The institutionalization of occupational therapy research.

Occupational therapy appears to be in the process of "institutionalizing" research, and this accomplishment is being brought about through the efforts of visionary individuals and groups who have been working determinedly and quietly, or not so quietly, over the last 30 years. Two meanings of the word institution appropriately describe the development of research that is taking place within occupational therapy, a) "That which is instituted, or established, such as a practice or custom which is a material and persistent element in the life or culture of an organized social group" and b) "Any association, custom, or relationship consciously approved by a society, and organized and maintained through prescribed rules and agencies." (1, p 1288) Over the years, research has slowly grown to become a persistent element of the society of occu pational therapists. IvIotions and resolutions approved by the society's elected representative body established an official research program, which is now maintained by the two corporate bod ies, the American Occu pational Therapy Association (AOTA) and the American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTF), for the benefit of approximately 36,000 registered occupational therapists (OTRs) or certified occupational therapy assistants (COTAs). Two groups of individuals brought occupational therapy research to its present state: the doers and the su pporters, who made the doing possible. There are overlaps in the groups' memberships. The individuals, the AOTA, and the AOTF seem to be committed to the generation, conduct, monitoring, and support of research that is related to occupational therapy theory, practice, education, and philosophy. This paper traces the development of the research effort up to the present and recommends what will be needed in the future to ensure that the research momentum becomes sufficiently established to sustain itself.