Mary R. Castles, RN, PhD (deceased)
Mary Castles Cook, RN, MSN (Undergraduate support MRC Inc. 2004)
Ruth Jenkins, MSN, PhD (Graduate support 2002)

As a professional nurse, therapist, or social worker with a baccalaureate degree in nursing or other allied health discipline (with equivalent work experience), you will be expected to base your interventions on research findings, as well as your clinical experience, and the clinical experience of your supervisors. You should not use research findings that are not based in good research design. Such findings may be incorrect and inappropriate for your practice. This means that you must be able to recognize poorly designed studies when you see them and create correct designs. The best way to do this is to know what a good design looks like, and that is what you will learn in this CAI system.

Sofprim is a practical and useful course for inter-disciplinary study. Areas of allied health currently utilizing Sofprim include Speech Pathology, Occupational and Physical Therapy, Respiratory Care, Rehabilitative Services, Physicians Assistant, M.D. Programs, Sociology, and Social Work Departments. As of this revision, Sofprim is providing quality education in 16 countries to both undergraduate and graduate level students in a wide variety of settings.
The work in this CAI would be accomplished in the first twelve (12) weeks of a sixteen (16) week semester in a classroom setting. The Computer system teaches you the elements of good research design. If you read your text, then work with the Computer Tutor, you will be able to make the right decisions about the research conditions at the end of each lesson, thereby meeting the lesson objectives.

The Sofprim CAI may be used with any research methods text. The Compact Disc contains fourteen (14) lessons describing and exemplifying the steps in the research process. The Student Handbook contains information about the use of your personal computer, and how to go through the lessons on the CD. For your convenience, some screens are reproduced in the Student Handbook so that you will not require a printer with this system.

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