Affiliations: [a] Koester Performance Research, Ann Arbor, MI, USA | [b] Department of Occupational Therapy, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Heidi Horstmann Koester, 2408 Antietam, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA. Tel.: +1 734 663 4295; E-mail: hhk@kpronline.com.
Abstract: BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Using articles from our systematic review of research on computer text entry by people with physical disabilities [1,2], we assessed the design, conduct, and reporting of text entry studies, in order to strengthen the utility and replicability of future studies. METHODS: We analyzed study designs, participant characteristics, study procedures, intervention specification, dependent variables, and data analysis, rating 40 indicators for each of 42 studies. RESULTS: The average study fully met 59% of the indicators, ranging from 48% for participant characteristics to 69% for intervention specification. Based on that assessment, we present some recommendations for improving future studies. Key recommendations to consider include: conducting more studies in a service delivery context; reporting information for every participant, including functional scores, experience with the text entry interfaces, and body sites used for typing; providing details regarding the typing task and text entry metrics; and using inferential statistics to inform conclusions. CONCLUSIONS: Following these recommendations can help ensure that a study can address its own specific goals as well as support a powerful synthesis of information across studies.
