Chapter 4 Flashcards
What are Journal Articles?
Research reports published in articles
What do Journal articles begin with?
A title and an Abstract
When searching for potential articles, the ________ should help as a filter to know when to read further or move on to a new article.
Abstract
What is an Abstract?
a brief description of the study that is placed at the beginning of the study.
Where might you see a Literature Review in a Journal Article?
In the introduction section
May also have its own section
May NOT be included at all
In Journal articles that don’t have a separate section titled “Literature Review,” where do you look?
Look for areas where articles are cited
The parts in the introduction that have citations from other sources can be assumed to be part of a literature review if the paper does not include a formal section itself.
What do Format do Journal articles generally follow?
IMRaD: Introduction Method section Results Discussion
IMRaD:
Introduction Section
What the research problem is
Includes:
1) What is being studied
- Central phenomena, variables under study, concepts, purpose, a question, theoretical or conceptual framework
2) What results are to be expected
- hypothesis
3) Literature review
4) The need for the study
IMRaD:
Methodology Section
What the researchers used to address the research problem
Includes:
1) Research design AKA the type of study
2) Sampling data AKA Who the participants are
-people, age, gender, health conditions, or any restrictions used to prohibit participants from the study
3) Measuring variables and Data collection
-instrumentation used
-how often data was collected
4) Study procedures AKA the details of the study
-approval process, recording when something occurred
5) Data analysis*****
-the method used to analyze results
IMRaD:
Results Section
Discuss all findings that are obtained after analyzing the data.
Provides all the statistical tests and results for each part.
IMRaD: Results Section
What is a sign that the results are not reliable to use to support a practice change?
Not using a statistical test
OR
if an article only says something like “descriptive statistics”
What is Statistical Significance?
What do Journal articles use to indicate Statistical significance?
Means the results are more likely to be true and the results would be replicated with a new sample.
An index of how probable it is that the findings are reliable.
Measured with a p-value. A p-value of <0.05 is considered reliable.
IMRaD:
Results Section + Quantitative Studies
1) Discuss statistical tests used
- usually use more than one test
2) Value of the calculated statistics
- should discuss if it strongly supports a conclusion or if it provides weak support
3) Statistical significance –> p-value
- how reliable are the findings
IMRaD:
Results Section + Qualitative Studies
1) Discuss the themes or categories identified in the study
- this section may be put into subsections related to each theme identified
IMRaD:
Discussion Section
Will describe which results are important for describing an outcome
Includes:
1) Interpretation of results
2) Clinical & Research implications
-will describe if the results of the study support a new change in practice or if it requires more studies performed with a different or larger sample.
3) Study limitations & Ramifications for the believability of the results
-considered stronger if the researchers provide an honest discussion of limitations
What are some examples of limitations to a study?
How it was conducted Variables that were not considered Sample size Participants dropping out reasons for bias
How is the quality of a study (AKA its scientific merit) measured?
By assessing the reliability and validity
What is reliability?
The accuracy and consistency of information obtained from a study
-easier to determine if the study used a specific tool or algorithm
What is validity?
Determines if the methods are appropriate to study the outcome
Examines if the intervention is truly correlated to the result
-accounting for outside factors that can influence the results
-may not be able to control all extraneous factors, but NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEM
What is trustworthiness?
includes credibility, transferability, confirmability, dependability, and authenticity of the data.
What is Triangulation?
is achieved by using multiple ways to measure the outcome.
How is the quality of a Quantitative study (AKA its scientific merit) measured?
Reliability and Validity
How is the quality of a Qualitative study (AKA its scientific merit) measured?
Mainly Triangulation
Trustworthiness
-credibility, transferability, confirmability, dependability, and authenticity of the data.
What is Bias? What is an Inference?
A distortion or influence that results in an error in inference.
A conclusion drawn from the study evidence using logical reasoning.
What is included in Qualitative study bias?
Lack of honesty in responses from participants
Researchers having preconceptions
Data collection was faulty
What methods can be used to reduce bias in a Qualitative study?
1) Triangulation
2) Reflexivity
What is Reflexivity?
The process of reflecting critically on the self and keeping track of personal values
-Being cognizant of one’s own beliefs and values helps to keep them from influencing the data.
What methods can be used to reduce bias in a Quantitative study?
1) Research Control
- aims to keep as many variables as possible constant so that the intervention or independent variable directly influences the outcome.
2) Randomness
3) Blinding
What is Randomness?
Means assigning individuals to the intervention by chance.
What is Blinding?
Means the participants do not know if they are receiving the intervention or not.
-Control group vs. Experimental group
What is a Double-Blind Study?
Makes the researchers blind to who is receiving the actual treatment as well to further reduce bias.
What factors influence the generalizability of a study? SATA: A) reliability B) validity C) sample population D) study environment
A) reliability
B) validity
C) sample population
D) study environment
All of these factors are important.
The larger and more diverse a sample population, the easier it can be applied to other settings.
A specific and isolated study environment would limit the ability of the results to be applied to other settings.
If a study is not reliable or valid then the results are less likely to be applied to other settings.
