Experimental Studies
This type of study resembles a cohort study and is one of the most frequently used design in social science.
What is a non-randomized trial AKA quasi-experimental design.
This is a value which has numbers that can be related or unrelated and includes rate and proportion.
Rate: measures frequency of an event in a population, has time and a multiplier (incidence rate)
Proportion: often used synonymously with rate but does not have time component, prevalence is considered a proportion
All rates and proportions are ratios
The primary focus of qualitative research.
Focus on the "experience" under investigation, not objective data.
Investigator imposes structure and organization on collection and analysis of data. Take into account biases, past experiences and how that can influence interpretation. Involves investigator in some way- investigator is not a passive collector of data (etic view)
This type is collaborative in design and is often used to address social problems. It includes a philosophy of four principles.
PAR- those who experience a phenomena are the most qualified to investigate it. Philosophy principles: democracy, equity, liberation, life enhancement.
This type of data collection occurs when the investigator is not expected to be active participant in setting and the observations record data from outside the observer role. This other type of collection incorporates both role of being participant in setting and recording observation, it strengthens and expands data collected. (2 answers).
This study is the "gold standard" design.
What is a randomized controlled trial. ONLY DESIGN THAT CAN DRAW CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP.
The frequency of outcome in the exposed group divided by the frequency of outcome in the unexposed.
The relative risk or risk ratio.
if the frequency is the same in both groups, the ratio is 1:0 (no association)
if the outcome is more frequent in the exposed, then the ratio will be >1:0 which implies an increased risk associated with exposure
If frequency of disease is less among the exposed, then the relative risk will be <1:0 implying a protective effect
These represent various philosophical views of knowledge and the limits of understanding. They have unique ways to answer the "truth" and theory of knowledge.
Epistemologies.
This type of research involves the complete immersion of the investigator in the field of study and includes personal experiences of the investigator as primary data along with data obtained from other sources.
Knowledge emerges as a result of the interaction between the researcher and the data and may be extended to others.
In-depth interviewing includes these three types.
Unstructured - guided conversation
Semistructured and structured - probes
Focus groups - for understanding group behavior collect data about experience in group setting
What is a between-group comparison?
These influence outcomes and have potential to be associated with both exposure and outcome OR the estimate of the association between exposure and outcome must change when this is controlled.
What is a confounder?
The ten types of quantitative research. (Name 5).
Endogenous, participatory action research (PAR), critical theory, phenomenology, heuristic, ethnography, narrative, life history, grounded theory, and meta-analysis.
This type of research brings about knowledge for explanation of an event/situation and the participants frame the data collection and analysis.
Endogenous research.
Seeks knowledge through active collaboration with participants. Focus on elements of knowledge that need to be explored as identified by participants. Initiator of research introduces topic. Advantages: authentic nature of knowledge revealed by investigation.
Ex. understanding factors that support/factors that are barriers to extricating self from extreme poverty.
One unique characteristic of qualitative research.
Naturalistic
Emergent and evolving rather than pre-figured
Fundamentally interpretive
Holistic view of a social phenomenon
Sensitive to the influence of the investigator on the study and results
These are some of the disadvantages of group experimental designs. (Name at least 3)
Expensive: time and money; many subjects needed, heterogeneity of clinical populations, ethical issues, generalization to individuals, statistical vs. clinical significance, often not compatible with clinical practice.
These are the different ways in which a pretest-posttest control group design is formed.
Two groups (homogeneous groups): from the study sample (random assigned to experimental or control group) then the pre-test is baseline then the groups are either exposed to the intervention or control group (placebo, comparison, or no intervention) and then the post-test shows the outcome
Multiple groups: from study sample, two experimental groups and a control group are randomly assigned; they are pre-tested and then subjected to two different interventions and a control (no intervention) and then have post-test
The eight elements of qualitative research. (Name 4).
Purpose, context, pluralistic perspective of reality, concern with transferability, flexibility, concern with language, emic and etic perspective, interactive and analytical perspective.
This research is focused on structure and "essence" of personal experience and requires the investigation to address lived experience and how the person interprets the experience. This second type of research focuses on the viewpoint of the informant. (2 answers)
Phenomenology and ethnography.
Phenomenology:
Contrasted with other forms of qualitative research in that the investigator must represent the experience in the truest form, not interpreted
Method: answers are provided by the person with the personal experience - use of open ended questions with narratives and story telling with limited structure
Understand lived space (spatiality)
Lived body (corporeal embodied experience)
Lived social relationships
Lived time (temporality)
Ethnography:
Wide range of approaches and focuses on:
Pattern of how people define and view the world
Habitual patterns and ways of life
Categories of thought
Symbols and meanings
Kinds of social relationships
Systems of moral goals, values, and social structures
This type of research includes data collection through several means and drives theory development, informed by participants. Data collection could be through structured format, coding of information, or use of constant comparative analysis.
Grounded theory- uses inductive method designed to construct a theory from qualitative data where investigator seeks to explain the data from a specific study (different from phenomenology)
The advantages of this study are that there is the ability to control for potential influence of individual differences. The disadvantages include the possibility for learning effect/practice effect or carryover effect.
What is within-group comparison?
Within-group: researcher is not looking at differences between two groups but the differences between same group taken at two different times. Defined as "one group of subjects is tested under all conditions, and each subjects acts as their own control".
Learning effect: when participant repeats a task over and over
Carryover effect: subject is exposed to multiple-treatment conditions; can be reduced by providing sufficient time between treatment conditions
The wider the interval, the less precision exists in the result.
This is founded on the idea that social reality is embedded in and constructed in specific historical times to a particular people. The purpose is not to "criticize" but to bring light to social injustice and to produce positive social and political transformations.
What is critical theory?
Knowledge and theory is not universal and absolute.
This type aggregates data sets to draw conclusions. Knowledge is constructed through several investigations.
Advantages- considers larger data sets and looks for global themes.
The methods to improve the data collected. (Name 2)
Trustworthiness
Interviewer training
Prolonged engagement in the field
Reflexivity: deliberate and systematic process of self-examination
Triangulation of data - two or more methods to collect data
Stakeholder checks - the participants check analysis and data collection
Audit trail - keep detailed record of data collection, analysis procedures, explanations of analysis, personal notes and reflections