Report: Research Literacy Day, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN

Transforming Chaplaincy Fellow Beba Tata reports on a Research Literacy Day held at the Mayo Clinic in March:

The Department of Chaplaincy Services at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota hosted a research literacy day on March 7, 2019. The Clinic is one of the recipients of a John Templeton CPE grant. The RLD’s attendance was robust and diverse, including CPE residents and educators from two additional CPE sites. 11 residents, 4 educators, 4 Mayo Clinic researchers, and a professional advisory group member all attended. Presentations included:

• “Quantitative Research: A How-to Guide on Reading Statistics and How the Statistics Inform Chaplaincy,” Sarah Jenkins, MS, mayo Clinic Statistician; retired chaplain Kate Piderman, PhD, Coordinator of Spiritual Research, Department of Psychiatry
• “Qualitative Research: How to and How this Type of Research Can Inform Chaplaincy,” Jason Egginton, MPH; Beba Tata, MDiv, MPH, BCC
• “How and Why to Write a Case Study: A Framework for Writing,” Beba Tata, MDiv, MPH, BCC
• Conversation about a case study written by the presenter: “Why did God Do This to Me?” Retired chaplain Kate Piderman, PhD, Coordinator of Spiritual Research, Department of Psychiatry
• “Generating Questions for Research,” chaplain Beba Tata, MDiv, MPH, BCC

Attendees found the Research Literacy Day useful for several reasons, including reducing barriers to entry into research and giving chaplains a sense of being capable of conducting research; demystifying the research process; and increasing chaplains’ comfort with statistics.

Transforming Chaplaincy thanks Beba for her report.