HS865 Unit 3 Shielding Literature Synthesis Matrix Example

Course	HS865 Doctoral Project II: Research
Unit	Unit 3
Paper type	Synthesis matrix
Length	About 890 words, 6 pages double-spaced
Format	APA 7 student paper
School	Purdue University Global
Program	Doctor of Health Science (DHSc)
Updated	October 2026

Free sample paper for HS865 Unit 3

Supports, Contradicts or Silent: A Unit 3 Synthesis Matrix of Evidence on Why Gonadal Shielding Persists

[Student Name]

Purdue University Global

HS865: Doctoral Project II: Research

Unit 3 Synthesis Matrix

[Instructor Name]

[Date]

The full matrix and its tallies are composite and shown as placeholders; the five studies written out in full are real and coded from their published findings.

What this part is doingDescribing what reading down two columns reveals tells the reader why a matrix organized by finding is more useful than one organized by study.

Why a Matrix of Findings

A literature table gives each study a row and describes it. A synthesis matrix gives each study a row and each finding a column, so the reader can see at a glance which studies bear on which claims and in which direction. The columns were chosen after reading eight studies in full and noting the claims that recurred, then adding the claims the review question depends on.

The Six Columns

1. Gonadal dose in modern projection radiography is small relative to total risk.

2. Shields are often misplaced or miss the organs they are meant to cover.

3. Shields can raise dose or degrade images, for example by triggering automatic exposure control or obscuring anatomy.

4. Shielding continued to be taught or practiced after its rationale weakened.

5. Patient or parent expectation contributes to shielding.

6. Radiographers who shield know the current guidance.

Each cell is coded S (supports), C (contradicts) or 0 (silent), with design noted in the row so that a qualitative S and a survey S are not mistaken for the same kind of evidence.

Five Rows Written Out

Marsh and Silosky (2019), narrative review in a radiology journal. Column 1: S; the authors note the lower radiosensitivity now assigned to the gonads. Column 2: S. Column 3: S; they describe shields interfering with automatic exposure control and image quality. Columns 4, 5 and 6: 0.

Fawcett and Barter (2009), audit of pediatric hip and pelvis radiographs. Column 2: S; shields were frequently placed inaccurately. Column 3: S; misplaced shields obscured orthopedic landmarks the examination was meant to show. Other columns: 0.

Fawcett et al. (2012), MRI study locating 594 ovaries in 306 female patients. Column 2: S; among the youngest girls, most had an ovary lying beyond the region a standard shield protects. Other columns: 0.

Shanley and Matthews (2018), questionnaire of 27 radiography educators in 15 countries. Column 4: S; 57 percent taught gonadal shielding across a range of examinations. Column 6: 0 for practicing radiographers, though respondents believed placement experience outweighs classroom teaching. Other columns: 0.

Federico et al. (2026), survey of European radiographers on contact shielding. Coded from the full text in the appendix for columns 4, 5 and 6; the row is shown here only to note that it is the most recent practice survey in the set and the only one fielded well after both the 2019 and 2021 statements.

A sign in a cell says the study bears on the claim; it does not say how strongly, which is why design sits in every row.

What this part is doingNoting the limit of a sign-based code inside the matrix itself shows the writer knows what the tool can and cannot carry.

Reading Down the Columns

Across all [23] rows, the tallies were as follows. Column 1: [9] S, [0] C, [14] silent. Column 2: [7] S, [1] C, [15] silent. Column 3: [8] S, [0] C, [15] silent. Column 4: [11] S, [0] C, [12] silent. Column 5: [6] S, [0] C, [17] silent. Column 6: [8] S, [2] C, [13] silent.

Two patterns stand out. The physics and anatomy columns are settled: no included study contradicts the claims that gonadal dose is small, that shields are often misplaced or that they can degrade images. And the knowledge column is mostly supportive: in most practice surveys, radiographers who still shield report knowing the newer guidance. The practice and expectation columns are where the review's interest lies. Shielding continued, and where studies asked why, patient and parent expectation was named often enough to suggest it is part of the answer.

What the Matrix Changes in the Review

Before the matrix, the review was framed around a knowledge gap: radiographers shield because they have not heard the guidance has changed. The knowledge column undermines that framing. The matrix points instead toward determinants other than knowledge, such as habit, social expectation from patients and colleagues and the environment of each room, which no included study examined systematically. That is the gap the next units will develop.

What this part is doingShowing how the matrix overturned the review's first framing is the strongest evidence that the synthesis did real analytic work.

How the Matrix Will Be Used Next

The matrix will become the skeleton of the thematic review. Each theme will begin from a column or a pair of columns rather than from a study: the settled physics and anatomy columns become one theme, the practice and teaching column a second, the expectation and knowledge columns a third that asks why informed radiographers keep a practice they know is no longer recommended. Rows will be cited inside themes only where they add evidence to a claim, and silent cells will be reported as silence rather than filled with assumptions. The matrix will also be updated as the search is rerun before submission, so that any study published in the meantime can be coded on the same scale.

Limits

Coding was done by one person, with the research mentor checking [five] rows. Silent cells may reflect what studies did not report rather than what they did not find. Studies from countries with different regulations were coded on the same scale, which may hide differences in context.

References

Fawcett, S. L., & Barter, S. J. (2009). The use of gonad shielding in paediatric hip and pelvis radiographs. The British Journal of Radiology, 82(977), 363-370. https://doi.org/10.1259/bjr/86609718

Fawcett, S. L., Gomez, A. C., Barter, S. J., Ditchfield, M., & Set, P. (2012). More harm than good? The anatomy of misguided shielding of the ovaries. The British Journal of Radiology, 85(1016), e442-e447. https://doi.org/10.1259/bjr/25742247

Federico, L., Roletto, A., Manzo, L., Canulli, L., Nieri, I., Panci, S., Catania, D., Rainford, L., & Gerasia, R. (2026). Survey on the use of patient contact shielding during radiological practice: The European radiographers' perspective. Radiography, 32(1), 103241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radi.2025.103241

Marsh, R. M., & Silosky, M. (2019). Patient shielding in diagnostic imaging: Discontinuing a legacy practice. American Journal of Roentgenology, 212(4), 755-757. https://doi.org/10.2214/AJR.18.20508

Shanley, C., & Matthews, K. (2018). A questionnaire study of radiography educator opinions about patient lead shielding during digital projection radiography. Radiography, 24(4), 328-333. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radi.2018.04.001

HS865 Unit 3 instructions, in plain terms

Unit 3 typically asks candidates to build a synthesis matrix of their included studies, usually a table with studies as rows and themes, findings or variables as columns, plus a few pages explaining what the matrix shows. Instructors expect columns chosen from claims that recur in the literature and claims the review question depends on, with a consistent coding scheme for each cell. Design should be visible in every row, since a survey and a qualitative study supporting the same claim offer different kinds of evidence. Most prompts ask candidates to read down the columns and report patterns, especially where evidence is consistent, conflicting or absent. Explaining how the matrix will shape the thematic review that follows is often expected.

How this HS865 Unit 3 example is built

The paper first explains why a matrix of findings differs from a literature table. Six numbered columns are defined, from gonadal dose to radiographers' knowledge of guidance, followed by the coding rule. Five rows are written out with their designs and codes, including a note that the newest European survey is coded from the full text. The highlighted sentence states what a sign can and cannot carry. Column tallies across 23 rows are reported, and two patterns are drawn from them. A section explains how the knowledge column changed the review's framing. Further sections describe how the matrix will become the skeleton of the thematic review and state the coding's limits.

HS865 Unit 3 rubric: what earns full points

Synthesis matrices are generally graded on the logic of the columns, consistency of coding, accuracy of the coded studies, quality of the pattern analysis and the link to the next stage of the review. Column logic often carries the most weight; columns should be findings or claims that matter to the question rather than descriptive fields such as sample size. Coding consistency is judged by a stated scheme applied the same way to every study, ideally with a check by a second person. Accuracy points depend on cells that reflect what studies actually reported. Pattern analysis earns credit when it identifies settled, contested and empty areas and draws consequences from them. A clear table or listing and correct references complete the grade.

Common HS865 Unit 3 mistakes, and how to avoid them

A common shortcoming is a matrix whose columns are descriptive, author, year, design and sample, which turns it into a literature table. Another is coding cells with long summaries that make patterns impossible to see. Some candidates fill silent cells with assumptions about what a study would have found. Others build the matrix and never report what reading down the columns reveals. Ignoring design differences between rows can make weak evidence look as strong as robust evidence. If your review concerns another topic, perhaps nurse-led discharge education or telehealth follow-up, send your included studies and question, and a matrix can be built with columns drawn from the claims that matter.

Get an HS865 Unit 3 example written to your instructions

Matrices arrive as tables, spreadsheets or coded grids, and sections differ on which they accept. Tell us the form your HS865 section expects, attach the Unit 3 prompt and rubric, then name the studies you have screened in. The sample arranges them by claim rather than by author, with notes that interpret each column. First custom sample free, back in 24-48h. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Purdue University Global document.

More HS865 papers and DHSc samples

HS865 Unit 3 questions, answered

How is a synthesis matrix different from a literature table?

A literature table usually gives each study a row and describes it: authors, design, sample, findings. A synthesis matrix keeps the rows but turns the columns into findings or claims, so each cell records whether a study supports, contradicts or says nothing about that claim. The table describes sources; the matrix compares them, which is why it feeds a thematic review.

How are the columns of a synthesis matrix chosen?

From the claims that recur in the literature and the ones your question depends on. Reading a handful of studies first usually suggests them. Each column should be phrased so a study could contradict it: a column titled patient factors cannot be contradicted, while patient expectation sustains shielding can. Expect to add, merge and split columns as screening continues.

Should qualitative studies share a matrix with surveys?

They can, provided design is visible in every row. A qualitative study supporting a claim offers a different kind of evidence from a survey percentage, and the matrix should let a reader see that at a glance. Coding cells by design, then discussing mixed evidence openly in the notes instead of tallying it, keeps the comparison honest.

Where can I find a free HS865 Unit 3 sample paper?

The full Unit 3 synthesis matrix is on this page, coding gonadal shielding studies as supporting, contradicting or silent on six findings.

What did the knowledge column reveal?

Most radiographers who still shield know the guidance has changed, so the review shifted from a knowledge gap toward habit, social expectation and room routines.