Guide Rubric: Relevance

We will first expand on each concept in this part of the rubric and then explore the Introduction section of
manuscripts in more depth.

Relevance	Topic and its direct relation to and implications for student-run clinics are clearly and fully defined
	Establishes extensive context of prior/existing research and examines how the study conducted relates to them in terms of originality and importance

Topic and its direct relation to and implications for student-run clinics are clearly and fully defined

The introduction builds a logical case and context for the problem statement
The problem statement is clear and well articulated
The conceptual (theoretical) framework is explicit and justified
The study is relevant to the mission of the journal or its audience
The study addresses important problems, the study is worth doing
The study has generalizability because of the selection of subjects, setting and educational intervention or materials

Establishes extensive context of prior/existing research and examines how the study conducted relates to them in terms of originality and importance

The study adds to the literature already available on the subject
The literature review is up to date
The number of references appears appropriate and the selection is judicious
The review of the literature is well integrated
The references are mainly primary sources
Ideas are acknowledged appropriately (scholarly attribution) and accurately
The literature is analyzed and critically appraised

To further appreciate the central ideas, we will now look at what the Introduction and included literature review may entail.

Manuscript Introduction
The Introduction moves the reader from what is currently known to what needs to be known and lays the
groundwork for what is to follow.

Why is this study needed?
What is the purpose of this study?
Was purpose known before the study or a chance finding discovered as part of "data dredging?"
What has been done before and how does this study differ? (Places study in proper context such as inadequacies of earlier work or next step in an overall research project).
Does the location of the study have pertinence (from the perspective of a general audience member)?
What is the population to which the study findings apply?
Is the time period covered by the study appropriate? Long studies may have informative censoring. Short studies may not have adequate follow-up time.
Statement of problem (or knowledge gap): This section should allow the reader to anticipate the goal(s) of the study.
Conceptual framework: There should be a clear statement that this work builds on the work of others.
Research question: A specific research question or goal for the work is usually stated at the end of the introduction. Is it clear? Are the research variables identified? If an article is descriptive or a commentary rather than quantitative or qualitative, the topic and goals should be clearly stated.

Literature Review
A literature review may be part of the introduction and/or discussion and helps with:

Synthesizing what is known and the work of others
Clearly framing the research question from chronological and developmental perspectives based on the evolution of research in that area
Informing the study design and methods

The literature review provides a logical explanation for why the study was conducted in a certain manner. It may
be appropriate to reference work from which the current methods were derived, especially if the current work is
designed to test new or revised methods.

The author should describe how the background literature search was conducted, especially indicating what
databases were searched. References should be mostly from primary sources (those written by persons who
did the work), although sometimes it is appropriate to also cite general sources (e.g., authoritative text book)
and secondary sources (written by those who comment on or describe previous work). One type of secondary
source, the systematic review, is often acceptable and desirable, especially if primary sources are not available.
If the literature search is comprehensive, controversies may be identified. The authors may want to highlight
these issues to support relevance for the current work. Discussion of these issues may arise again in the
Discussion section of the manuscript.

For manuscripts of quantitative work, the literature review establishes the conceptual framework (the work of
others) and arrives at a theory driven hypothesis. The literature review is generally placed within the introduction of the manuscript.

For manuscripts of qualitative studies, the literature review is often woven into all phases of the study. Theory
building hypotheses evolve as data are collected, transcribed and analyzed.

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Lessons

Recommended for first time student reviewers: lessons 1 through 9
Recommended for first time faculty reviewers: lessons 1, 3, 7, 8, and 9