Chapter 3

Question 1

After a general research area has been identified, what allows the aim and scope of the research idea to be refined?

Answer 1

Background reading about the topic.

Question 2

What is the starting point for learning about potential areas of inquiry?

Answer 2

To read nontechnical documents and other files available on the internet.

Question 3

What statistics are relevant when defining specific exposures, diseases, and populations?

Answer 3

1) Estimated PREVALENCE of the exposure in a particular country
2) Annual global INCIDENCE of a disease
3) SIZE of a particular population

Question 4

What should we do regarding statistics?

Answer 4

Trace it back to its original source rather than relying on secondary sources.

Question 5

If the source of the statistical data is unclear, then ____.

Answer 5

The statistical data maybe not be trustworthy.

Question 6

What is an abstract?

Answer 6

A paragraph-length summary of an article, chapter, or book.

Question 7

What do abstracts provide?

Answer 7

A brief description of the study population (sample size + location of study), the study design, and key findings of the study.

Question 8

What do abstract databases do?

Answer 8

They allow researchers to search thousands of abstracts for keywords or other terms.

Question 9

What is the most important component of a careful literature search?

Answer 9

A careful and comprehensive search of atleast one major abstract database.

Question 10

What is the most popular publicly available health science database?

Answer 10

PubMed

Question 11

List the health abstract databases that are available via subscription.

Answer 11

1) CAB Direct: For agriculture and nutrition
2) CINAHL
3) ERIC: Sponsored by US dept. of education.
4) MEDLINE: Sponsored by US National library of medicine and ONLY peer reviewed journals
5) PsycINFO: Supported by APA
6) Scopis, from Elsevier
7) Web of Science: Sciences and arts

Question 12

A supplemental search with a general search engine such as ____ may be helpful for identifying additional relevant abstracts.

Answer 12

Google Scholar

Question 13

When is a supplemental search especially important?

Answer 13

When the topic of interest is narrow enough to yield only a small or moderate number of hits.

Question 14

Abstract databases can be searched with:

Answer 14

1) Keywords or MeSH terms using Boolean operators like AND, OR, and NOT.
2) Limits (years, languages, other parameters)
3) Article title, author (last name and first initials), and journal title.

Question 15

What is the only way to truly understand a study?

Answer 15

Reading the full text of the article.

Question 16

How can you access full text articles?

Answer 16

Through journal websites (PubMed), personal websites, university libraries, HINARI (for low/middle income countries), and asking the author directly.

Question 17

What should a researcher do once acquiring a copy of a full-text article?

Answer 17

1) Re-read the abstract
2) Look carefully at the tables and figures (they display the most important results)
3) Read (or skim) the entire text of the article
4) Review the reference list for sny additional sources that the reviewer should read

Question 18

Should all articles be evaluated carefully?

Answer 18

Yes.

Question 19

Critical reading involves asking a series of questions about ____ and ____.

Answer 19

Internal validity; external validity

Question 20

What is internal validity?

Answer 20

How well a study was designed, conducted, interpreted, and reported AND how likely it is that the paper presents the truth about a particular research question in a particular population at a particular place and time.

Question 21

What is the external validity?

Answer 21

The likelihood that the results of a study with internal validity can be generalized to other populations, places, and times.

Question 22

What is one of the common approaches used to track the articles identified during a literature review?

Answer 22

The creation of an annotated bibliography.

Question 23

What does an annotated bibliography include?

Answer 23

MINIMUM:
1) A full reference for the document being reviewed
2) A brief summary of the article or report
EXTRA:
3) Notes about how a published report relates to the proposed new research project.

Question 24

What is the goal of an annotated bibliography?

Answer 24

To summarize the content most pertinent to the new investigation, NOT to replicate the document’s abstract.

Question 25

True or false:
Originality requires the discovery of a newly emergent disease in a previously unrecognized people group on a remote island.

Answer 25

False.

Question 26

What makes a research project original?

Answer 26

It needs to have only one substantive difference from previous work, like new exposure, disease, population, time period, or perspective.

Question 27

Once a researcher identifies a possible novel research question, what can confirm that the area has not already been examined?

Answer 27

A more complete review of the literature.

Question 28

What is the main challenge when selecting a research question?

Answer 28

The need to limit each research project to one focused area.

Question 29

Every research project has the possibility of contributing to advancing a field of research when it ____.

Answer 29

Addresses gaps in the literature and builds on previous work.

Question 30

What is “gaps in the literature”?

Answer 30

Missing pieces of information that a new study could fill.