Deck 10: Evaluating Research Quality

Question 1

A student wishes to study whether yoga helps improve fitness in seniors. What is the main reason the research question is weak?

A) Trivial, broad, or easily answered
B) Hypothesis strongly supported by previous research
C) Cannot be tested
D) Impossible to study under control

Answer 1

Trivial, broad, or easily answered

Question 2

Which is NOT true about the key aspects of the scientific method?

A) It formulates a question or a need based on an observed problem or occurrence.
B) It relies on the accumulation of subjective quantifiable data for a nonbiased interpretation.
C) It speculates an outcome based on a developed hypothesis.
D) It develops testing methodology that is clear and can be replicated given the necessary resources.

Answer 2

It relies on the accumulation of subjective quantifiable data for a nonbiased interpretation.

Question 3

Which is an example of a poor research question that cannot be tested?

A) A researcher is interested in whether a low-calorie diet will be effective for weight loss.
B) How does a particular food additive affect the taste of cough syrup?
C) A company wants to know whether a new cancer drug increases life span.
D) A doctor wants to study the effect of a complimentary physical examination on residents in a low-income neighborhood.

Answer 3

A company wants to know whether a new cancer drug increases life span.

Question 4

Which is NOT a characteristic of the results section of a paper?

A) A study's outcome measures
B) Results addressing previous publications to support the research arguments
C) Typically not a long section
D) Contains several summary figures and tables

Question 5

Out of the seven levels of evidence, which practice involves evidence from case-control or cohort studies?

A) Level III
B) Level IV
C) Level V
D) Level VI

Question 6

Which of the following is NOT an important question to ask when reviewing results sections?

A) Have the authors included results for all their hypotheses?
B) Are results provided for other data collected?
C) Are figures and table cited and properly titled?
D) Does the study use a control group or any type of control method to identify within-group changes?

Question 7

Which is NOT true of most primary sources?

A) They are empirical studies.
B) They may be published in peer-reviewed journals.
C) They are written with a secondary source.
D) They have been presented at a conferences.

Question 8

Which is NOT true of peer-reviewed journals?

A) They are academic journals featuring original works that are vetted by expert peers in a particular field of study.
B) They are major sources for research studies.
C) They present experimental research whereby the scientific method is used to answer the questions.
D) They include editorials by experts, invited opinions, letters to the editors, book reviews, and review articles.

Question 9

What is true of the scientific method? Select all that apply.

A) The scientific method outlines specific instructions for investigating observations, acquiring evidence, and then integrating that evidence into the current body of knowledge.
B) In a broad sense, research is what we do to answer questions, and the scientific method is why we do it.
C) When using the scientific method to evaluate research quality, a research question and hypothesis must be developed, tested, and then confirmed.
D) Even if the research is found to be sound based on the scientific method, there is a need to validate and confirm the results of the study.

Question 10

Which of the following questions are necessary in evaluating the quality of the research? Select all that apply.

A) Are figures and tables cited and properly titled?
B) Have authors included results for their primary hypothesis?
C) Are results provided for the data collected?
D) Did authors report p values and other statistics for both significant and nonsignificant values?

Question 11

What is something to consider when understanding the influence of both the patient and clinician on evidence-based medicine? Select all that apply.

A) Quality record-keeping to monitor treatment efficiency
B) Effective use of clinical data to integrate patient information, test results, and contemporary research
C) Critical reasoning ability to promote review and rating of current practices
D) Ability to use effective treatments based on the available resources in a cost-effective manner

Question 12

The scientific method is a set of basic principles that outline the means for which of the following? Select all that apply.

A) Investigating observations
B) Acquiring evidence
C) Integrating evidence into the current body of knowledge
D) Asking questions

Question 13

What is an advantage of the peer-review process? Select all that apply.

A) A group of competent persons within a similar discipline independently evaluate the body of work.
B) It is an effective means for eliminating poorly designed studies.
C) Without peer review, there is no evaluation of the merits of the research or determination of whether the study was conducted in a safe, controlled manner.
D) An outside reviewer writes a qualitative piece about whether the research is relevant.

Question 14

What is true of evidence-based medicine? Select all that apply.

A) Evidence-based medicine has become integral to the best practices in health care.
B) At the heart of evidence-based medicine is the scientific method, which drives the formulation of quality research questions and hypotheses.
C) Evidence-based medicine aims to incorporate epidemiological evidence with systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials to achieve treatment strategies that are based on objective evidence.
D) Evidence-based medicine is influenced by both the business of pharmaceuticals and is distinguished by the effective use of clinical data to integrate patient information, test results, and contemporary research.

Question 15

As scientific research studies have become more common, the need to rate the quality of these studies to organize them for easy access has grown increasingly important. Fortunately, several organizations have developed guidelines for evaluating research. Which of the following were referenced in the reading? Select all that apply.

A) Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials
B) Physiotherapy Evidence Database
C) Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology
D) The strength of recommendation taxonomy

Question 16

What is true about the key aspects of the scientific method? Select all that apply.

A) It formulates a question or need based on an observed problem or occurrence.
B) It relies on the accumulation of subjective quantifiable data for a nonbiased interpretation.
C) It speculates an outcome based on a developed hypothesis.
D) It develops testing methodology that is clear and can be replicated given the necessary resources.

Question 17

What are the essentials to creating a quality hypothesis? Select all that apply.

A) A research hypothesis is developed with the objective of rejecting the null hypothesis.
B) A hypothesis is the current accepted position.
C) A hypothesis should be a natural extension of the research question and literature.
D) A hypothesis casts doubt on what is known.

Question 18

The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISM) is dedicated to a set of minimum standards to aid authors in the reporting of items in evidence-based systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Question 19

An example of Level III evidence is quasi-experimental nonrandomized controlled trials.

Question 20

Making broad conclusions over a number of significant p values with small effect sizes means potentially seeing terms such as "nearly insignificant" and "lack of evidence" to discuss results.

Question 21

Evidence-based medicine aims to incorporate epidemiological evidence with systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials.

Question 22

Based on the different levels of evidence, research using the highest standards of inclusion is typically viewed as the strongest evidence.

Question 23

Inclusion criteria are used to eliminate studies that are either of poor quality, lack specific control variables or groups, or use methodology that is incorrect or not comparable to that of other studies.

Question 24

An educated reader can, and should, judge a paper based on the merit of its robust discussion and evidence-based conclusion sections of the paper.

Question 25

Understanding both the scientific research method and the subsequent peer-review process will help professionals better recognize superior and more definitive research from satisfactory studies.

Question 26

Most secondary sources are empirical studies and may be published in peer-reviewed journals or presented at conferences.

Question 27

In research, there is such a thing as a bad question.

Question 28

With the beginning of evidence-based medicine, many organizations like the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (CEBM) and Cochrane Reviews now provide resources for a range of professionals to find and review prevetted, high-quality secondary reviews and research confidently.

Question 29

A secondary source is a review paper or a conference symposia report or paper written about one or more primary sources.

Question 30

Science-based medicine seeks to build on experimental and new knowledge, and relies on the accumulation of objective qualitative data.

Question 31

According to the hierarchy for well-designed, high-quality research in evidence-based medicine and practice, level I is evidence from well-designed randomized controlled trials.

Question 32

The assumption or currently accepted position in which no specific relationship exists between two variables is called ________________________.

Question 33

The ________________________ is dedicated to the development, education, and promotion of evidence-based medicine that has established a multilevel platform for data collation, dissemination, and application of evidence-based medicine.

Question 34

The British epidemiologist's name who was an early proponent of evidence-based medicine and randomized controlled trials to use in guiding health-care practice was________________________.

Question 35

The ________________________is at the heart of evidence-based medicine.

Question 36

The most common errors made with a ________________________is an understanding of how it fits within the framework of a study and what the results of a study actually tell us.

Question 37

The principal foundation for an idea or research results is called the ___________________.

Question 38

A group of initiatives developed by the group by this name to alleviate the problems that arise from inadequate reporting of randomized controlled trials is called ___________________.