Research EXAM #2 Flashcards

Question

Confirmatory studies

Answer 1

— Characteristics that describe the sample and provide a composite picture of the subjects of the study; they are not manipulated or controlled by the researcher. Describe the sample/some characteristic of the phenomenon under study. — May represent demographic data about the subjects (e.g. age, gender, ethnicity) or measurable characteristics (e.g. BP, weight, hematocrit) E.g. What is the perception of the effectiveness of complementary medicine among intensive care unit nurses? Descriptive variable = Perception of effectiveness

Answer 2

Research to explore and describe a phenomenon of interest and generate new knowledge. — often qualitative or mixed method studies; classified as descriptive even if they happen to describe relationships and associations. Explore and describe a given phenomenon. Methods used = survey, mixed-methods (initial)

Answer 3

= confounding variables — Rival explanations for an outcome: threats to internal/external validity — Ways to deal with: eliminate, control them, own up to them

Answer 4

Selection of objects/observations taken from a population of interest (E.g. All apples at an orchard at a given time; wish to know how big all apples at the orchard are, but cannot measure all of them, so we take some from the population)

Answer 5

1) Simple random = ideal; equally likely which is unbiased and representative; difficult when dealing with people PRO — CON — 2) Convenience = MOST COMMON + NONPROBABLITY METHOD; ask people nearby, ask the next 20 objects off a product line; done doing survey 3) Systematic 4) Cluster 3) Stratified

Answer 6

QUANTITATIVE

Answer 7

Inclusion criteria: — Objective attributes that are *necessary* — Clinical — Demographic — Geographic _________________ Exclusion criteria: — Attributes that may affect the outcome — Comorbid conditions — Behavioral (high potential for attrition)

Answer 8

Qualitative samples: **— Redundancy and Saturation** — When is the point at which no new information is being generated? *NOTE: When you hit redundancy you can stop interviewing people because you’ve hit data saturation* ___________ Qualitative samples: — Power — How large a sample is needed to detect a difference in the outcome variable? (E.g. Hypothesis: Smoking will increase lung cancer (directional hypothesis b/c placing a key word)

Answer 9

Biggest effect: sample size Level of accuracy required Number of variables to be studied Variability in the population Magnitude of effect Independence of the data

Answer 10

— Was the sample representative? — Did sample size contribute to Type II error?

Answer 11

Simple random: — Application of a table of random numbers — Requires access to a list of population members Systematic random: — Random selection of starting point and every nth subject after — Useful for prospective studies Stratified random Randomly drawn from stratifications based on some characteristic of interest (E.g. patients w/ emphysema, not choosing all of them b/c smoking can lead to emphysema asking are they all smokers that caused the emphysema or was it due to the 2ndary or they got emphysema w/ no smoking relation) Cluster random Random selection of entire groups Measure every subject in the group

Answer 12

Type I — false (+) if investigator rejects null hypothesis that is actually true in the population Type II — false (-) if investigator fails to reject a null hypothesis that is actually false in the population

Answer 13

Primary — original data derived from your research endeavors Secondary — data derived from your primary data

Answer 14

1) Null hypothesis: one to be tested; want to test if that is correct; null is true until rejected (innocent until proven guilty) (E.g. “The mean data scientist salary in the US is $113k”) — Accept if: Null is close enough to the true mean — Reject if: Null is too far from the true mean 2) Alternative hypothesis: everything else that’s tested *(e.g. “ The mean data scientist salary is NOT $113k”) — The change that challenges the status quo 3) Directional: A one-sided statement of the research question that is interested in only one direction of change. 4) Non-directional: A two-sided statement of the research question that is interested in change in any direction.

Answer 15

Methodology

Answer 16

QUANTITATIVE = external validity, effectiveness — Descriptive — Survey — Correlational — Quasi-experimental — Experiment __________________________________________ QUALITATIVE = saturated data, transferability, — Ethnography = customs, culture — Narrative = interviews ,documents over a period of time (chronology based) — Phenomenology = used to study an event/activity as it happens, from various angles — Ground theory = construction of hypothesis and theories through collecting and analyzing data

Answer 17

— Scholarly works from peer-reviewed sources (articles, publications, gray literature, dissertations and original academic studies) — Trustworthy = .edu, .gov, .org

Answer 18

**commonly quoted as foundational** — Works that are groundbreaking or historically important — Research that has stood the test of time

Answer 19

— Reports tests of relationships and actual outcomes — Tests arguments for effectiveness — Research studies focused on the question posed — Need to report literature that _supports_ as well as literature that does not

Answer 20

_Primary:_ — Provide a first-hand account of an event or time period and are considered to be authoritative. — They represent original thinking, reports on discoveries or events, or they can share new information. _Secondary:_ — Secondary sources involve analysis, synthesis, interpretation, or evaluation of primary sources. — They often attempt to describe or explain primary sources.

Answer 21

— To deliver a meticulous summary of al the available primary research in response to a research question — Identify, evaluate, summarize E.g. secondary research

Answer 22

— Allows us to form coherent interpretations in any situation and to act purposefully and effectively in daily life — Qualitative studies and generalizations (degree which the findings can be generalized from the study sample to the entire population)

Answer 23

— Gives us the opportunity to sort through given methods and conclusions to decide what to apply to our circumstances

Answer 24

Determination of the quantity of a characteristic that is present; it involves assigning of numbers or some other classification.

Answer 25

1) Descriptive = seeks to describe the current status of an ID’d variable; does NOT usually begin with a hypothesis 2) Correlational = determine the extent of a relationship b/w 2 or more variables using statistical data 3) quasi-experimental designs = attempts to establish cause-effect relationships among variables 4) Experimental = uses scientific method to establish the cause-effect relationships among a group of variables that make up a study

Answer 26

1) ID broad research question 2) Select broad research tradition (match b/w the research ? And the characteristics of the tradition) 3) Determine criteria for selection of participants who can best inform the question 4) Locate a source of informants and invite their participation through informed consent 5) Design general data collection procedures

Answer 27

Error having a nonzero mean, so that its effect is not reduced when observations are averaged

Answer 28

A type of review in which the peer reviewer is unaware of the author’s identity, so personal influence is avoided.

Answer 29

Repeating a specific study in detail on a different sample. When a study has been replicated several times and similar results are found, the evidence can be used with more confidence.

Answer 30

— Most common data collection method — Systematic tool used to collect data — Quantitative/Qualitative/or both — Variety of options for delivery — Open ended or closed

Answer 31

1) Random error — Human factors — Bias — Confusion — Environmental variations 2) Systematic error — A measure is consistently biased

Answer 32

— Must be clear — Succinct — Unambiguous — Needs to be interpreted the same way by respondents — Avoids leading questions — Avoids emotionally laden/loaded questions (e.g. have you finally stopped cheating on exams?)

Answer 33

— Clearly linked to the research question — Appropriate to represent the variable of interest — Consistently accurate

Answer 34

— Data are collected directly from subjects — Physiological measures

Answer 35

— Use of data originally collected for another purpose — Efficient and convenient to use — Reduces the time needed for a study — Researcher cannot control the conditions under which the data were collected — Critical: does the secondary data answer the research question?

Answer 36

Does not have any double meanings; avoid any leading questions where you WANT them to hear/say

Answer 37

1) Conceptual definition: describes concept that is the foundation of the variable by using other concepts — Purpose: they help ensure the researcher is measuring the right things E.g. using depression = include the presence of sadness, lack of pleasure, and changes in eating/sleeping habits 2) Operational definition: operations that must be performed to accurately represent the concepts — Purpose: ensure the researcher is measuring attributes reliably E.g. using a scale to record weight loss/gain in kg’s or using a log to record hours of sleep/night

Answer 38

— Clear, objective measurement procedures — Reduce variability due to anything except the subject response — Calibration of instrumentation — Use of existing, tested instruments — Ensure instrument reliability

Answer 39

*Reliability:* Finding the data consistent repeatedly; the instrument consistently measures a given trait with precision *Validity:* tools collecting what it was designed to collect (e.g. collecting data on anxiety; is the tool collecting data on anxiety or excitement? — Is the tool collecting the data it was designed to obtain/achieve?

Answer 40

Internal reliability: Stability within the instrument Item-total correlation: Stability among individuals Inter-rater reliability: Stability between raters Test-retest: Stability over time

Answer 41

Internal = credibility of everything free from ANY errors that could’ve posed an issue AND insuring that your IVariable caused the outcome and NOTHING else External = your study is SO accurate and SO good, these findings can be applied to a similar population —> QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH STUDY — Content: the content of the instrument reflects the attribute — Construct: instrument represents the conceptual issues — Criterion-related validity: concurrent, predictive, discriminate — Responsiveness

Answer 42

_Sensitivity:_ measure that indicates an instrument has the capacity to detect disease if it is present _Specificity:_ measures that indicates an instrument has the capacity to differentiate when a disease is not present; all rival explanations are ruled out *NOTE: both consist of being a diagnostic measure*

Answer 43

Traditional methods Online data collection Technology-based data collection Interviews Focus groups Observation

Answer 44

1) Formulate a hypothesis 2) Find the right test 3) Execute the test 4) Make a decision

Answer 45

Well-designed clinical trials Randomized experimental designs Multiple studies reporting replicable findings Meta-analysis or meta-synthesis

Answer 46

Population: Critical Care Nurses Sample: Members of the ACCN Population: Adults with coronary artery bypass grafts Sample: Attendees at cardiac rehabilitation

Research EXAM #2 Flashcards

(92 cards)