Research Inquiry & Testability Chapter 3

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Questions and Answers

What is a primary limitation of cross-sectional studies?

They require long-term follow-up of participants.
They are always more expensive than cohort studies.
They can determine cause and effect relationships.
They only measure exposure and outcome at one point in time. (correct)

Which of the following is an advantage of cohort studies?

Simultaneous measurement of exposure and outcome.
Less susceptibility to selection bias compared to cross-sectional studies.
Ability to assess multiple outcomes from a single exposure. (correct)
Quick and inexpensive data collection.

In a retrospective cohort study, what type of data is primarily analyzed?

Randomized controlled trial results.
Current exposure and outcome data.
Only recent survey responses.
Historical data concerning past exposures and outcomes. (correct)

What describes a key feature of cross-sectional studies?

They assess health status at a specific point in time. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of a cohort study?

To follow participants forward in time to measure incident disease (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is a key characteristic of cohort studies regarding exposure measurement?

Exposure is determined before the onset of the new disease (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a disadvantage of cohort studies?

They can incur significant costs and require extensive time. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of conducting inquiry in research?

To find answers to questions based on personal experiences (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which type of cohort study is designed to look back at past exposure data?

Retrospective cohort study (A) Signup and view all the answers

What must happen during the initial survey in a cohort study?

Baseline exposure and disease status of all participants must be determined (D) Signup and view all the answers

What does 'testability' refer to in the context of research questions?

The potential to answer questions through experiments or measurements (A) Signup and view all the answers

Why are cohort studies particularly useful for studying uncommon exposures?

They compare exposed and unexposed individuals over time (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes an abstract database?

A summary of the methodology and findings of research studies (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the first action step in a critical reading process after acquiring a full-text article?

Reread the abstract (C) Signup and view all the answers

Internal validity in a study primarily assesses what aspect?

The accuracy of measuring the intended outcomes of the study (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of an annotated bibliography?

It summarizes the relevance and content of each document (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements reflects the concept of generalizability in research?

Findings from a specific study can be applied to a wider audience (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which type of reports can help define exposures in a research study?

Statistical reports from health agencies (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary requirement for a research project to be considered original?

It needs to have at least one main difference from previous work. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main purpose of a replication study?

To repeat a study protocol in a new population. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What does the acronym SMART stand for in the context of specific aims?

Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Timely (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which format is NOT typically used when writing specific aims for a study?

Open-ended questions that encourage broad exploration. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following describes a hypothesis in a research study?

An informed assumption expressed in an 'if-then-because' format. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is meant by the principle of purposiveness in research projects?

Projects should focus on one well-defined research question. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which statement best describes a conceptual framework in research?

It's a model illustrating relationships to be evaluated in the study. (A) Signup and view all the answers

When writing specific aims for observational studies, what characteristic is essential?

They need to be testable. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What does a relative risk (RR) greater than 1 indicate about the exposure?

The exposure was associated with increased incidence rates. (D) Signup and view all the answers

How is attributable risk defined?

The absolute difference in incidence rates between exposed and unexposed groups. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What does population attributable risk percentage (PAR%) represent?

The total proportion of cases attributable to exposure in the entire population. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which statement best describes a randomized controlled trial (RCT)?

Participants are assigned randomly to intervention or control groups. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the aim of most superiority trials in experimental studies?

To demonstrate that a new intervention is better than its comparison. (C) Signup and view all the answers

In the context of person-time, what is a common unit used?

Person-years. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is included in the description of an intervention in experimental studies?

What the intervention will be and how often it will be administered. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of censoring in longitudinal studies?

To account for participant loss or death during the study. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of prevention science?

To understand which preventive interventions are effective. (D) Signup and view all the answers

In controlled trials, what differentiates the intervention group from the control group?

The intervention group receives the experimental treatment or strategy. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Research Inquiry and Testable Questions

Inquiry is the process of answering questions from personal experiences, driven by curiosity about problems or ideas.
Testability ensures research questions can be answered through experiments or measurements, requiring a clear, testable format.

Reviewing the Literature

Statistical Reports:
- Provide statistics on exposure prevalence, disease incidence, and demographics essential for defining exposures.
- National health agencies publish updates and vital statistics relevant to births, deaths, and demographics.
Abstract Databases:
- Abstracts summarize articles, detailing methods, population, findings, and implications.
- The most significant health sciences abstract database is PubMed, containing over 30 million abstracts.
Critical Reading:
- Involves rereading abstracts, analyzing tables/figures, and reviewing references.
- Focus on internal validity (accuracy of what is measured) and external validity (generalizability of results).

Annotated Bibliographies

Consist of a list of publications with full references, summaries, and notes on relevance to new studies, sharpening focus on pertinent content.

Originality in Research

Originality refers to research that offers novel contributions to health science literature, requiring at least one significant difference from previous studies.
Replication studies verify original findings using the same protocol across different populations to ensure results are not accidental.

Defining Specific Aims

Research question clarity is vital; a study goal encapsulates the primary objective.
Specific aims (2-4 statements) must be testable and can take the form of hypotheses for experimental studies.
Specific aims should adhere to the SMART criteria: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely.

Conceptual & Theoretical Frameworks

A conceptual framework visually represents relationships under study, clarifying exposures and outcomes.

Cross-Sectional Studies

Conducted at a single point in time to measure prevalence, these studies provide quick assessments of relationships but do not establish cause-effect links.
Ideal for hypothesis generation but have limitations, including selection bias.

Cohort Studies

Follow groups over time to assess disease development relative to exposures, helping quantify incidence rates.
Prospective studies collect data moving forward, while retrospective studies examine past records.

Attributable Risk

Attributable risk indicates the difference in incidence rates between exposed and unexposed groups, providing insights into the impact of exposure on disease.
Population Attributable Risk measures the proportion of disease cases in the population that can be linked to a specific exposure.

Experimental Studies

These gold-standard studies establish causality by allowing comparisons before and after exposure.
Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) randomly assign participants to intervention or control groups to evaluate outcomes, requiring detailed descriptions of interventions and outcome metrics.
Most experimental studies are superiority trials, demonstrating that new interventions outperform comparisons.

Studying That Suits You

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Description

Explore the essential concepts of research inquiry and testable questions in Chapter 3. This quiz delves into the process of finding answers through curiosity and emphasizes the importance of testability in research. Gain insights into how statistical reports support your understanding of research topics.