WEEK SIX

Question 1

Important to understand sampling because you want to know?

Answer 1

Does the study address the population about whom we have a clinical question?

Does the sample accurately reflect/form a part of the population addressed in the study?

Does the sampling approach limit the usefulness of the findings?

Question 2

What are the summary sampling goals?

Answer 2

Qualitative

• Find best sources of data relevant to study aims/objectives
• Obtain insights into the phenomenon of interest

Quantitative

• Obtain sample representative of population of interest
• Obtain sample that allows effects of specified variables to be distinguished from other variables

Question 3

What is data collection

Answer 3

“the process of gathering and measuring information on variables of interest, in an established systematic fashion that enables one to answer stated research questions, test hypotheses, and evaluate outcomes.”

Question 4

What is the importance of accurate data collection?

Answer 4

-Maintaining the integrity of research.

Important factors to reduce the likelihood of errors occurring:

• selection of appropriate data collection instruments (existing, modified, or newly developed)
• clearly delineated instructions for their correct use.

Question 5

What are the consequences of improperly collected data?

Answer 5

• Inability to answer research questions accurately
• Inability to repeat and validate the study
• Distorted findings resulting in wasted resources
• Compromising decisions for public policy
• Causing harm to human participants/animal subjects

Question 6

What are common data collection methods in qualitative research?

Answer 6

• In-depth interviews: may be structured, semi-structured or unstructured
• Focus groups: involve multiple participants discussing an issue
• Secondary data/document review: diaries, written accounts of past events, photographs
• Observations: may be on site, or under ‘laboratory conditions’, for example, where participants are asked to role-play a situation to show what they might do.

Question 7

What are common data collection methods in quantitative research?

Answer 7

• Experiments/clinical trials
• Observing and recording well-defined events (e.g., counting the number of patients waiting in emergency at specified times of the day)
• Obtaining relevant data from management information systems
• Administering surveys with closed-ended questions (e.g., face-to face and telephone interviews, questionnaires)

Question 8

what are measurements of variables?

Answer 8

Use objective measures

Distinguish between independent (predictor) & dependent (outcome) variables

Must result in numbers for statistical analysis

Question 9

What is internal validity

Answer 9

-Refers to whether intervention (independent variable) had real measurable effect on outcome (dependent) variable

Need to minimise threats to this eg:
-selection bias: sample needs to be representative of population. Self-selection a problem

• mortality: participants drop out of study
• maturation: developmental, biological or psychological processes of individual that change over time- may affect study variable
• problems with instrumentation: changes in measurement or observation techniques- may influence measurement

Question 10

external validity:

Answer 10

Refers to generalisability of findings to other populations &/or settings

Factors affecting related to:
selection of participants: selection bias, mortality, maturation
study conditions
types of observations