Wk1-3 Flashcards
Research integrity Scientific process
what is research integrity?
conducting research in ways that allow others to have trust and confidence in the methods used and the findings
key elements of research integrity
honesty
rigour
transparency
care and respect of participants
where can ethical issues arise?
- research question
-is it new?
-is it relevant? - research design
-suitable?
-minimal ethical concerns? - num of participants
-appropriate?
-feasible? - researcher experience
-track-record and background
-appropriate supervision? - risks, benefits and burdens to participants
-balance between harm and benefit?
-contingencies to mitigate harm
6.recruitment and compensation
-what makes a reasonable payment
-are they just participating for the money?
- respecting confidentiality
- publication of results
- informed consent
-ability to withdraw
-voluntary and well informed decision?
what is the scientific process?
observation/questions
research topic area
hypothesis
test with experiment
analyse data
report conclusions
which studies have the highest quality of evidence and lowest risk of bias?
systematic reviews and meta-analyses
which studies have the lowest quality of evidence and highest risk of bias?
editorials
expert opinion
what is the format of research papers?
abstract
introduction/background
methods
results
discussion
why are research designs important?
provide framework of methods and techniques
tells us how a study is conducted
what are cross-sectional designs?
assess a phenomenon at one point in time
measures different samples (or only one sample once)
provides snapshot at any given point in time
examines trends and changes at societal level
e.g. health survey for England
what are longitudinal designs?
assess a phenomenon at several points in time
measures the same sample over time
provides information on change at an individual level
examines changes in the same people over time
what are observational studies
no interventions made
provides information on associations between an exposure and an event
what are experimental studies
involves an intervention
allows for the determination of cause and effect
what is a single cross-sectional design?
one sample of participants recruited from large target population
information obtained from sample only once
e.g. research question: relationship between smartphone use and academic performance
what are different group cross-sectional designs
compares two or more groups at one time point
what is case-control design?
usually retrospective
outcome measured before exposure
‘cases’ have the outcome e.g. heart disease
‘controls’ do not have the outcome
example research question: Return to play, performance, and career
duration after anterior cruciate ligament
rupture: A case–control study in the five
biggest football nations in Europe
what is retrospective cohort design?
looks backwards
examines data that already exists
tries to identify risk factors for particular conditions
what is prospective cohort design
looks forward
watches for outcomes (e.g. development of disease) and relates this to suspected risk factors or protective factors
what is randomised control trial (RCT) design?
looks forward
includes intervention or treatment
participants randomised into control or intervention groups
follows groups over time to determine differences in outcomes
what is quasi experimental design
intervention study that DOES NOT randomise participants or have a control group
what are feasibility studies
research done before a main study to determine whether the methods are feasible and acceptable
what are pilot studies
a small scale study conducted prior to large scale experiment to test and refine the procedures
what is an aim
a statement describing the purpose of the study
what is a research question
a specific question showing the primary aim of the research study
what is a research hypothesis
a specific, clear and testable statement about the possible outcome of a scientific research study
