Research Techniques for the Health Sciences

by Neutens, James J.; Rubinson, Laurna

• ISBN13: 9780205340965
• ISBN10: 0205340962
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-01-01
• Publisher: Benjamin Cummings

Summary

(Benjamin Cummings) Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville. Textbook on how to conduct research in the health sciences. Provides greater information in selected areas, such as evidence-based health care. For upper-level undergraduate and graduate students. Focuses on the pragmatic aspects of health science research. Previous edition: c1997.

Author Biography

James J. Neutens: The University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine/Knoxville Laurna Rubinson: The University of Illinois/Urbana-Champaign

Table of Contents

Preface	xiii
What Is Research?	1	(14)
Health Science Research	1	(1)
Using Science in the Quest for Knowledge	2	(9)
Summary	11	(1)
Suggested Activities	12	(3)
Developing the Research Proposal	15	(16)
Selection of the Problem	15	(1)
Sources of Problems	16	(2)
Statement of the Problem and Research Questions	18	(1)
Subproblems	19	(1)
Components Comprising the Setting of the Problem	20	(1)
Formulation of Hypotheses	21	(2)
Significance and Justification of the Problem	23	(1)
Resume of Related Literature	23	(1)
Proposed Research Procedures	24	(1)
Budget Considerations	24	(1)
Time Schedule	25	(1)
Research Proposal Checklist	25	(3)
Summary	28	(1)
Suggested Activities	28	(3)
Critical Review of the Literature and Information Sources	31	(22)
Purposes of the Review	31	(2)
Steps in the Review Process	33	(4)
Conducting a Computer Search: Finding the Evidence	37	(3)
Determining the Level of Evidence	40	(7)
Finding Short-cuts to Determining the Level of Evidence	47	(1)
Writing the Section on Related Literature	47	(1)
Summary	48	(1)
Suggested Activities	49	(4)
Considering Ethics in Research	53	(24)
Case Study	53	(1)
General Ethical Dilemmas in Human Research	54	(2)
Justification to Experiment on Humans	56	(1)
Vulnerable Target Groups: Children	57	(3)
Informed Consent: Truthtelling and Deception	60	(4)
Right to Privacy and Confidentiality	64	(2)
Responsibility for Harmful Consequences	66	(1)
The Duty to Continue a Successful Research Effort	67	(1)
Therapeutic and Nontherapeutic Research	68	(1)
Sponsored Research	68	(1)
Publication of Unethical Research	69	(1)
Research or Just a Look-See?	69	(1)
Role of the Institutional Review Board	70	(3)
Case Discussion	73	(1)
Summary	74	(1)
Suggested Activities	75	(2)
Conducting Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Research	77	(24)
Case Study	77	(1)
Characteristics of Experimentation	77	(1)
Control in Experiments	78	(2)
The Hawthorne Effect in Controlling Situations	80	(1)
Advantages and Disadvantages of the Experimental Method	80	(1)
Internal and External Validity	81	(6)
Constructing Experimental Designs to Control Variables	87	(9)
Case Discussion	96	(1)
Summary	97	(1)
Suggested Activities	97	(4)
Data Collection Through Surveys and Self-Reports	101	(38)
Case Study	101	(1)
Characteristics of Survey Research	101	(1)
Survey Flow Plan	102	(3)
Survey Design	105	(1)
Data Collection Methods	106	(8)
Survey Sampling	114	(1)
Questionnaire Design and Construction	115	(5)
Attitude Scale Construction	120	(8)
Cover Letter	128	(1)
Pretesting and Questionnaire Revision	129	(1)
Focus Groups	130	(1)
The Delphi Technique	131	(1)
Case Discussion	132	(1)
Summary	133	(1)
Suggested Activities	134	(5)
Sampling Designs and Techniques	139	(24)
Case Study A	139	(1)
Case Study B	139	(1)
The Purpose of Sampling	140	(1)
The Sampling Frame	140	(1)
Sampling Techniques	141	(6)
Sample Size	147	(11)
Case Discussion	158	(1)
Summary	159	(1)
Suggested Activities	160	(3)
Qualitative Research	163	(32)
Case Study	139	(24)
Characteristics of Qualitative Research	163	(4)
Theoretical Foundations	167	(1)
Methods of Qualitative Research	168	(13)
Techniques of Collecting Qualitative Data	181	(6)
Analyzing Qualitative Data	187	(3)
Using Computers in Data Analysis	190	(1)
Case Discussion	191	(1)
Summary	191	(1)
Suggested Activities	192	(3)
Evaluation Research	195	(34)
Case Study	195	(1)
Introduction	195	(1)
Purposes of Evaluation Research	196	(1)
What Can Be Evaluated?	197	(1)
Steps in Conducting Evaluation	197	(4)
Evaluation Models	201	(9)
Types of Evaluation Research	210	(8)
Methodological Approaches in Evaluation Research	218	(7)
Case Discussion	225	(1)
Summary	225	(1)
Suggested Activities	226	(3)
Analytical Epidemiologic Studies	229	(24)
Case Study A: Cohort Study	229	(1)
Case Study B: Case Control	229	(1)
The Nature of Epidemiology	230	(1)
Analytic Methodologies in Epidemiology	230	(2)
Cohort or Prospective Investigations	232	(1)
Case-Control or Retrospective Investigations	233	(2)
Establishing Causation	235	(1)
Problems of Error	235	(2)
Control in Epidemiologic Research	237	(4)
Analysis of Results in Analytic Epidemiology	241	(8)
Case Discussion	249	(1)
Summary	250	(1)
Suggested Activities	251	(2)
Analyzing and Interpreting Data: Descriptive Analysis	253	(18)
Case Study	253	(1)
The Meaning of Statistics	253	(1)
Statistical Analysis and Data	254	(2)
Descriptive Data Analysis Techniques	256	(11)
Personal Computers and Information Delivery Systems	267	(2)
Case Discussion	269	(1)
Summary	269	(1)
Suggested Activities	270	(1)
Analyzing and Interpreting Data: Inferential Analysis	271	(18)
Case Study	271	(1)
Inferential Analysis	271	(1)
Testing Statistical Significance	271	(4)
Inferential Data Analysis Techniques	275	(5)
Nonparametric Tests of Significance	280	(1)
Advanced Data Analysis Techniques	281	(4)
The PC for Data Analysis	285	(1)
Meta-Analysis	286	(1)
Case Discussion	287	(1)
Summary	287	(1)
Suggested Activities	287	(2)
Techniques for Data Presentation	289	(22)
Case Study	289	(1)
Table Presentations	289	(6)
Table Format	295	(4)
Figure Presentations	299	(7)
Graphics and the Computer	306	(2)
Case Discussion	308	(1)
Summary	308	(1)
Suggested Activities	309	(2)
Writing a Research Report	311	(16)
The Report as a Communication Document	311	(1)
Preliminaries	312	(2)
Text or Main Body of the Report	314	(9)
References	323	(1)
Appendixes	323	(1)
Writing Style	324	(1)
Summary	325	(1)
Suggested Activities	326	(1)
Appendix A: Common Statistical Procedures	327	(4)
Appendix B: World Wide Web Research	331	(6)
Name Index	337	(4)
Subject Index	341