Final Exam Study Guide Flashcards
what is a population
group who you are interested in learning something about
group who you are interested in learning something about
Population
what is a sample
small group of people from TP included in the actual study (study participants)
small group of people from TP included in the actual study (study participants)
sample
where can you find the sample information
methods section
what is the sample size and what is an appropriate size
how many people being studied; red flag <20 people
Small leads to inconclusive results or random chance dominates outcome
what is a representative sample
reflects characteristics of TP
Provides generalizability
Similar to the TP
reflects characteristics of TP
Provides generalizability
Similar to the TP
representative sample
what is a power analysis
determines if the research manuscript considered sample size when designing their study
determines if the research manuscript considered sample size when designing their study
power analysis
what is generalizability influenced by
sampling bias & inc/exc criteria
what has an impact on generalizability
sampling bias, sample error, small sample size
what is generalizability closely tied to
external validity
what is external validity
extent to which the findings can be applied to broader populations
what is a non-representative sample
only relevant to that sample & not TP
Biased samples, Over and under estimate certain pop attributes, impacts overall validity
only relevant to that sample & not TP
Biased samples, Over and under estimate certain pop attributes, impacts overall validity
non representative sample
How to know if sample represents TP
similar profile
what is sampling
choosing sub-group to represent TP
Process used to pool the sample from the TP
How the sample was chosen
what is sampling error
difference between the makeup of the study sample and that of the population of interest
Happens naturally
what is sampling error influenced by
sample size & variability in TP
what reduces sample error
larger sample
what is sampling bias
certain members are more/less likely to be included in a sample than others
Meaningful differences between non-participants and participants
Meaningful differences between non-participants and participants
sampling bias
how to determine sampling bias
Look for how participants are chosen, demographics are broad, groups that were explicitly excluded?
what is a consort diagram
insight into how many potential participants actually enrolled & completed the study
insight into how many potential participants actually enrolled & completed the study
consort diagram
Used to record the study outcomes
Indicates if intervention is effective or not
Are they reliable & valid
measurements
what are measurement scales
quantify, categorize, analyze & report data
what are the measurement scales
ratio
interval
ordinal
nominal
describe ratio
cannot have - #s, true 0, equal interval bw units, allows for math (+,-,/,x): ex duration, SPL, grip strength, height, weight
describe interval
can have - #s, no true 0, equal interval bs units, ex range of motion, BC thresh, temp, allows for math
describe ordinal
inherent ranking/ordering, #s have no value, order of finishing a race, agree on satisfaction survey, Likert scale
describe nominal
categorize/label variables, #s have no value, no order, ex 1-f 2-m, 3dead
describe binary
only allows for two values, ex below 50 & above 50 or yes no
what are the 3 sources, how do you fix them
instrument (calibration), person (training/unfamiliar w/ instrument), variable (inherent instability - think BP variability; take multiple measures)
what are the types of errors
systemic & random
describe systemic errors
occurs in 1 direction & constant magnitude; graph is straight line
describe random errors
unpredictable, due to chance; graph is random
concerned with degree of random error in measurement process
reliability
Asking if measures are
dependable, reproducible, & if measured more than once is the result the same
what are the types of reliability
test retest
rater - intra & inter
internal consistency
describe test retest reliability
measuring repeatedly & compare results; error due to instrument
what are the rater reliabilities
inter and intra
describe intra reliabiity
1 person measuring same construct multiple times & do they get same answerd
describe inter reliability
multiple raters and calibrated to measure the same thing, do they get the same result
describe internal consistency
related to questionnaires & reliability bw set of items measuring same concepts (depression, pain, anxiety, happiness, etc.)
what are good and bad reliability coefficients
<.5 poor, .5 - .75 moderate, >.75 - 1 good
Cannot be negative or below 0
Context specific (psychological, motion, ROM, physiological, chemical) - look at previous lit
A measure with perfect agreement will never demonstrate a perfect correlation
FALSE
always
Perfect reliable instrument = observed measurement is true
true
what is validity
is instrument measuring what is intended to
what are the types of validity
face
content
construct
criterion
what is face validity
instrument is testing what it is supposed to, Weakest form
instrument is testing what it is supposed to, Weakest form
face validity
what is content validity
items making up instrument adequately sample universe of content that defines the variable measured; useful w/ questionnaires & inventories
Experts subjectively determine if an instrument captures all domains of a construct
items making up instrument adequately sample universe of content that defines the variable measured; useful w/ questionnaires & inventories
Experts subjectively determine if an instrument captures all domains of a construct
content validity
what is construct validity
establishes ability of instrument to measure abstract construct & which it reflects theoretical components of the construct (QOL, depression, burnout etc)
establishes ability of instrument to measure abstract construct & which it reflects theoretical components of the construct (QOL, depression, burnout etc)
construct validity
types of construct
convergent
discriminant
describe convergent construct validity
tests that are intended to measure same thing actually does so
Compare your outcome measures to established outcome measures of the same construct - should have similar results
Have one test already established & you want to compare your new one
tests that are intended to measure same thing actually does so
Compare your outcome measures to established outcome measures of the same construct - should have similar results
Have one test already established & you want to compare your new one
convergent construct validity
describe discriminant construct validity
tests that are measuring diff things actually do so (depression from anxiety)
Take an already established outcome measure that assesses another related construct and compare your outcomes to it
Scores should differe because they are measuring different constructs (discriminates between the two)
tests that are measuring diff things actually do so (depression from anxiety)
Take an already established outcome measure that assesses another related construct and compare your outcomes to it
Scores should differe because they are measuring different constructs (discriminates between the two)
discriminant construct validity
what is criterion validity
assess ability of 1 test to predict results obtained from another (criterion) test; most practical & objective
Indicates outcome of 1 instrument, target test, can be used as a substitute measure for an established gold standard criterion test
assess ability of 1 test to predict results obtained from another (criterion) test; most practical & objective
Indicates outcome of 1 instrument, target test, can be used as a substitute measure for an established gold standard criterion test
criterion validity
what are the types of criterion validity
concurrent
predictive
describe concurrent criterion validity
compares less established/new instrument to gold standard
measuring the same thing with 2 instruments @ the same time
describe predictive criterion validity
correlates one thing
Ex: gre test scores to measure succes in grad school or correlates gpa in science to future performance
correlates one thing
Ex: gre test scores to measure succes in grad school or correlates gpa in science to future performance
predictive crierion validity
compares less established/new instrument to gold standard
measuring the same thing with 2 instruments @ the same time
concurrent criterion validity
Questions to ask in Instrumentation or Outcomes section
What are DV of the study
How is each variable operationalized
Potential range of values/scores for each instrument & how are they interpreted
Is there evidence of instrument reliability & validity
what is the target population
group to whom you can generalize your results
how do you operationalize the target population
Inclusion-characteristics of the population you are interested in studying; characteristics they have to qualify for the study Exclusion-identify attributes that confound study findings
what is the inclusion criteria
characteristics of the population you are interested in studying; characteristics they have to qualify for the study
what is the exclusion criteria
identify attributes that confound study findings
what is the independent variable
variable being manipulated, differs between groups, typically identify levels of the independent , always described as a construct (treatment or intervention)
how to operationalize the IV
distinguish bw levels of IV & replicate same procedures in another study
what is the dependent variable
the outcome of the study/variable which you expect the see a diff bw groups
how do you operationalize the DV
describe how it is being measured (what measurement tool will be used to measure the variable & describe the measurement procedures enough detail to replicate the measurement
what is internal validity
are results caused by the thing you are testing or is it something else influencing it? Accuracy of study, Did show that IV and only IV caused results.
what is external validity
degree to which the results of study can be generalized to the larger target pop, application to other situations how you can relate the study to the outside world. Can we generalize results beyond the sample, decreases as internal increases
Which of the following can directly influence the generalizability of a study?
Sampling bias
Scales of measurements
Inclusion and exclusion criteria
All of the above
Sampling bias and inclusion/exclusion criteria
Sampling bias and inclusion/exclusion criteria
When recruiting subjects, you should consider whether non-participants (those who decline to be included in the study) differ from participants (those who agree to be included in the study) in any meaningful way. If there is a meaningful difference between non-participants and participants, this may indicate:
Sampling bias
A strict exclusion criterion
The need to stratify your sample
None of the above
Sampling bias
The study sample will be described in the _________ section of a manuscript.
Discussion
Abstract
Introduction
Methods
Methods
The generalizability of a study is closely tied to:
Internal validity
Statistical validity
The p-value
Operationalization of the dependent variable
External validity
External validity
A representative sample is a sample that reflects:
Characteristics of the target population
The researchers’ ability to access the target population
Sample size
All of the above
Characteristics of the target population
Sampling error refers to:
A respondent’s adoption of a meaningless response pattern, such as “a,b,c. . .a,b,c. . a,b,c.”
The number of groups in the study
Critique provided by an expert panel
The difference between the makeup of the study sample and that of the population of interest
Within group variability
The difference between the makeup of the study sample and that of the population of interest
In order to determine if the authors of a research manuscript considered sample size when designing their study, you should look for evidence of:
Table 1
A power analysis
A statistically significant effect
Effect size calculations
a power analysis
A ___________ will provide insight into how many potential participants were actually enrolled in, and completed the study.
Copyright issues
Table 1
Power analysis
Significant result
CONSORT diagram
CONSORT diagram
A subset of individuals from the larger group of individuals we want to learn something about is called the
Sampling
Sample
Population
Independent variable
Sample
In most cases, it is impractical to study an entire population because (check all that apply):
It would be cost prohibitive
It would be time intensive
It would be too efficient
It would be difficult to identify everyone in a given population
It would be cost prohibitive
It would be time intensive
It would be difficult to identify everyone in a given population
A sample that is not representative of the population (check all that apply):
Can underestimate certain population attributes being studied
Can overestimate certain population attributes being studied
Is also known as a biased sample
Will impact the overall validity of a study
Can underestimate certain population attributes being studied
Can overestimate certain population attributes being studied
Is also known as a biased sample
Will impact the overall validity of a study
Generalizability is dependent upon
A representative sample
The independent variable
A sample that reflects the relevant variables of a population
A sample that reflects the relevant characteristics of a population
The dependent variable
A representative sample
A sample that reflects the relevant variables of a population
A sample that reflects the relevant characteristics of a population
Which of the following can impact the generalizability of study findings?
Sampling error
Sampling bias
Small sample size
All of the above
all
Measurements are an essential component of any research study.
t
If you cannot trust the study measurements, you cannot trust the study findings.
t
When critically reviewing measurements from a study, you are primarily scrutinizing the measurement’s:
Validity
Randomization
Sampling methods
Reliability
validity
reliability
Which of the following measurement scales would always allow you to implement mathematical operations?
Ordinal
Ratio
Nominal
Interval
ratio
interval
Which of the following correctly ranks the measurement scales from most informative to least informative?
Ratio, interval, ordinal, nominal
Interval, nominal, ordinal, ratio
Nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio
Ratio, ordinal, interval, nominal
Ratio, interval, ordinal, nominal
I measured my patients’ handgrip strength using a dynamometer. I record the measurements in kilograms then classify each patient as 1=weak, 2=normal, 3=strong.
I have converted my data from a(n) _____________ scale to a(n) ______________ scale.
Interval, ordinal
Ratio, interval
Interval, nominal
Ratio, ordinal
ratio ordinal
I measured my patients’ handgrip strength using a dynamometer. I record the measurements as 1=weak, 2=normal, 3=strong, then classify patients as 1=cleared for participation, 2=not cleared.
I have converted my data from a(n) _____________ scale to a(n) ______________ scale.
Interval, nominal
Nominal, ordinal
Ordinal, nominal
Ratio, ordinal
ordinal nominal
Primary sources of error include:
The variable
The instrument
The rater
All of the above
all
A _______ error will ALWAYS be in the same direction and in the same magnitude.
Random
Rater
Response variable
Systematic
systematic
When determining the reliability of a measure, you are likely asking:
How is the dependent variable operationalized?
Are the measurements reproducible?
Are the measurements dependable?
If the variable is measured more than once, will you get the same result?
How is the independent variable operationalized?
Are the measurements reproducible?
Are the measurements dependable?
If the variable is measured more than once, will you get the same result?
Acceptable intra- AND inter-rater reliability should always be established prior to data collection.
t
____________ reliability is concerned with the stability of data recorded by one rater across two or more trials.
intra
Raters and response variables are not considered during _______________ reliability.
Internal consistency
Intra-rater
Inter-rater
Test-retest
test retest
Which of the following is true?
A measure with perfect agreement will always demonstrate a perfect correlation
A perfectly correlated measure will always demonstrate perfect agreement
A perfectly correlated measure will never demonstrate perfect agreement
A measure with perfect agreement will never demonstrate a perfect correlation
A measure with perfect agreement will always demonstrate a perfect correlation
When an instrument is perfectly reliable:
The true measurement is random error plus systematic error
The observed measurement is the true measurement
The observed measurement is the true measurement plus random error
The true measurement is the observed measurement plus systematic error
The observed measurement is the true measurement
If you, as a clinician, review an instrument and make a subjective judgment call that the instrument measures what it intends to measure, you are determining:
Concurrent validity
Face validity
Convergent validity
Content validity
face
If, during the development phase of an instrument, a researcher asks experts (eg, researchers, clinicians, patient) to subjectively determine if an instrument captures all domains of a construct, the researcher is aiming to establish:
Concurrent validity
Face validity
Convergent validity
Content validity
content
Which of the following are classified as types of construct validity?
Convergent
Concurrent
Predictive
Discriminant
convergent
discriminate
Which of the following are classified as types of criterion validity?
Convergent
Concurrent
Predictive
Discriminant
concurrent
predictive
If I measured my subjects’ activities of daily living using a scale in which the total score consisted of the sum of their endorsements of 20 items, but chose to report the percentage of subjects who scored below 50 and those who scored above 50, I would be converting my data from a(n) _____ scale to a(n) _____ scale.
nominal, ordinal
ratio, binary
interval, ratio
ordinal, ratio
interval, ordinal
ratio
binary
Authors of a research manuscript conventionally provide evidence of a scale’s reliability or validity by citing a(n):
Paper in which the scale was used previously
Validation article
Personal communication from the scale’s developer
Analysis conducted during the current study
validation article
You are interested in studying the effects of prolonged exposure to loud noises on hearing ability. At the end of your study, you realize that your audiogram underestimated hearing threshold by exactly 10 decibels for all study subjects. This means that your hearing ability measures are:
Reliable and valid
Not reliable but valid
Reliable but not valid
Neither reliable nor valid
reliable but not valid
You are interested in studying the effects of caffeine (low dose vs. high dose) on heart rate. For your study, you have operationalized heart rate as 1=below normal, 2=normal, 3=above normal. Which of the following mathematical operation(s) are permissible on your dependent variable?
Multiplication
Addition
Counting
None of the above
counting
You are interested in studying the effects of caffeine (low dose vs. high dose) on heart rate. For your study, you have operationalized heart rate as average number of beats per minute during a 5-minute session. Which of the following mathematical operation(s) are permissible on your dependent variable?
Counting
Multiplication
Average
Division
All of these operations
all
I read a manuscript that reported developing a scale I want to use. The authors reported that the scale is valid. How do I determine if it is reliable?
Find another development article for the scale
Assume that the scale is reliable because it has been shown to be valid
Find another article on the scale’s reliability
Find another scale
Assume that the scale is reliable because it has been shown to be valid
The developers of the GRE argue that it is capable of predicting performance in graduate school, but the administration at Harvard claims that it does not because it is biased. They are arguing about:
Face validity
Content validity
Reliability
Criterion validity
Discriminant validity
criterion
One version of the SF-36 quality-of-life scale has been validated for acute stroke patients. The authors of this scale noted that the population they used for validation had suffered a stroke within the last 60 days, and were more than 65 years of age. It is permissible to use this scale for:
Patients who suffered a stroke within the last 60 days
Patients who are more than 65 years of age
Patients who suffered a stroke within the last 60 days, and are more than 65 years of age
Stoke patients
Patients over 65 years of age
Patients who suffered a stroke within the last 60 days, and are more than 65 years of age
The quality of a manuscript is best evaluated:
Either awful or great
On a continuum
Black or white
Either yes or no
Blue or red
continuum
The authors of a research manuscript used the Neurobevioural Functional Inventory, but report no validation information for this scale. You are interested in potentially using the results of their study to modify your practice. What should you do?
Search for a validation article for the Neurobevioural Functional Inventory
Ignore the authors’ study because they were too stupid to include validation information
Assume that the Neurobevioural Functional Inventory is valid, and go forward
Validate the Neurobevioural Functional Inventory yourself
Search for a validation article for the Neurobevioural Functional Inventory
Which of the following are primary components to evidence-based practice?
Clinical expertise
Patient values
Reliable measurements
Best available evidence
Clinical expertise
Patient values
Best available evidence
Primary research articles collect data from:
The participants
Published research articles
The peer-reviewers
Textbooks
participants
Secondary research articles collect data from:
The participants
Published research articles
The peer-reviewers
Textbooks
published research articles
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses can be very useful for busy clinicians because the authors do all of the hard work for you including
Completing a comprehensive search of the literature to find relevant articles
Critically reviewing all of the relevant articles
Incorporating the evidence into your patient care
Offering a concise summary of the findings from the articles
Completing a comprehensive search of the literature to find relevant articles
Critically reviewing all of the relevant articles
Offering a concise summary of the findings from the articles
The basic structure and sections of the methodology of systematic reviews and meta-analyses include the:
Search strategy
Selection criteria
Assessment of study quality
Synthesis of the evidence
Search strategy
Selection criteria
Assessment of study quality
Synthesis of the evidence
All systematic reviews and meta-analyses are of good quality.
f
how certain are they that the DV caused the IV
bias
if they can convince that manipulation of IV resulted in change in DV you get low risk of bias scores in most categories
true
Primary components to evidence-based practice
Clinical expertise, PT values, & best available evidence
Primary research methodology (randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, etc.)
Study design
Participants
Procedures
study/main outcomes
Data is collected from participants
Secondary research articles methodology (systematic & meta-analysis)
Search strategy, selection criteria, assessment of study quality, synthesis of evidence
Review of databases & sources used to identify relevant articles
search strategy
Review of the inclusion & exclusion criteria of the articles
selection criteria
Ensures high-quality studies (e.g., well designed) are weighted more in synthesis of findings
assessment of study qulity
Stage at which investigators determine if meta is appropriate
synthesis of evidence
Meta is pursued if included studies are
similar enough
Can also use _________to determine if meta is appropriate
statistical measures of heterogeneity
If I square is you can consider meta
<.6
Uses quantitative methods to summarize current status of evidence by pooling results of similar studies asking the same question
meta
what is the purpose of i squared
describes the % of variation across studies in a meta-analysis that can be attributed to heterogeneity beyond chance
what is a forest plot
graphical representation displaying pooled results of included studies
what is the 95% CI
Estimates what would likely happen if the entire pop was included in the study
want the line smaller
triangles/sample size of forest plot
contribution of the study to the overall results
weight of forest plots
How much each study contributes to overall effect
It is a fxn of the sample size and how wide the standard deviation was (smaller = more weight) & how they are calculated
overall large triangle at bottom of forest plots
Pooled effect size of all included studies
Solid vertical line in forest plot
null line or line of null effect
No difference between intervention & control group
Divides one result from the other - ratio
Each of the following would be included in the methodology of a systematic review EXCEPT:
Synthesis of evidence
Statistical analysis
Search strategy
Study quality assessment
All of the above would be included in a systematic review
Statistical analysis
The fundamental methodological difference between primary research and secondary research is their __________________ .
Outcome variables
Target population
Unit of analysis
Intervention of interest
Unit of analysis
The overall quality of a meta-analysis will depend upon __________________ .
The number of articles included in the analysis
Its common effect
The reported effect size across all studies
Its methodology
methodology
An I-squared value of .90 would suggest that:
The effect of the pooled data significantly favors the intervention group
The effect of the pooled data significantly favors the control group
A meta-analysis should not be performed
Data from multiple studies can be pooled to derive one overall estimate
A meta-analysis should not be performed
The methodology of a systematic review should be explicit and structured to ensure that readers can:
A. Reproduce the study
B. Assess the overall quality of the study
C. Determine whether the proper statistical analyses were utilized for the study
D. Both A and B
E. All of the above
D. Both A and B
In a forest plot, if the diamond for “overall effect” crosses the vertical line at “0” this indicates:
The effect of the pooled data significantly favors the intervention group
The effect of the pooled data significantly favors the control group
The difference between the pooled groups is not statistically significant
Significant heterogeneity
The difference between the pooled groups is not statistically significant
Which of the following would you tend to trust most?
Meta-analysis of cohort studies
Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Meta-analysis of cross-sectional studies
Systematic review of case studies
Systematic review of case-control studies
Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
A systematic review’s “target population” is operationalized by the
Objective
Search strategy
Selection criteria
Bias evaluation
I-squared value
selection criteria
Which type of research is primarily focused on numerical data and statistical analysis?
Qualitative research
Quantitative research
Both
Neither
quant
Qualitative research methods include surveys with closed-ended questions.
True
False
false
Which approach is more likely to use participant observation and interviews for data collection?
Qualitative research
Quantitative research
Both
Neither
qual
Cross-verifying data through multiple sources or methods
triangulation
what is triangulation
use of two or more strategies to collect, interpret or analyze information, e.g., combining data from multiple sources: interviews, observations or multiple raters
Enhances the credibility of the findings
Validating findings with study participants
member checking
what is member checking
Investigators verify their interpretations about the data with the subjects who provided the information
Systematically maintained set of documentation
audit trail
what is the purpose of audit trail
To ensure the research process was systematic and transparent, To check for the confirmability of the study outcomes
, and To verify the consistency and dependability of the findings
accuracy and truthfulness of the findings
credibility
applicability of the study’s findings to other contexts
transferability
stability and consistency of the data over time
dependatbility
degree to which the findings are shaped by the participants and not researcher bias
confirmability
similar to objectivity
confirmability
similar to reliability
dependability
similar to external validity
transferability
similar to internal validity
credibility
Transferability in qualitative research is similar to which concept in quantitative research?
Internal validity
Validity
Reliability
Generalizability
Generalizability
What does credibility in qualitative research refer to?
The statistical significance of the results
The size of the participant sample
The potential to replicate the study
The accuracy and truthfulness of the findings
The accuracy and truthfulness of the findings
Which of the following best describes member checking’s contribution to research?
Increases numerical data accuracy
Reduces the need for data analysis
Enhances the credibility of the findings
Decreases the study’s duration
Enhances the credibility of the findings
Credibility in qualitative research is similar to which concept in quantitative research?
Generalizability
Validity
Reliability
Internal validity
nternal validity
Triangulation in qualitative research refers to:
Using three data collection methods only
Limiting research to three participants for depth
Focusing solely on triangular relationships
Cross-verifying data through multiple sources or methods
Cross-verifying data through multiple sources or methods
What is the primary focus of qualitative research?
Statistical analysis
Understanding human experiences
Predicting future trends
Generalizing findings to large populations
Understanding human experiences
Which is NOT a purpose of conducting an audit in qualitative research?
To ensure the research process was systematic and transparent
To verify the consistency and dependability of the findings
To assess the financial expenditures of the study
To check for the confirmability of the study outcomes
To assess the financial expenditures of the study
Dependability in qualitative research is similar to which concept in quantitative research?
Reliability
Internal validity
Validity
Generalizability
Reliability
Member checking involves:
Checking members’ credentials in a research team
Peer review of the research methodology
Membership in relevant research organizations
Validating findings with study participants
Validating findings with study participants
Which data collection method is commonly used in qualitative research?
Surveys with closed-ended questions
In-depth interviews
Numerical data analysis
Large-scale experiments
In-depth interviews
for qualitative studies, which of the following study features would likely indicate a good quality study?
A control group
External auditor
Member checking
Random assignment
Triangulation
External auditor
Member checking
triangulation
Which is of the following questions would be associated with the critical review of the study sample?
Check all that apply
Is the study sample large and diverse enough to generalize study findings to the target population?
Does the target population look like your patient population?
Are the inclusion / exclusion criteria too strict or narrow?
Did the investigators provide enough details of the intervention for a reader or researcher to replicate?
Were participants recruited from multiple locations to create a diverse study sample?
Is the study sample large and diverse enough to generalize study findings to the target population?
Does the target population look like your patient population?
Are the inclusion / exclusion criteria too strict or narrow?
Were participants recruited from multiple locations to create a diverse study sample?
Which is of the following questions would be associated with the critical review of the independent variable?
Did the investigators provide enough details of the intervention for a reader or researcher to replicate?
Is the study sample large and diverse enough to generalize study findings to the target population?
Were participants recruited from multiple locations to create a diverse study sample?
Did the investigators provide enough details for the reader to distinguish between the levels of the independent variable?
Are the inclusion / exclusion criteria too strict or narrow?
Did the investigators provide enough details of the intervention for a reader or researcher to replicate?
Did the investigators provide enough details for the reader to distinguish between the levels of the independent variable?
In critically reviewing a description of the target population, what are you looking for?
Inclusion/exclusion criteria
External validity (can the results be generalized, and do these subjects look like my patients?)
How were the subjects recruited (e.g., single center or multiple centers)
Critically reviewing the study sample
Is the study sample large and diverse enough to generalize study findings to the target population?
Does the target population look like your patient population?
Are the inclusion / exclusion criteria too strict or narrow?
Were participants recruited from multiple locations to create a diverse study sample?
Critical review of IV
Did the investigators provide enough details of the intervention for a reader or researcher to replicate?
Did the investigators provide enough details for the reader to distinguish between the levels of the independent variable?
Critical Review of DV
Are the instruments/tools chosen to measure the outcome valid and reliable?
if they are valid they are also reliable
But if they are reliable it may not be valid
T
