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Research Methods > Research Designs > Flashcards

Research Designs Flashcards

1
Q

What types of Research Design exist?

A

Descriptive (PO)

Analytical (PICO)

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2
Q

What are the different sub-categories of Descriptive Research Design ?

A

Survey/case reports

Qualitative

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3
Q

What are the different sub-categories of Analytical Research Design ?

A

Observational analytic

Experimental

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4
Q

Describe the Descriptive Research Design

A
  • non analytical, not to quantify relationship, no hypothesis
  • without an “intervention” (retrospective)
  • N can be small but # of variables can be large
  • descriptive information to support or invalidate theories
  • reveal important findings = new hypothesis
  • examples : case reports, case series, single case design, qualitative studies and surveys, cross sectional studies
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5
Q

Describe the Analytical Research Design, observational analytic branch

A
  • quantify relationship between two factors : Effect of intervention/exposure on outcome
  • test hypothesis
  • measuring intervention, exposure (case control, cohort, cross sectional studies)
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6
Q

Describe the Analytical Research Design, experimental branch

A
  • Researchers manipulate intervention/exposure
  • Quasi experimental: test causality with sub-optimal variable control (before/after design)
  • True experimental: test causality with optimal variable control (randomized control trial)
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7
Q

Description of Case-Study/ Case Series

A
  • Descriptive information, exposure, outcome
  • No control group
  • Explore new treatment/topic on which limited knowledge exists
  • Elaborate new hypothesis
  • Often qualitative research
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8
Q

Definition of Case-Study/Case series

A

A participant with a condition of interest will provide information about clinical outcome.

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9
Q

Description of Case Control Design

A
  • Retrospective
  • Cases (with a specific characteristic or situation vs. controls allowing a comparison between differences
  • No active control
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10
Q

Definition of Case Control Design

A

A retrospective measurement consisting into a comparison between participants with and without outcomes of interest assessed regarding previous exposure to intervention or causal factor.

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11
Q

What are the advantages of Case Control Design?

A
  • Quick and cheap
  • Feasible on very rare disorders or those with long lag between exposure and outcome
  • Fewer subjects needed than cross sectional studies
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12
Q

What are the Disadvantages of Case Control Design?

A
  • Reliance on recall or records to determine exposure status
  • Confounders
  • Selection of control groups is difficult
  • Potential bias: recall, selection
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13
Q

Description of Cohort Design

A

-prospective (can also be retrospective)
-one group is not exposed to the situation of interest
VS.
-one group is exposed to the situation of interest
- the allocation of groups is not under control
-there are no causal relationships between the characteristics of groups

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14
Q

Definition of Cohort Design

A

Prospective analysis of the outcome of a study taking place between participants exposed and not exposed to the intervention.

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15
Q

What are the advantages of Cohort Design?

A
  • Ethically safe
  • Subjects can be matched
  • Can establish timing and directionality of events
  • Eligibility criteria and outcome assessments can be standardized
  • Administratively easier and cheaper than RCT
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16
Q

What are the disadvantage of Cohort Design?

A
  • Controls may be difficult to identify
  • Exposure may be linked to a hidden confounder
  • Blinding is difficult
  • Randomisation not present
  • For rare disease, large sample sizes or long follow up is necessary
17
Q

What are the characteristics of Cross Sectional Design?

A
  • At 1 point in time
  • Which factors influence particular outcome
  • Exploratory
  • Relatively inexpensive, easy
  • No causality
18
Q

Definition of Cross Sectional Design

A

Measurements on outcomes and factors made at one point in time on a group of participants.

19
Q

What are the Advantages of Cross Sectional Design?

A
  • Cheap and simple

- Ethically safe

20
Q

What are the disadvantages of Cross Sectional Design ?

A
  • Establishes association at most, not causality
  • Recall bias susceptibility
  • Confounders may be unequally distributed
  • Group sizes may be unequal
21
Q

What are the characteristics of Before/After Design ?

A
  • Prospective
  • Assess and compare outcomes before and after intervention
  • No control group, subjects serve as their own control
22
Q

Definition of Before/After Design

A

Participants -> Assessment -> Intervention -> Outcome studied in a prospective time

23
Q

What are the characteristics of Single Case design ?

A

-Prospective
-Cfr. Before/after design
-no control group : individual subject serves as his own control
-participants studied during multiple phases :
Minimum 2 designated by letters by convention
Baseline (A) and treatment intervention (B)

24
Q

Definition of Single Case Design

A

Individual client -> Baseline evaluation (A) -> Intervention (B) -> Evaluation (A) -> Intervention (B) studied prospectively

25
Q

What are the characteristics of Randomized controlled trial (RCT) ?

A
  • Experimental study : “does things to people in order to observe the effects”
  • Random allocation -> internal validity
  • 1 experimental group vs 1 control group (controlled manipulation of at least one independent variable)
  • test effectiveness of intervention (causality)
  • highly controlled
26
Q

Definition of RCT

A

Participants -> Stratification -> Randomization -> Experimental group/Control group -> Outcome

27
Q

What are the advantages of RCT ?

A
  • Unbiased distribution of Confounders
  • blinding more likely
  • randomization facilitates statistical analysis
28
Q

What are the disadvantages of RCT ?

A
  • Expensive time and money
  • Volunteer bias
  • Ethically problematic at times
29
Q

Compare RCT and SCD

A

-Major differences :
Means by which the experimental control is achieved
Number of participants in the study

Both are scientifically credible when properly applied.

30
Q

Characteristics of Experimental Design

A

-Random Assignment
-Researcher controlled manipulation of independent variable
-Researcher control of experimental situation and setting, including control / comparison group
-control of variance :
Clearly spelled out sampling criteria
Precisely defined independent variable
Carefully measured dependent variable

31
Q

What are the types of variables ?

A
  • independent variable
  • dependent variable
  • extraneous variable
32
Q

What are the validity criteria of experimental trial ?

A
  • comparability of the groups at the beginning
  • large numbers
  • blinding of assessors, raters and statisticians
  • no confounding factors
  • reliability of the measurements
33
Q

What are the potential causes of bias in quantitative research ?

A
  • Researchers
  • Components of the environment the settings
  • Individual participant or sample
  • How groups were formed
  • Measurement tools
  • Data collection process
  • Data and duration of the study
  • Statistical tests and analysis interpretation
34
Q

Why is rigor important ?

A
  • because the validity of the study depends on it
  • striving for excellence in research and adherence to detail
  • precise measurement tools, representative sample and tightly controlled study design
  • logical reasoning is essential
  • precision, accuracy, detail and order required
35
Q

Definition of Internal Validity

A

Extend to which the independent variable caused the outcome of the study. Are you actually measuring what you were supposed to measure ? Avoiding confounding factors.

36
Q

What is external validity ?

A

The possibility to generalize results.

37
Q

Define reliability

A
  • the accuracy and repeatability of the measured outcome, divided between inter rater and intra rater
38
Q

Reliability vs validity

A

Reliability is about the consistency of a measure and validity is about the consistency of the measure

Research Methods (9 decks)

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