Reasoning About the Design and Execution of Research

Question 1

assesses the value of a research question on the basis of whether or not it is feasible, interesting, novel, ethical, and relevant

Answer 1

FINER method

Question 2

ensure that a change in the dependent variable occurs when expected

Answer 2

positive controls

Question 3

ensure that no change in the dependent variable occurs when none is expected

Answer 3

negative controls

Question 4

the quality of approximating the true value

Answer 4

accuracy (validity)

Question 5

the quality of being consistent in approximations

Answer 5

precision (reliability)

Question 6

a type of nonexperimental research in which the researcher measures two variables and assesses the statistical relationship between them, with little or no effort to control extraneous variables

Answer 6

correlation studies

Question 7

a descriptive research approach to obtain an in-depth analysis of a single person, group, or phenomenon

Answer 7

case studies

Question 8

researchers repeatedly examine the same individuals to detect any changes that might occur over a period of time

Answer 8

longitudinal studies

Question 9

manipulating one variable to determine if this causes changes in another variable; this method relies on controlled research methods and random assignment of study subjects to test a hypothesis

Answer 9

experimental studies

Question 10

qualitative research on a group of people and their behaviors and social interactions within their own, native environment; it involves studying people in context, mainly making observations rather than focusing on hard data and numbers

Answer 10

ethnographic research

Question 11

is subject to ethical constraints that are generally absent in basic science research; much of it is observational

Answer 11

human subjects research

Question 12

observational human subjects research:
subjects are sorted into two groups based on varying risk factors, and then assessed at various intervals to determine how many subjects in each group has a certain trait

Answer 12

cohort studies

Question 13

observational human subjects research:

assess both exposure and outcome at the same point in time

Answer 13

cross-sectional studies

Question 14

observational human subjects research:
two existing groups differing in outcome are identified and compared on the basis of some supposed causal attribute; assess outcome status and then assess for exposure history

Answer 14

case-control studies

Question 15

supports causality in observational studies; includes temporality, strength, dose-response relationships, consistency, plausibility, consideration of alternative explanations, experiments, specificity, and coherence

Answer 15

Hill’s criteria

Question 16

flaw that may be in the form of bias, confounding, or random

Answer 16

error

Question 17

error:

systematic and results from a problem during data collection

Answer 17

bias

Question 18

bias:

the sample differs from the population, is most common form in human subjects research

Answer 18

selection bias

Question 19

bias:
arises from educated professionals using their knowledge in an inconsistent way by searching for an outcome disproportionately in certain populations

Answer 19

detection bias

Question 20

bias:
results from changes in behavior (by the subject, experimenter, or both) that occur as a result of the knowledge that the subject is being observed

Answer 20

Hawthorne effect

Question 21

error:
an error in data analysis that results from a common connection of both the dependent and independent variables to a third variable

Answer 21

confounding

Question 22

established research ethics, including respect for persons, justice, and beneficence

Answer 22

Belmont report

Question 23

research ethics:

includes autonomy, informed consent, and confidentiality

Answer 23

respect for persons

Question 24

research ethics:

dictates which study questions are worth pursuing and which subjects to use

Answer 24

justice

Question 25

research ethics:

requires us to do the most good with the least harm; we cannot perform an intervention without equipoise

Answer 25

beneficence

Question 26

a lack of knowledge about which arm of the research study is best for the subject

Answer 26

equipoise

Question 27

all of the individuals who share a set of characteristics; ____ data are called parameters

Answer 27

populations

Question 28

a subset of a population used to estimate population data; ____ data are called statistics

Answer 28

samples

Question 29

refers to the identification of causality in a study between the independent and dependent variables

Answer 29

internal validity

Question 30

refers to the ability of a study to be generalized to the population that it describes

Answer 30

external validity

Question 31

refers to the low likelihood of the experimental findings being due to chance

Answer 31

statistical significance

Question 32

refers to the usefulness or importance of experimental findings to patient care or patient outcomes

Answer 32

clinical significance

Question 33

measurement based on how well people perform a task, irrespective of what they experience while performing the task

Answer 33

objective measurement

Question 34

measurement that has to do with what people say they actually experience

Answer 34

subjective measurement

Question 35

research methods involve comparing an organization, geographic region, government, or other entity

Answer 35

comparative methods