Spiral - Chapter 4

Question 0

What is research?

Answer 0

An organized process using the scientific method for investigating problems. It involves systematic progression through a series of necessary steps

Question 1

Define evaluation

Answer 1

Assesses a process or program to provide evidence & feedback for the program

Question 2

Define reliability

Answer 2

The consistency, dependability, & stability of the measurement process

Question 3

Define validity

Answer 3

The degree to which a test or assessment measures what it is intended to measure. You always want to use a valid instrument to increase your likelihood of actually measuring what you’re trying to

Question 4

Define variables

Answer 4

Operational forms of a construct - They designate how the construct will be measured in designated scenarios

Question 5

Define formative evaluation

Answer 5

An ongoing process of evaluation from planning through implementation

Question 6

Define process evaluation

Answer 6

Any combination of measures that occur as a program is implemented to assure or improve the quality of performance/delivery

Question 7

Define summative evaluation

Answer 7

Associated with measures/judgments that enable the investigator to draw conclusions. It is commonly associated with impact & outcome evaluation

Question 8

Define impact evaluation

Answer 8

Evaluation that focuses on the immediate & observable effects of a program leading to the desired outcomes

Question 9

Define outcome evaluation

Answer 9

Focused on the ultimate goal, product, or policy. It is often measured in terms of morbidity & mortality

Question 10

What are the 3 main methods to evaluate, critique, and report evidence?

Answer 10

• Systematic reviews
• Meta-analyses
• Pooled analyses

Question 11

What is a systematic review?

Answer 11

A published qualitative review of a comprehensive synthesis of publications on particular topics

Question 12

What is a meta-analyses?

Answer 12

A systematic method of evaluating statistical data based on results of several independent studies of the same problem

Question 13

What is pooled analyses?

Answer 13

A method for collecting all the individual data from a group of studies, combining them into one large set of data, and then analyzing the data as if it all came from one big study

Question 14

What is quantitative methodology?

Answer 14

Evaluation that focuses on quantifying, or measuring things related to health education programs

Question 15

What is qualitative methodology?

Answer 15

Descriptive in nature and attempts to discover meaning or interpret why phenomena are occurring

Question 16

Is quantitative or qualitative methodology better?

Answer 16

BOTH! Helps you obtain a deeper understanding of a program - You can describe classifications with data but also “tell the story”

Question 17

What is HaPI?

Answer 17

Health & Psychosocial Instruments Database - Helps find instrumentation for future data collection

Question 18

What is the risk with using pre-developed instruments for your data collection?

Answer 18

Internal bias!

Question 19

How should you review pre-existing instruments before using them to collect data for your project?

Answer 19

Ensure each item is appropriate; Ensure it measures your variables of interest; Be sure there aren’t unnecessary items included; Make sure language is clear & appropriate for your population; Check that it’s reliable & valid; PILOT TEST! with a sample population

Question 20

What types of outcomes are included in a logic model?

Answer 20

Short-term, intermediate, long term

Question 21

What is a short-term outcome?

Answer 21

Quantifiable changes in knowledge, skills, or access to resources in program participants

Question 22

What is an intermediate outcome?

Answer 22

Changes in behaviors/policy that result from achievement of the short-term outcomes

Question 23

What is a long-term outcome?

Answer 23

Measured in terms of fundamental changes in morbidity & mortality

Question 24

What is the goal of data analysis?

Answer 24

To reduce, synthesize, organize, & summarize information to make sense of it. You always need a data analysis plan to minimize errors and use correct statistical methods

Question 25

What must be included in a data analysis plan?

Answer 25

What items will be used to answer each research question; Level of measurement for each survey question; What statistical tests/analysis will be used to answer research questions

Question 26

What are some common data collection strategies?

Answer 26

Face-to-face, telephone, self-administered, traditional mail, & electronic platforms. Type depends on needs of population & resources!

Question 27

What is a quantitative, close-ended item?

Answer 27

Respondents make selections that represent their knowledge, attitudes, or self-reported behavior from pre-determined lists, scales, or categories

Question 28

What is a guideline for using a rating scale?

Answer 28

Mediate the scale so there is room for both extremes

Question 29

What are open-ended items?

Answer 29

Those that allow written or verbal responses to items that cant be adequately answered with a single word/phrase. Use fewer of these than close-ended but allow people to respond freely! Don’t be too broad or specific though.

Question 30

Which type of evaluation question lends itself better to statistical analysis?

Answer 30

Quantitative questions

Question 31

What are some types of validity?

Answer 31

Content/face; Criterion; Construct

Question 32

What is the standard of experimental desgin?

Answer 32

Controlled trial & RANDOMIZED

Question 33

What are the two main types of study design?

Answer 33

Descriptive & analytic

Question 34

What is a descriptive study design?

Answer 34

Studies (such as cross-sectional) that describe the occurrence of disease/disability in terms of person, place, & time using prevalence surveys, surveillance data, & other routinely collected data to describe the phenomena

Question 35

What is an analytic study design?

Answer 35

Attempts to explain etiology & causal associations. Ex: Cohort & case-control. Estimate the strength of a relationship between exposure & outcome

Question 36

What is descriptive analysis?

Answer 36

Exploratory! Designed to describe phenomena specific to a population using descriptive stats such as raw numbers, percentages, & ratios. Describes what the data reveals & provide summaries!

Question 37

What is continuous data?

Answer 37

Data that can have infinite values for variables.

Question 38

What is discrete data?

Answer 38

Data that are limited to a specific number of values to represent variables. Opposite of continuous!

Question 39

What is nominal data?

Answer 39

Cannot be ordered hierarchically but are mutually exclusive (ex: male & female)

Question 40

What is analytic analysis?

Answer 40

Explanatory in nature & may use both descriptive & inferential stats to explain phenomena

Question 41

What are inferential statistics?

Answer 41

Stats used when the researcher wants to draw conclusions about a population from a sample - Use inferences about central tendency such as mean, median, mode, etc.

Question 42

What is a probability sample?

Answer 42

A random sample! Used when you can’t get the whole population but want to represent it. The larger the sample, the more representative it is!

Question 43

What is a stratified sample?

Answer 43

Divide a population into segments based on characteristics of importance (age, gender, social class, etc.) & then randomize within each category.

Question 44

What is a convenience sample?

Answer 44

An accidental sample that is NOT random - Ex: Volunteers

Question 45

What are some major types of qualitative research methods?

Answer 45

Observation/audit; Document study; Interviews; Focus groups

Question 46

What is an IRB?

Answer 46

Institutional Review Board - Used at institutions to protect human subjects involved in research. It’s an independent ethics committee that approves, monitors, & reviews human research to protect human rights/welfare.

Question 47

What is the HIPAA “privacy rule”?

Answer 47

Establishes conditions when protected health info may be used for research or program evaluation. Sometimes requires individual authorization, sometimes doesn’t.

Question 48

What are HIAs?

Answer 48

Health Impact Assessments. They are used to objectively evaluate the potential health effects of a project/policy before it’s developed or implemented. Provide recommendations to help health.