The first issue regards the validity of expertise-based RCTs.
To assess the construct validity of the test, the expertise of the participants was used as an important indicator for knowledge and skills in EBP.
To assess the construct validity of the test the expertise of the participants will be used as an important indicator for knowledge and skills in EBP.
For the purpose of our trial, it was validated by face validity using the expertise of mental health experts.
The clustered nature of author networks on transport and health reports aligns with Haas' concept of epistemic communities, whereby networks of professionals with recognized expertise share i) causal beliefs which serve as the basis for possible policy actions and desired outcomes and ii) notions of validity for weighing and validating information within the domain of expertise [ 43].
In part two (validity), the assessors had a varying range of expertise both as physical therapists and also specifically in terms of practical expertise within the ICU setting, however this may improve the generalisability of the findings.
Such robustness is achieved through (a) testing for validity in the real world, (b) social distribution of expertise and the links built with other types of knowledge and experience, and (c) constant testing, expanding and modification [24, 34].
Part two (validity) involved eight physical therapists of differing levels of expertise and took place from May 2012 to August 2013.
Recruitment of panel members with relevant experience or expertise underpins the validity of this study, and processes used to enrol panel members varied by sampling strategy based on the need to confirm relevant expertise prior to enrolment.
In research with professionals aimed at consensus, the level of expertise is crucial to its success and the validity of the data it generates (Harvey & Holmes, 2012).
Therefore a substantial learning curve is to be expected potentially compromising the validity of an RCT due to differential expertise based bias.
