Appendix F — BCW Step 2 – Select the Target Behaviour
Instructions [1]:
Select the target behaviour
Generate a long list of candidate target behaviours that could bring about the desired outcome. This list can include the behaviour of other people too e.g., editors, guideline developers.
E.g.:
- Keep sterile items in packaging until use
- Wash patients as appropriate
- Clean wards, toilets, offices, theatres
- Clean hands with soap
- Clean hands with alcohol gel
SK, CS
- Supervisors must encourage and endorse use of guideline
- Authors could ask for help when writing
- RG developers could respond to feedback / help authors
(JdB, PL)
- Find appropriate guidance/guidelines
- Read guidance (especially E&E) in full
- Use guidance when planning
- Use guidance when drafting (subheadings/comments)
- Peer reviewers check articles against guidelines, tell authors what is missing, insisting missing items are added
- Editors & journal staff check articles against guidelines, tell authors what is missing, insisting missing items are added. Additionally, check and support peer reviewer behaviours
JH
- Study guidance (in an abstract way)
- Considering guidance when planning
- Drafting - Reporting guidance content in funding proposals/drafting
- Editing - Checking articles against guidance before submitting to a journal
- Reviewing – checking articles written by someone else against guidance (editor, peer reviewer , co-author)
Retrospective thoughts:
- JH: Could have included the behaviour of funders e.g., requesting guidance adherance
- SK: Could have specified using guidance for writing protocols, but not everyone writes a protocol
- JH: We could distinguish between using an E&E and using a checklist. E.g., “Authors should use E&E document when drafting” v.s. “Authors should use checklist when drafting”. Or maybe distinguishing between checklist & E&E can come in step 4.
Instructions: Prioritise the behaviours.
- Impact: How much of an impact changing the behaviour will have on the desired outcome
- Likelihood: How likely it is that the behaviour can be changed (think about the capability, opportunity, and motivation to change of those performing the behaviour)
- Spill-over: How likely it is that the behaviour (or group of behaviours) will have a positive or negative impact on other, related behaviours
- Measurement: How easy it will be to measure the behaviour
Key: Unacceptable (1), unpromising but worth considering (2), promising (3), very promising (4)
| Potential target behaviour | Impact | Likelihood | Spill-over | Measurement |
| Supervisors encourage use of guidance | 3,4,4,4,2 | 2,2,3,2,2 | 4,4,4,3,4 | 4,1,2,2,1 |
| Authors ask for help when writing | 3,3,3,4 | 2,3,3,3 | 3,4,3,3 | 4,2,2,2 |
| Find appropriate guidance | 4,3,4,3 | 3,3,3,2 | 3,2,4,2 | 4,3,3,2 |
| Read/study guidance in full (esp E&E) | 4,3,3,2 | 2,2,3,2 | 4,2,3,2 | 1,1,1,2 |
| Consider guidance when planning | 3,3,3,3 | 2,2,2,3 | 3,3,3,3 | 1,2,1,2 |
| Report guidance when writing funding applications | 3,3,3,3 | 3,2,3,3 | 3,3,3,3 | 4,3,4,3 |
| Report guidance when drafting (subheadings/comments) | 4,3,4,4 | 3,3,3,2 | 3,1,3,2 | 4,2,2,3 |
| Check submitted articles against guidance & insist on missing items being added (peer reviewer) | 4,4,4,3 | 3,2,4,2 | 4,1,4,3 | 4,4,3,3 |
| Check submitted articles against guidance & insist on missing items being added (editor) | 4,4,4,3 | 3,2,4,2 | 4,1,4,3 | 2,1,2,3 |
| Check article drafts against guidance during preparation and insist missing items are added (co-author) | 4,4,4,2 | 2,2,3,2 | 4,1,3,2 | 1,1,2,2 |
Target behaviour selected:
No clear winner so we decided to take a few different target behaviours on to step 3.