Spiral - Chapter 4 Flashcards
What is research?
An organized process using the scientific method for investigating problems. It involves systematic progression through a series of necessary steps
Define evaluation
Assesses a process or program to provide evidence & feedback for the program
Define reliability
The consistency, dependability, & stability of the measurement process
Define validity
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
Define variables
Operational forms of a construct - They designate how the construct will be measured in designated scenarios
Define formative evaluation
An ongoing process of evaluation from planning through implementation
Define process evaluation
Any combination of measures that occur as a program is implemented to assure or improve the quality of performance/delivery
Define summative evaluation
Associated with measures/judgments that enable the investigator to draw conclusions. It is commonly associated with impact & outcome evaluation
Define impact evaluation
Evaluation that focuses on the immediate & observable effects of a program leading to the desired outcomes
Define outcome evaluation
Focused on the ultimate goal, product, or policy. It is often measured in terms of morbidity & mortality
What are the 3 main methods to evaluate, critique, and report evidence?
- Systematic reviews
- Meta-analyses
- Pooled analyses
What is a systematic review?
A published qualitative review of a comprehensive synthesis of publications on particular topics
What is a meta-analyses?
A systematic method of evaluating statistical data based on results of several independent studies of the same problem
What is pooled analyses?
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
What is quantitative methodology?
Evaluation that focuses on quantifying, or measuring things related to health education programs
What is qualitative methodology?
Descriptive in nature and attempts to discover meaning or interpret why phenomena are occurring
Is quantitative or qualitative methodology better?
BOTH! Helps you obtain a deeper understanding of a program - You can describe classifications with data but also “tell the story”
What is HaPI?
Health & Psychosocial Instruments Database - Helps find instrumentation for future data collection
What is the risk with using pre-developed instruments for your data collection?
Internal bias!
How should you review pre-existing instruments before using them to collect data for your project?
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
What types of outcomes are included in a logic model?
Short-term, intermediate, long term
What is a short-term outcome?
Quantifiable changes in knowledge, skills, or access to resources in program participants
What is an intermediate outcome?
Changes in behaviors/policy that result from achievement of the short-term outcomes
What is a long-term outcome?
Measured in terms of fundamental changes in morbidity & mortality
What is the goal of data analysis?
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
What must be included in a data analysis plan?
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
What are some common data collection strategies?
Face-to-face, telephone, self-administered, traditional mail, & electronic platforms. Type depends on needs of population & resources!
What is a quantitative, close-ended item?
Respondents make selections that represent their knowledge, attitudes, or self-reported behavior from pre-determined lists, scales, or categories
What is a guideline for using a rating scale?
Mediate the scale so there is room for both extremes
What are open-ended items?
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.
Which type of evaluation question lends itself better to statistical analysis?
Quantitative questions
What are some types of validity?
Content/face; Criterion; Construct
What is the standard of experimental desgin?
Controlled trial & RANDOMIZED
What are the two main types of study design?
Descriptive & analytic
What is a descriptive study design?
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
What is an analytic study design?
Attempts to explain etiology & causal associations. Ex: Cohort & case-control. Estimate the strength of a relationship between exposure & outcome
What is descriptive analysis?
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!
What is continuous data?
Data that can have infinite values for variables.
What is discrete data?
Data that are limited to a specific number of values to represent variables. Opposite of continuous!
What is nominal data?
Cannot be ordered hierarchically but are mutually exclusive (ex: male & female)
What is analytic analysis?
Explanatory in nature & may use both descriptive & inferential stats to explain phenomena
What are inferential statistics?
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.
What is a probability sample?
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!
What is a stratified sample?
Divide a population into segments based on characteristics of importance (age, gender, social class, etc.) & then randomize within each category.
What is a convenience sample?
An accidental sample that is NOT random - Ex: Volunteers
What are some major types of qualitative research methods?
Observation/audit; Document study; Interviews; Focus groups
What is an IRB?
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.
What is the HIPAA “privacy rule”?
Establishes conditions when protected health info may be used for research or program evaluation. Sometimes requires individual authorization, sometimes doesn’t.
What are HIAs?
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.
