title: [An analysis of the oral presentations in the XXVI National Conference of Mental Health Nursing].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyse the oral presentations given at the XXVI Conference of Mental Health Nursing, Valencia 2009.
  
  
  METHODS
  A descriptive, observational cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  all oral presentation published in the Conference book: 117(100%).
  
  
  METHODS
  papers presented at plenary sessions and poster format communications. Seventeen variables were studied: one on thematic content, four related to authorship (job category, number, workplace and province), eight related to the methodology (population studied, area of study, design, data collection techniques, data analysis, use of computer support, results, and use of graphics and charts), one on the use of nurse terminology, two relating to literature and one related to funding.
  
  
  METHODS
  peer and independent review. Descriptive statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most researched topic was healthcare 68 (58.1%), and 55 (47.0%) of the authors work in a hospital. The most investigated population was the patient 78 (66.7%), 46 (39.3%) in the hospital setting. A total of 66 (56.4%) did not mention the design, 36 (30.8%) were descriptive, and 29 (24.8%) collected data using scales and questionnaires. A substantial majority, 76 (65.0%) did not present any analyses of data and 41 (35.0%) did. 14(12%) reported the use of computer support was mentioned by 14 (12%, and only 18(18%) presented the references in accordance with regulations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oral presentation at the conference can be improved as far as methodology is concerned, as more than half of them do not report on the design used or present a data analysis. There is a need to improve the use of the methodological format, as stipulated by the rules of article submission, in order to disseminate nursing research and increase scientific knowledge.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Hospitalización Psiquiátrica Breve de Adultos, Consorcio Hospitalario Provincial de Castelló, Castelló de la Plana, España. recercamaria@gmail.com
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Juan-Porcar
authors.forename: Ana María
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Santos-Herrero
mesh_terms: D003226:Congresses as Topic; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D008603:Mental Health; D015399:Nursing Research