My First Paper: Fraser Philp

Posted on: 17 August 2022 by Fraser Philp in August 2022 posts

This week we continue our 'My First Paper' Campaign, showcasing researchers and their research - with Fraser Philp a Lecturer in Physiotherapy in the Institute of Population Health.

Your name and your area of research.

Dr Fraser Philp – understanding human movement and assistive technology for health - https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Fraser-Philp-2

What was the title of your first paper and who was it submitted to?

The title of my first paper was “Study of the measurement and predictive validity of the Functional Movement Screen (FMS)”. I published this in 2018 in the journal BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine. You can find the paper here. 

How would you explain what this paper was about to your grandparents?

This paper was about investigating if movement-based tests (FMS), used by sports and exercise medicine practitioners to screen athletes for injury before the start of the competitive season, are any good at measuring features of their movement and predicting if they will get injured. To do this we put reflective markers on a group of footballers’ skin whilst they completed the movements. We then tracked their movements using state-of-the-art 3D cameras that you may have seen used in CGI for movies and video games. We then followed them over a competitive season and looked to see if the tests we performed at the start could predict injury in any of the footballers.

What was the most significant thing for you about that paper?

We found that the most commonly used test (FMS) for predicting injury in football was not valid and had no measurement capabilities. It could not therefore be considered as a tool for predicting injury or even measuring human movements. The clinical applicability of the test was therefore questionable and we suggested recommendations for improving the testing battery.

What advice would you give to others about submitting their first paper?

Your first paper may seem daunting as you have to navigate the quagmire that is journal submission guidelines but you’ll get there in the end. Resilience is key and ensure you celebrate the wins, no matter how small!