Emergency medicine residents' beliefs about contributing to a Google Docs presentation: a survey protocol

Abstract

Background: Web 2.0 collaborative writing technologies have shown positive effects on medical education. One such technology, Google Docs(™), offers collaborative writing applications that improve healthcare students' sharing of information. Since 2008, all graduating residents in emergency medicine in Canada have had access to an online Google Docs(™) slideshow designed to help them share summaries of landmark articles in preparation for their Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada certification exam. A recent evaluation showed that contributions to the presentation were low.

Objective: This study will identify the factors that influence residents' decision to contribute or not to contribute to this online collaborative project.

Methods: Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour, semistructured interviews will be conducted with 25 graduating emergency medicine residents in Canada. Content from the interviews will be analysed to determine the most important beliefs in relation to the defined behaviour.

Conclusion: To our knowledge, this study will be the first to use a theory based framework to identify healthcare trainees' salient beliefs concerning their decision whether to contribute to an online collaborative writing project using Google Docs(™).