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Table 2 Question Bank for Reflective Journal

From: Factors affecting paramedicine students’ learning about evidence‐based practice: a phenomenographic study

First Post Questions to be answered prior to research project / experience

In your first post please respond to all four of these questions:

1. What are you expecting to get out of this research project / experience?

2. Have you undertaken a research project previously? If so, describe it.

3. What are you expecting to be different in this project experience from your normal course work?

What skills do you think you need to be a good researcher?

The Question Bank from which questions can be chosen during the research project / experience

In framing your second response you should answer any 3 questions. Here are the questions that we would like you to select from:

• How have your recent activities helped you address your research question?

• Have you made progress in the last fortnight?

o If so, what allowed you to make progress?

o What kind of activities did you engage in that helped you make progress?

• Problems and obstacles are a normal part of research. Did you encounter any?

o If so, what made them problems?

o How did you go about solving them?

o What would have helped you overcome them?

• What might you have done differently if you had known two weeks ago what you know now?

• Has your research question changed? If so, why, and what has it changed to?

• Have you found/learned anything unexpected? Explain.

• Has anything you’ve learned shifted the focus or aims of your project? How?

• How confident are you in drawing any conclusions from your observations or results? Why?

• How have you chosen the approach or methods that you are using for your project?

• What are the connections between your research activities and your other studies?

• Can you see ways in which you could apply what you have learned to other activities, in or out of university? How?

• What have you learned about your project topic, science or research more generally?

• What have you learned about yourself from doing this project?

• Has your view of what research is changed from your project experience? Explain how.

Last Post Questions to be answered at the end of the research project / experience

In your last post please respond to all four of these questions:

1. Has your research project/experience met your expectations? Why/why not?

2. What have you learned from undertaking this research project/ experience?

3. Would you do another research project / experience if you had the opportunity? Why/why not?

4. What skills do you think you developed or strengthened through your research project?

What role do you think research skills will play in your future profession?