SOWK 6003 Social Work Research Week 5 Measurement By Dr. Paul Wong

Research Process? 1.Problem formulation 2.Designing the study 3.Data collection 4.Data processing 5.Data analysis 6.Interpreting the findings 7.Writing the report

Research rigor (means good standard) Ethical Rigor - concerns about ethical consideration Methodology Rigor 1. The matching of research questions with the research methods 2. The appropriateness and reliability of the data collection method 3. The representativeness of the samples 4. The generalizability of the data

Data Source Qualitative –Observations –Journal/Diary/Self report –Indepth Interview –Focus Group –Art work –Archives –Documents Quantitative –Measurements through self-administered questionnaires (by hand, by mail, or online) –Interview survey (telephone, home visit) –Health indicators (BP, skin temperature, saliva cortisol etc.)

Measurement errors Can be systematic or random Common systematic errors pertain to social desirability biases and cultrual biases Random errors have no consistent pattern of effects and are likely to result from difficulties in understanding or administering measures.

Types of measures Written self-reports Interviews Direct observations Examining available records. Each of these option is vulnerable to measurement error. THUS, triangulation (by using different research methods to collect the same information) may minimize several imperfect measurement alternatives and see if they tend to produce the same findings.

Rigor of Data Collection Method Reliability (the likelihood that a given measurement procedure will yield the same description of a given phenomenon if that measurement is repeated): –consistency of measurement over-time (test-retest reliability) –consistency of measurement by different rater (inter-rater reliability) –consistency of measurement on items of the measurement tools (internal consistency reliability. Cronbach’s alpha) –consistency of measurement on different subgroup (split-half reliability)

Rigor of Data Collection Method Validity: - refers to the extent to which an empirical measure adequately reflects the real meaning of the concept under consideration. Face validity Content validity Criterion-related validity: predictive validity and concurrent validity Construct validity: convergent and discriminant validity Factorial validity

Words of Caution Studies that assess the reliability and validity of a measure, just like any other type of study, can be seriously flawed. Ultimately, the degree to which we can call a measure reliable or valid depends not just on the size of its reliability or validity coefficient, but also on the methodological credibility of the way those coefficients were assessed. For example, was an appropriate sample selected?

In class article critique

In class activity #1 Choosing a reliable and valid measure for ?

Questionnaire Construction If you can find a localized measurement for a variable that you want to investigate, contact the author and ask for permission to use the scale.

In class activity2 Critique the measurement that you have chosen

In class activity 3 How to write a research proposal?