps in current knowledge; by showing limitations of theories and points of view; and by formulating areas for further research and reviewing areas of controversy
• It attempts to answer the research question and present the literature in an organised way.

Meta-Analyses

Similar to systematic reviews, meta-analyses assess previous research, but they focus more on the quality of data obtained from research.  A meta-analysis takes the results of a number of studies trying to answer the same research question.  They apply statistical processing formulae to determine the effect size across the studies (taking into account the strengths and weaknesses of each study included).  This is useful in subjects where a lot of conflicting evidence exists.  It takes the subjective elements of studies out of play by focusing only on what the data says.

Meta-analyses can be stand-alone articles or can be conducted as part of a systematic review.

How do you find and use them?

This short video explains how you can find systemic reviews and meta-analyses using Google Scholar and the differences in structure (sections) between these documents and the articles you have already practiced with.

Video Title: Systematic Review and Meta Analyses
Watch Time: 13:30
Video Summary: This short video explains how you can find systemic reviews and meta-analyses using Google Scholar and the differences in structure (sections) between these documents and the articles you have already practiced with.
Source: YouTube

Now that you have the knowledge to locate high quality information sources (and read them), you are ready to be introduced to the first assessment that you will use these skills for.  While we have a number of key skills still to learn, we will introduce them as they are needed to complete tasks in the assessment.  You are now able to choose a subject to research and source high quality evidence from academic articles.  Once you have found suitable articles, we will learn:

• How to use the information you find in online sources in your report; and
• How to reference the information you use in your report.

Assessment 3 is a written case study report that requires you to conduct online research (using the techniques we have just learned) to locate and analyse three high-quality sources of information that will help you to answer a specific research question.

Your research question must examine the effect of exercise on a particular function within the body.  This is as simple as choosing a type of exercise you are interested in and then finding evidence for how it affects a particular system of the body (and its function).

There are obvious topics like the effect of a particular resistance training mode on muscle fibres, or the effect of a cardio training mode on the heart, through to less obvious topics like the effect of an exercise mode on the brain, digestive system or specific hormones.  More on this shortly.

Assessment 3 – Task overview

While you will get a full explanation (including guides and tips) for each task and sub-task of this assessment, it doesn’t hurt to have an overall idea of what is expected from you for this assessment.  The three tasks that make up this assessment are briefly described below.

Task 1 - (Select a Research Question and Perform Online Research)

In this task, you must decide on a research question, then locate evidence from THREE high-quality sources of information that will help you determine the effect of exercise on a particular physiological function in the body.  This will involve using the skills you have learned in this week’s online lessons to locate scientific journal articles and determine if they are appropriate to use in your assessment.

Task 2 – (Written summary of findings)

This task makes up the main body of your report.  You must provide a written summary that integrates the evidence collected from your three sources of information in relation to the effect that exercise has on your chosen physiological function.  This is where you bring the evidence you have collected in your online research together to give a clear picture of how the mode of exercise affects the system (or function) you have chosen.  This task is written up using a structure similar to the articles you will source including an introduction, summary of findings, limitations statement and conclusion.

Task 3 – (infographic/poster)

The final task is to turn the information you have produced into an engaging and informative infographic that presents the evidence of your research into the effect of exercise on a particular physiological function (in language that the general public will understand).

Ready to make a start?

Now that you have practiced finding and reading quality academic articles you are ready to make a start on the first task of Assessment 3.

Create a new copy of the Level 5 written report template document you were introduced to in Module 1.  Complete the title page (this assessment is Module 2 – Assessment 3).  Create a sub-heading for task 1.

Task 1

Task 1 of your assessment is completed in two parts:

The first step is to choose a research question.  To keep your interest levels high, it helps to choose a question that you actually want to know the answer to.  Here are the criteria you must adhere to in selecting your research question.

1.1  Decide on a research question you are interested in finding out the answer to.  This question must be related to an acute or chronic effect that exercise has on a physiological function in the body.  Your research question must:

• Be clear and concise
• Include one form of exercise or physical activity
• Include one physiological function performed by the body

To help you understand what it is you have to do to successfully complete each task, we will use a series of exemplar answers.  The research question we will use to do this is:

“Can doing regular resistance training alone cause positive changes in cardiovascular health?”

This question is clear and concise.  The form of exercise chosen is resistance training.  The physiological function chosen is the function of the cardiovascular system.

Your Turn!

The table below provides a range of exercise/activity modes along with a list of potential systems you could choose to base your research report on.  Time to choose a research question.  Once you have decided on a question, it is important to check the question with your tutor in your next face to face lesson (so that no one else chooses it first).

Potential Exercise /Activity Lists

Potential Physiological Systems or Functions

Steady-state aerobic Fartlek or Tempo training HIIT training Muscular endurance training Strength training Hypertrophy training Plyometric training Ultra-endurance training Sports (rugby, football, tennis, etc). Recreation pursuits – hiking, swimming, horse-riding, motor racing, skateboarding, scootering etc. Flexibility, mobility training techniques Myofascial release approaches Exercise as a general approach Any other training or exercise mode

Cardiovascular function  - heart changes, blood, blood pressure etc. Respiratory function – lung capacity, VO2 Max, breathing rate etc. Muscle – size, strength , power, endurance, flexibility Joints – Range of motion Connective tissue -  ligaments, tendons, fascia Bones and bone density Hormonal regulation: insulin and blood sugar control, testosterone, cortisol etc The immune system Inflammation Digestive function Physical markers of stress Mitochondrial function Nervous system or the brain Metabolic rate, fat burning etc Sleep Hunger

The second part of task 1 involves getting online and searching for high quality information sources that will assist you in answering your research question.  Here are the task criteria for the selection of your sources.

Task 1.2 (a)  

Locate THREE high-quality information sources that will help you answer your research questions.  These information sources must:

• be primary or high-quality secondary sources of information only.
• include one systematic review or meta-analysis (if available).
• be full text (not abstracts)
• be closely related to the research question.
• be published post the year 2000.

Search Wording

Getting the wording right for your search on Google Scholar can save you some time.   Many of the types of articles you will be looking for start with the wording “The Effect of…..”.

This is a good place to start with the wording of your search.  For example, if you were interested in how tendons are affected by ultra-endurance training, your search wording would be “The effect of ultra-endurance training on tendons”.

Remember, by adding the words “systematic review” or “meta-analysis” at the end of your search wording, Google Scholar will try to include these in the results.

An initial search will let you know if your chosen topic has enough recent research to use to complete the assessment tasks.  If your initial search doesn’t yield the types of articles you are looking for, try adjusting your search wording.  If that also fails to yield results, consider changing the topic slightly.

Selecting Articles

The first step in selecting an article for your assessment is to read the abstract.  Find out who the study was conducted on (sample size), what the methods used were and read the findings (conclusions).  If the article looks like it will be helpful in answering your research question, copy the link and paste it in your assessment report template (for easy access later).  Continue with this process until you have 4-5 good article options for your assessment.  You can then spend a little time reading the key parts of each article to see what additional information you can find related to your question.  During this process, it should be clear which THREE articles are the best fit for your needs.

When deciding between two articles consider things like:

• How recently the article was published
• The number of participants used, or studies reviewed in the article
• The specific measures used in the article (and how well they relate to your research question).

Time to get started!  Decide on a research question, then complete your online search for three quality articles (including a systematic review or meta-analysis) before continuing with your online learning for the rest of this week.  Your tutor will want to know your research question and see what articles you have sourced in the final face to face class of the week.  

Task 1.2(b)

The final part of task 2 requires you to write a brief description of each of the articles you have chosen to use in your assessment.  Here is a breakdown of the task.

1.2    Provide a brief description of each information source you have found that covers the following:

• The title of the article along with the author/s, date and publication source.
• The type of article it is along with details of the methodology used.
• The reason you have selected this article (i.e., how it relates to your research question).

Each description must be at least 100 words.

Exemplar answer

Throughout this assessment process you will be shown an exemplar answer for each task that will provide you with clear expectations of the type of answer you need to produce to achieve the task.

Here is a reminder of the research question associated with the exemplar answer:

“Can doing regular resistance training alone cause positive changes in cardiovascular health?”

Here is an example task 1.2 answer:

The first article I have chosen to include is a systematic review and meta-analysis published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.  It is written by Ashton et al  (2018) and is entitled “Effects of short-term, medium-term and long-term resistance exercise training on cardiometabolic health outcomes in adults: systematic review with meta-analysis”.  This review provides an overview of the findings of 173 different randomised controlled trials that looked at the effects of resistance training programs of over 2 weeks duration on cardiometabolic function in non-athletic populations over the age of 18.  I chose this article because it includes the findings of a wide range of studies including subjects of both genders, so should give some pretty conclusive evidence of the effect of resistance training across the adult population.  While the focus of this article is on cardio-metabolic effects, I will focus only on the cardiovascular functions as these are the focus of my research question.

The second article I have chosen to include is a randomised controlled experiment by Yu et al (2016) who studied the effects of a 10-week resistance training program on the cardiovascular health of non-obese adolescents.  The article entitled “Effects of resistance training on cardiovascular health in non-obese active adolescents” was published in the World Journal of Clinical Pediatrics.  In the study, 28 active boys and girls were placed into either a resistance training or control group.  Those in the resistance training group did a 10-week supervised resistance training program.  The groups were pre and post tested on a range of cardiovascular measures to see if the exercise had any positive effect on the cardiovascular system.  I chose this article because it focuses on the adolescent population (which is a group not included in the systematic review above).  The information from this article will allow me to apply my findings to a wider range of the population.

The final article I chose to include is entitled “Effects of Resistance Training on Arterial Stiffness in Persons at Risk for Cardiovascular Disease”.  This was a meta-analysis focusing on the findings of 12 high quality studies including over 650 participants written by Evans et al (2018) and published in the Sports Medicine Journal.  The average age of participants in these studies was over 60.  This was the case because this group is particularly at risk of arterial stiffness.  I chose this article because it focuses on the older population and those at risk of cardiovascular disease.  I wanted to know if resistance training was beneficial (pr risky) for this population.  It also increases the population range that my findings can include.

The remainder of your online learning and SDL time for this week is to be used to complete task one of Assessment 3.

The focus of your online learning and SDL this week is to prepare you for completion of task 2 of assessment 3.  The skills you will need to learn to complete this task successfully are:

• How to use information sourced from scientific articles in your assessment report.  This includes knowing how to paraphrase and re-phrase the information you want to use into your own words.
• How to integrate the information from multiple sources to form a cohesive discussion.
• How to reference the information you use (in-text) using the approved APA 7th edition reference style.
• How to use an online citation generator to create a post-text reference list using the approved APA 7th edition reference style.
• How to structure a summary of research in your assessment report.

Re-wording or Paraphrasing

So, you have found some great information that will help you to answer your research question.  Copy, paste, done right?  Unfortunately, that approach simply won’t cut it in Level 5.  You need to re-word any information that you decide to include in your assessment reports.  By what does re-word actually mean?

Re-wording or paraphrasing is when you take the meaning from what you have read in an external source, then frame it in your own words rather than using the exact wording used by the source document.  It is essentially taking the “gist” of what the original source said but saying it in a slightly different way.

How to do it:

• Read the entire passage. Consider what parts you want to use (i.e., which parts actually answer the question asked in the assessment task). Think about what those passages are saying. Then write that in your own words.
• The key to making this authentic, is to write in your “own words”. This may require you to simplify words used from the original passage.

Here is a simple example of paraphrasing in action.

Original text

 "Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training on Cardiovascular Function and VO₂ max in Athletes" by Billings et al (2016).

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is an effective modality to enhance maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max) and improve cardiovascular function.  Our study observed that repeated short bursts of near-maximal effort followed by periods of low-intensity recovery increase both stroke volume and cardiac output in all study participants to some degree, but that this improvement was more pronounced in trained individuals. These improvements can be attributed to enhancements in myocardial thickness and contractility and increased peripheral oxygen extraction, resulting in greater delivery and utilization of oxygen by working muscles during exercise.

Paraphrased Text

HIIT is a great way to improve how well your heart and lungs work. This type of workout involves short bursts of very hard exercise followed by easier recovery periods. A study by Billings et al (2016) showed that doing HIIT regularly helped the heart muscle strength allowing it to pump more blood with each beat (stroke volume) and increase the total amount of blood the heart could pump to the working muscles (cardiac output) during exercise. Additionally, the ability of the muscles to use oxygen also appeared to increase. While these effects were observed in all subjects within the study, they were most noticeable in trained athletes.

As you can see, the paraphrased version captures the gist of the original paragraph but cuts out a lot of the unnecessary words like myocardial, contractility, peripheral, extraction and utilization, and replaces them with easier to understand terms that mean the same thing.

Key Messages for Paraphrasing

1. Understand the original text: Before paraphrasing, make sure you grasp the meaning of the original passage.
2. Use different words and structure: Change the sentence structure and replace technical terms with simpler alternatives where possible.
3. Keep the original meaning: Ensure your paraphrase conveys the same key information as the original passage without altering its meaning.

Ready to have a go?

Read the passage of text below (taken from a scientific article).  Try to understand the meaning of what the passage of writing is conveying, then attempt to paraphrase the text in your own words using the tool below the text.

H5P Essay

Integrating information from multiple sources into one discussion

Integrating information from multiple sources in a report involves taking the key findings from various studies (or pieces of research) and weaving them into a cohesive discussion rather than presenting each source separately. This approach helps to create a well-rounded, comprehensive discussion of a topic, allowing you to compare, contrast, and draw conclusions from the research as a whole. Instead of summarising each article independently, integration focuses on connecting ideas and showing how the different studies relate to each other.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do this, followed by an example to illustrate how this works:

H5P here

Here is an example of integrating sources of information

I have located three articles to help me answer the following research question:

“How does high-intensity interval training (HIIT) affect VO₂max and cardiovascular function compared to continuous moderate-intensity training (CMIT)?”

I have read the articles and noted the key findings from each study.  Here are the main details:

Source 1 Summary: A 2017 study by Jones et al. found that HIIT led to a 15% increase in VO₂max over 8 weeks, significantly greater than the 10% increase seen with CMIT. The researchers attributed the improvement to the higher intensity of exercise during the short bursts in HIIT.

Source 2 Summary: Smith and colleagues (2018) found that the HIIT participants showed a 12% increase in VO₂max over 6 weeks. However, the study noted that while cardiovascular efficiency improved more with HIIT, CMIT resulted in better long-term endurance adaptations.

Source 3 Summary: A review by Taylor et al. (2020) compared several studies on HIIT and CMIT. They concluded that HIIT generally produced faster gains in VO₂max but warned that the sustainability of these gains over long periods without continued training remains unclear, especially compared to the more gradual improvements seen with CMIT.

An integrated discussion

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) appears to be superior for short-term improvements in VO₂max compared to continuous moderate-intensity training (CMIT).  Jones et al. (2017) reported a 15% increase in VO₂max in their HIIT group over an 8-week training period, while Smith et al. (2018) found similar results, with a 12% increase over 6 weeks. Both studies suggested that the high-intensity nature of HIIT was likely to be the key reason behind these adaptations. However, Smith et al. also noted that while HIIT enhances cardiovascular efficiency more effectively, CMIT appears to promote better endurance over time.

Taylor et al.'s (2020) review supports these findings but adds another consideration. While HIIT may lead to faster improvements in VO₂max, its long-term remains unclear. The review suggests that people who engage in CMIT experience more gradual improvements that are sustained over longer periods, potentially making it a better option for long-term cardiovascular health.

In summary, HIIT appears to be a highly effective tool for achieving rapid VO₂max improvements, but CMIT may offer more sustainable cardiovascular benefits in the long run.  This suggests that the choice between HIIT and CMIT approaches could depend on the main goal of the training program, i.e. quick increase in fitness for a specific event, or long-term endurance improvement.

By following this approach, you can integrate research from multiple sources into a cohesive, analytical report that demonstrates a deeper understanding of the topic.

Referencing

You now know how to find information and how to use it in your report, but even if you paraphrase information in your report, you still have to say where it came from.  Learning how to reference properly is a skill that will assist you throughout your tertiary studies (and potentially in the workplace).

In this section of learning you will learn how to reference the sources you use in your report (in-text) using APA 7th edition referencing style.  Note: we will cover post-text referencing when we have written the main discussion in our report.  For now, just make sure you have copied the links to the full articles you have used and pasted these at the bottom of your assessment report document

In-text Referencing

During a written report, it should be easy for the reader to determine your own thoughts from the information you sourced from an article.  Any information that hasn’t come from your own head needs to be referenced. An evidence-based report should be a mixture of your own thoughts and information taken from appropriate sources.  This is where referencing comes in.

This is where you attribute a source to the information you used at the time of writing it.  These references will be seen throughout your report.  For in-text references we use an abbreviated form of the source.  Typically, this involves giving just the lead author’s last name and the year of the publication.  In some instances, it can involve using the article’s title instead.

In-text Referencing – The Rules

• If an article has only one author and the data of publication is given, reference using the author’s last surname and the date (in brackets) – e.g., Wilson (2008).
• If an article has two author’s names and the date of publication is given, reference using the surname of both authors (in the order they appear on the article) and the date (in brackets)- e.g., Wilson & Burrows (2008).
• If an article has more than two author’s names and the date of publication is given, reference using only the first author’s surname followed by the term “et al.” (which means “and colleagues”) and the date (in brackets) – e.g., Wilson et al. (2008).
• If no author’s name is given but the date of publication is, use the title of the article and the date (in brackets) – e.g.,  How to Reference (1998).
• If no date is given, use the initials (n.d.) to indicate “no date” – e.g. Wilson (n.d.), or How to Reference (n.d.)

Let’s Practice!

Each of the following cards will show a cropped image from a publication.   Use the information above to type in the correct reference that you would use (in text) if you used information from this article in your assessment report.

Hints before you start the task:  

• Use “&” instead of and between two authors names.
• There is a full-stop (.) after the words et al.
• There is a full-stop after the “d” in n.d.
• There is a space between the name (or title) and the date.

You may want to increase the zoom on your internet browser in order to see the information on the images a little clearer.

There are two ways to use in-text references:

1. You can use the reference at the start of a new sentence:
   A study by Wilson et al. (1998) found that regular cardiovascular training on machines at the gym produced the same cardiovascular benefits but failed to produce the same level of stress relief as performing cardio exercise in the outdoors.
   The Effect of Exercise Location on Stress Relief (1998) suggested that those who performed their regular cardiovascular training on machines at the gym produced the same cardiovascular benefits, but failed to report the same level of stress relief as those who performed their cardio exercise in the outdoors.
   Note: The date is bracketed after the authors name or article title. If no date the letters n.d. would be placed in the brackets.
2. You can use the reference at the end of a sentence in which the main ideas came from the source.
   Participants who complete their cardiovascular training on machines at the gym may produce the same cardiovascular benefits as those who train outside, but they may not gain the stress relief benefits to the same degree as those who performed their cardio exercise in the outdoors (Wilson et al., 1998).
   Those who perform their regular cardiovascular training on machines at the gym may produce the same cardiovascular benefits but fail to report the same level of stress relief as those who perform their cardio exercise in the outdoors (The Effect of Exercise Location on Stress Relief, 1998).

Note: The name, title and date are all placed within brackets with a comma separating them.

Time to make a start on task 2 of your assessment.

Task 2 is a written summary of your findings from the three articles you have chosen to discuss to help answer your research question.  This is where you get to put your paraphrasing skills to the test.  There is a specific structure you must follow when producing this written summary.  Here is an overview of the task:

Task 2 – Written Summary of Findings

Provide a summary of information that will help answer your research question by analysing and integrating the evidence found within the three sources of information you have located.  Your written summary should be written in your own words and be organized into the following sections:

• Introduction  
• A summary of findings  
• Reliability and limitations statement
• Conclusion
• Reference List

In this learning segment, we will go through each section of the written summary in turn.  You will be given step-by step instructions on how to complete each section of the task and be shown an exemplar answer to help you understand what is required.  

The remainder of your online learning and SDL for the week will be used to complete this task.  Later in the week, your tutor will put aside some time in class to see how you are progressing.

Task 2 - Sections

Complete each section in your assessment document as you are introduced to them.  The exemplar answers you will be shown relate to the research question:

“Does doing regular resistance training alone cause positive changes in cardiovascular health?”

The Introduction

Your introduction must include the following information:

• Your research question
• Some context (background) as to why you have chosen this topic (e.g., personal interest, involvement in the form of exercise, something you have wondered or wanted to try).

 It should be approximately 100 words in length.

Exemplar answer:

My research question asks, “Does doing regular resistance training alone cause positive changes in cardiovascular health?”.  I am interested in this topic because I have been doing resistance training for a few years now, but I don’t do any cardio.  My heart rate definitely goes up during my weights workouts, so I would like to know if I can get any cardiovascular benefit from only doing resistance training, or whether I need to do cardio to get any positive effects.  I am also interested to know if doing resistance training is beneficial for the cardiovascular system of older people, or whether it increases their risk of a cardiovascular event.

The exemplar answer above states the research question and gives clear reasoning for why the author has chosen to research this topic.

Your turn!

Complete the introduction to your Task 2 summary of findings now in your assessment report document.  Remember to give this section a heading (Task 2) and each section you write a sub-heading, e.g., “Introduction”.

When you have finished your introduction, continue to the next section of learning (The Summary of Findings).

Summary of Findings

This section should be an integrated analysis of the evidence from your three chosen sources of information (i.e., what were the articles able to contribute to answering your research question, including any relevant facts and figures).  

This is where you put your paraphrasing skills to the test!  This answer should connect the evidence from the three sources of information (where possible) rather than simply discuss the findings of each in isolation.

Here is a reminder of the key steps you should take when completing this section:

Step 1 - Read and Understand Each Source

Start by thoroughly reading and understanding each of the three studies. Make a note of the main findings, methodologies, and any conclusions that are directly relevant to your research question.

The best way to start may be to write a short summary of each article including:

• The purpose of the study
• The methods used
• The main findings and conclusions.

Note:  These summaries should not end up in your final assessment report, they should only be used to help you complete the paraphrasing you need to do in this section.

Here is an example of a brief article summary you could replicate for each of your articles:

Open a new word document and complete a short summary for each of your articles now.  Once you have done this, move onto step 2 of the process.

Step 2 - Identify Common Themes

Look for any patterns, similarities, or differences from the brief summaries you have created. For example, do they all support the same conclusion? Do one or more have conflicting results? Think about what factors might explain these differences (e.g., different methodologies, sample sizes, or populations).

Step 3 - Group Related Information

Organise the information by theme or topic rather than by source. This could be based on the aspects of the physiological function being studied.  For example, if all the studies related to heart function, they may all discuss the effect of exercise in blood pressure.  You could then pool the findings about that one sub-topic in one sentence or paragraph.

Step 4 - Weave it together

Write a summary that weaves together findings from all the sources. You report should refer to each of the studies, but the focus should be on what the studies together say about the topic, not just reporting each study individually.

Step 5 - Highlight Agreements and Differences

If the studies largely agree on certain points, emphasise those shared conclusions. If they disagree, explain why the results might differ (different research methods, sample sizes, or populations). This helps to create a balanced and critical analysis of the evidence.

Below is an example answer.  Note how this summary is organised by topic, rather than by article.   It begins with findings on blood pressure, then moves to improved endothelial function and finally blood and VO2 max improvements.   The first paragraph also shows an example of two articles not quite agreeing and provides a possible explanation for these differences.

This answer is also where you show your ability to use in-text referencing.   

Exemplar:

Your turn!

Complete your “summary of findings” section now in your assessment report document.  Remember to give this sub-section e.g., “Summary of Findings”.  This answer should be a minimum of 400 words.

When you have finished writing this section, continue to the next section of learning.

Reliability and limitations statement

In this short section, you will provide a brief discussion on the reliability of the information sources you have used for this report along with any limitations you believe relate to the findings you have collected (i.e., can the information you have found be related to any age, gender, or training experience?).  You may also be able to find a limitations section within (or after) each article’s discussion section which may help you complete this answer.  This is your own thoughts on the subject of article reliability, but you should still identify the article you are talking about by using in-text referencing.

Here is an example answer:

Your turn!

Complete your “Reliability and Limitations” section now in your assessment report document.  Remember to give this sub-section e.g., “Reliability and Limitations”.  This answer only needs to be approximately 100 words.

When you have finished writing this section, continue to the next section of learning.

Conclusion

In this section, you attempt to answer your research question using the evidence you have collected.  As part of this answer, you might suggest who could benefit from the information you have found.  Conclusions are not sections in which you introduce new information, they are simply a place to weigh up the information you have found in your articles and give your informed opinion on your best answer to the question you have asked.

An example answer is given below:

Your turn!

Complete your “Conclusion” section now in your assessment report document.  Remember to give this sub-section e.g., “Conclusion”.  This answer only needs to be approximately 150 words.

When you have finished writing this section, continue to the final section of learning related to this task.

Reference List

Now that you have completed your summary of findings, the final sub-task you need to complete for task 2 is your post-text reference list.  While the use of an author’s name (or article title) and date is enough for in-text referencing, when writing a research-based report, you also need to provide a full reference for each external source of information used.  A full post-text reference needs to include the following:

• All authors surnames and Initials (if available)
• The date of publication (if available)
• The title of the article
• The publisher or website domain of the article
• A website link to where the article was retrieved from

This used to be a time intensive process.  Luckily online citation tools have been developed to make this process far simpler and more efficient.

Now that you have used some external sources in your report, it is a good time to learn how to use one of these free citation generators to produce your post text reference list.  All you need is the URL link you have copied for each of the external sources you used.

This short video shows you how to produce your post-text reference list using a free citation generator called Scribbr.  Use the information in the video to follow along and produce your own reference list (for the articles you have used in your report).  Place this list of sources under your conclusion section with a sub-title “References”.

Video Title: Post text referencing with a citation generator
Watch Time: 13:31
Video Summary: This short video shows you how to produce your post-text reference list using a free citation generator called Scribbr
Post Watch Task: Use the information in the video to follow along and produce your own reference list (for the articles you have used in your report).  Place this list of sources under your conclusion section with a sub-title “References”.
Source: YouTube (Authors own)

Assessment 2 brings together all the learning we have covered over the last couple of weeks.  It is an open book written & practical assessment that will be completed in 2 parts.   The assessment will be completed over a one-week period.  All class, online and SDL study time for this subject from today until the end of next week will be devoted to completing this assessment.

The two tasks that make up this assessment are outlined below:

• Task 1 - (Written answers):  Identify and describe appropriate rehabilitation or injury prevention strategies for a given case study client.
• Task 2 – (Written answers and practical demonstration):  Apply common rehabilitation or injury rehabilitation strategies to target musculoskeletal issues in a case study client.

Case Study Clients

The entire assessment revolves around identifying, explaining and demonstrating appropriate injury rehabilitation or prevention techniques for a case study client and the musculoskeletal issues they present with.  You tutor will allocate you one of 6 case study clients that you will base your assessment answers on.

The techniques you will choose from are from those you have been practicing over the last 2 weeks.  You will also be required to do a little of your own research on the methods you choose to discuss.  

Task 1 - Background Research, Identification and Explanation of Strategies - Overview.

This task has three sub-tasks associated with it:

1. Provide a brief overview of the case study client you have been allocated and their musculoskeletal issues.
2. Identify TWO rehabilitation or injury prevention techniques that you have practiced in class that would be appropriate to use to target the musculoskeletal issues your case study client presents with. For each technique identified:
   1. Provide a clear description of the mechanism by which the technique is believed to work.
   2. Evidence from an evidence-based article that suggests the approach is effective.
3. Perform online research to find ONE additional rehabilitation or injury prevention technique (that has not been practiced in class). Briefly describe this technique, how it is thought to work, and how it could provide benefit to your case study client.

Task 1.1

Provide a brief overview of the case study client you have been allocated and their musculoskeletal issues. This is as easy as it sounds!  Take the information on the case study details you have been given and producing a 50-word summary of who your client is and what issue they are presenting with.

Task 1.2

Identify TWO rehabilitation or injury prevention techniques that you have practiced in class that would be appropriate to use to target the musculoskeletal issues your case study client presents with.

For each technique identified:

• Provide a clear description of the mechanism by which the technique is believed to work.
• Information from an evidence-based article that suggests the approach is effective. (Minimum of 300 words.)

Your description:

• Should cover what the technique is and how it is thought to work.
• Must be in your own words.
• Must utilise information from external sources (not all have to be scientific research articles).
• Should not be taken directly from class notes.
• Must contain evidence from reputable scientific research that suggests the approach is effective (try to get something related to the area of the body your client has an issue with if possible).

Steps to complete task 1.2

1. Perform an online search for the initial part of the description, i.e., how the technique you have chosen is thought to work. You may find it easier to do a general search for this information (rather than Google Scholar). Make sure wherever you find the information from, it is a reputable source, and reference appropriately.
2. Perform online research using Google Scholar to scientific articles that provide evidence that the method you have chosen to discuss is an effective tool for the treatment of the issue your client presents with.

This means it would be ideal if you found a study that targeted the same area of the body that your client has an issue with.

Additional note: There are enough articles on the web to avoid using the same articles as another student in the class with the same case study client.

Task 1.3

Perform online research to find ONE additional rehabilitation or injury prevention technique (that has not been practiced in class). Briefly describe this technique, how it is thought to work, and how it could provide benefit to your case study client.

This is a short research extension task. While we have covered FIVE common injury prevention and rehabilitation treatment modes in class, there are a number of other modalities that are used by therapists and medical professionals around the world that we have not looked at in class.

It is not necessary to find hard scientific evidence for the use of this additional technique (but if you can, use it!). You are simply asked to describe the technique, how it is thought to work, and how it might provide benefit to your client and their musculoskeletal issue. (minimum of 100 words).

Exemplar answer (some details omitted):

Task 2 - Rehabilitation or Injury Prevention plan for case study client (including practical demonstration) -Overview

In this task,  explain and demonstrate how you would use the techniques you have chosen on your case study client.  It involves writing a script for step-by-step implementation, and production of a video clip that shows your ability to demonstrate or implement the techniques with your ‘client’.  Note:  the role of the client in the video clip will be played by one of your classmates.

Task 2.1

Explain how you would use each of the TWO techniques you identified in task 1.2 to apply to the case study client’s musculoskeletal issues.  This explanation should include the musculoskeletal structures you would perform the techniques on, along with a clear sequence of events that you would use when applying the techniques.

This task is effectively a description of the actual approach you would take with the client including a step-by-step breakdown on the areas of the body you would focus on and the specific techniques and exercises you would implement to treat the issue.

Think about this task a kind of script you would follow with your client to treat the area. It should be written to a level of detail that would allow someone else (with the same level of knowledge you now have) to implement the sequence you are describing.

Exemplar Answer (some details omitted):

Task 2.2

Time to get practical!  Provide video evidence of yourself applying the techniques described in task 2.1. These will be demonstrated on a classmate who will play the part of the case study client.

The finished video must:

• Show all steps of the sequences identified in task 2.1.
• Include clear evidence of your ability to implement the chosen techniques appropriately.
• Provide brief explanations of the purpose of each aspect of the technique you are applying on video. (Note: these can be given at the time of videoing or can be added in post editing).

The footage you take of each part of the targeted injury prevention or rehabilitation process will be done initially as separate clips.  Once you have recorded them all you must edit them into one concise video clip that shows and explains the processes used.

Hint: The commentary explaining what you are doing in the video clips (and why) should be added in post-editing. This allows you to focus on implementing the techniques well during the recording process (without having to worry about what you are saying).

You will be shown how to do this when you have some video to use.

Recording options:

There are a couple of options for recording your video clips.

1. Use a phone to record the footage – if you choose this option, make sure your phone camera takes clear footage and that video clips can be transferred to your computer for editing.
2. Use the camera function on your computer to record your video clips – if you use this option, make sure you know where these videos end up, so you can access them.
3. Use the video editing app to record your videos. We will be using this app to edit and splice our videos together, so doing it this way will cut out 1 step of the process for you.

Recording Expectations:

• Make sure the recording device is stationary and doesn’t produce a moving image.
• Complete all recordings in an appropriate location (uncluttered background).
• Choose the most appropriate view for each technique on show. Make sure all the factors that are important to include in the video are able to be seen (e.g., the video clearly shows you are able to implement the technique). For example, if doing a massage or strapping technique, you would want the camera close enough to see the actions of your hands. If you have the client doing a balance exercise, the camera will need to be far enough back to see the entire movement.
• You do not need to record your demonstrations of exercises to the client, but you do need to be on screen when they perform the exercise (think about where you would position yourself to monitor the exercise).
• If the client is performing an exercise, a couple of repetitions is sufficient to show what you are trying to achieve (i.e., you do not have to do 10 each side on camera – but you would explain that you would do this in your verbal description). The same goes for massage, you do not need to show 1 minute of a stroke to show you know what you are doing.
• It is better to record too much, than not enough. You can always reduce the length of the clip in post editing.
• CHECK YOUR RECORDINGS BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE LOCATION OR MOVE ONTO THE NEXT TECHNIQUE!

You will be given time in class to practice the chosen techniques with your partner before recording.

Editing Your Video

We will be using the NCH VideoPad App to edit your videos.  You will need to download this app to your own computer. 

The editing tasks you will need to complete include:

1. Editing individual video clips to the length that you desire by cutting out any parts you don’t need and adding word titles.
2. Narrating an explanation of what is happening on screen (over the video clip).
3. Sequencing individual video clips together (using transitions).
4. Uploading your completed video sequence to YouTube and creating a sharable link for assessment submission.

How to complete these tasks using NCH VideoPad is explained in the following three instructional videos.  Follow the instructions in these to complete each task.

Video 1 – Editing individual videos and adding Narration

Video Title: VideoPad Guide Video 1
Watch Time: 14:15
Video Summary: This video guides you through the process of editing an individual video clip by cutting out unwanted segments, adding titles and overlaying narration.
Source: YouTube

Video 2 – Sequencing individual video clips to make one video.

Video Title: VideoPad Guide Video 2
Watch Time: 8 min
Video Summary: This video guides you through the process of joining individual video clips together to form a video sequence with smooth transitions.
Source: YouTube

Video Title: VideoPad Guide Video 3
Watch Time: 7:25
Video Summary: This video guides you through the process of uploading your finished video sequence to YouTube and how to make a sharable link to the video that you can paste into your assessment document for submission.
Source: YouTube

Video 3 – How to upload finished video sequences to YouTube and make a sharable link.

The NCH VideoPad also has its own tutorials you can access if you wish to add a little more variety to your video presentation.

The remainder of week 9 online and SDL study time will be used to complete this assessment.  Your tutor will give you the due date for submission in class.

This information is a recap of the introduction to assessment 3 (task 3) we covered in face-to-face learning this week.  Your task is to produce an engaging one-page infographic using CANVA that gives a clear visual representation of the information you have detailed in task 2.  The following information is a series of tips and hints to guide the production of this visual presentation.

This infographic should contain a combination of words and visual representations (facts, figures or images) presents the information in an engaging and easy to follow format for public consumption.   Your target audience for this production is anyone interested in how exercise and fitness pursuits can improve their physical health.

Keys to creating an effective infographic

Creating an effective infographic requires balancing visual appeal with clarity and the ability to communicate complex information simply.   Here are some hints for how to achieve this:

Summary table:

Do

Don't

Choose an overall look that draws the eye to your infographic – interesting images, bold colours, a compelling question. Keep it uncluttered.  Make sure text fits nicely (not crammed in), and that text is broken up by images, icons or graphs/charts. Use a consistent colour scheme. Create a logical layout and flow.  The order of information should make sense. Images must relate to the text they appear next to. Ensure ease of understanding by using simple language and a personable tone. Give sources (usually at the bottom of the presentation). You don’t need to provide in-text referencing.

Make it boring and bland to look at. Use too many words, or text that is too small to read. Use images unrelated to content. Choose jarring or clashing colour schemes. Use a confusing layout or flow. Include lots of technical language. Use complex graphs or charts without explanation.

Using Canva to complete Assessment 3 – Task 3

Ready to start on your infographic?

This video shows you how to start creating your infographic using Canva.  To do this you will need to create a free account at Canva.com.  You can then follow along with the video as it introduces the different elements you can use to create your visual production.

Video Title: Using Canva to make an infographic
Watch Time: 14:11
Video Summary: This video shows you how to start creating your infographic using Canva.  To do this you will need to create a free account at Canva.com.  You can then follow along with the video as it introduces the different elements you can use to create your visual production.
Source: YouTube

The remainder of your online and SDL learning for the course is to complete assessment 3 (task 3) by creative and engaging infographic using the information your summarised in task 2.  Please endeavour to finish off all assessments for this module by the end of term, so you can begin your next term of learning with a blank slate.

End of Module

We hope you have enjoyed your journey through the human body.  You should now have a clearer understanding of the main organ systems related to exercise, how they change across the life cycle, and how exercise affects them in both the short and long term.  You have learned some great practical skills for helping people correct muscle common imbalances and have develop your ability to implement a range of corrective exercises and techniques for assisting with injury rehabilitation.  Finally, you have learned how to access quality scientific information to collect evidence, and how to write this up in a way that is both informative and easy to understand.  You now have a good base of knowledge that you will be able to apply in your upcoming Exercise Prescription modules.  Enjoy!