title: Making it real: a hands-on approach to teaching research.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this paper was to report on the delivery of a series of seminars in Sarawak, East Malaysia using a unique hands-on approach to the teaching of skills in research and evidence-based health care. These seminars proved to be a meaningful and memorable experience for both the facilitators and participants.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The international push for the delivery of evidence-based health care has resulted in a growing need for the teaching of skills in the conduct and application of research. Nurses and other health-care professionals recognize that they have a responsibility to contribute to and maintain an evidence base for practice, yet are often stymied by a lack of professional development opportunities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The knowledge necessary to understand research, along with skills in the conduct of research, can be made accessible to health-care professionals in diverse locations. The experience reported in this paper demonstrates that opportunities exist to provide education about research and evidence-based practice in an engaging, active and meaningful way.
authors.affiliation: Central Queensland University, Noosa, Queensland, Australia. m.birks@cqu.edu.au
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Birks
mesh_terms: D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000193:education*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans