Abstract
This paper reports the findings of a comparative case-study project which evaluated the development of nursing research capacity in two academic schools in the United Kingdom. The research compared the approaches used, explored the experiences of staff during the implementation process, and identified the outcomes which were achieved. The methods employed were in-depth interviews, focus groups and documentary analysis. A literature review was undertaken to inform the design and conduct of the study (Segrott et al., 2006). The project's findings are divided into five sections. We begin by discussing the strategies implemented by the two schools, and their overall success. We then examine the wider development of a research culture, explore the problems and challenges experienced, and consider the management and organisation of capacity building. The final theme concerns the role played by the schools' wider institutional and political contexts. The paper explores the relative strengths of inclusive and exclusive approaches to staff development, and the importance of integrated academic leadership and effective management. The study highlights the need for academic schools to forge strong connections between experienced researchers and novices, as well as between teaching and research activities.
Highlights
This paper reports the findings of a comparative case-study which evaluated the development of nursing research capacity in two academic schools in the United Kingdom (UK) – one in Wales, and one in England
Whilst research capacity is widely discussed in the existing literature, far less has been written about its local implementation
The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of different approaches to developing research capacity in academic nursing schools, and to add new understanding of how such approaches achieve particular results in specific settings
Summary
This paper reports the findings of a comparative case-study which evaluated the development of nursing research capacity in two academic schools in the United Kingdom (UK) – one in Wales, and one in England. Building nursing research capacity is a worldwide challenge, and is pivotal to the development of the profession and the care it provides (Byrne and Keefe, 2002). Whilst research capacity is a global issue, capacity building strategies are implemented in ways which differ according to local cultural and politicoprofessional contexts (Wilson-Barnett, 2001). The UK Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) (which grades research activity to inform the distribution of government funds) shapes how academic schools focus and articulate their research (Bishop, 2006). To fully understand research capacity development, we need to explore it in different local settings
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