Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40518700›Full record

ReviewMedical education2025

Navigating the research landscape: How paradigms shape health professions education research.

Meredith Young, Lara Varpio

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Medical education, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Meredith YoungInstitute of Health Sciences Education, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-2036-2119
Lara VarpioDepartment of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-1412-4341

Funding

Fonds de Recherche du Quebec-Santé 313176Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada 435-2021-0651
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

contextThe rich and varied landscape of Health Profession Education (HPE) research includes many different approaches to research practice, often reflecting different research paradigms and different ontological, epistemological and axiological positions. The coexistence of different approaches to research practice and the valuing of interdisciplinary research means those conducting research in HPE must not only be able to situate their work within this landscape but also have an appreciation of similarities and differences across research practices in order to conduct or engage with interdisciplinary scholarship. To support HPE scholars and researchers in navigating the interdisciplinary HPE research landscape, we provide an overview of six paradigms used in HPE research and provide several means through which to compare and contrast their attributes.

methodUsing a metaphor of mapping the HPE research landscape, we present three maps through which to examine the similarities, differences and areas of overlap across six key paradigms in HPE research. Focusing on the ontological, epistemological and axiological elements of these different paradigms, we provide an opportunity for readers to consider these paradigms concurrently. DISCUSSION: These three means of mapping can be reflective aids for those engaging in HPE research; allowing for a nuanced consideration of ontological, epistemological and axiological position for a given research practice. Having an understanding of research practices and approaches that span multiple paradigms can help support individual scholars to situate their work within the HPE landscape and help research teams engaging in interdisciplinary research navigate important paradigmatic differences. We hope that these maps provide tools and terminology to better navigate research landscapes while recognizing that maps can never accurately reflect the full complexity, nuance and detail of the territory.

Indexed as

Health OccupationsResearchHumansKnowledgeResearch Design

Identifiers

PMID40518700
PMCPMC12686763

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.