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A Research Handbook for Patient and Public Involvement Researchers Chapter 6: Psychometrics: designing and road testing new measurement scales Professor Patrick Callaghan Chapter overview Measurement scales (questionnaires) are often used in quantitative research to summarise the experiences of a group of participants, for example the number and range of symptoms they report, or their level of satisfaction with their care. We can use these questionnaires once to get a snap-shot of people’s scores at one point in time, or we can ask people to complete them on
In this chapter we will consider how you might use a variety of media to communicate your research to both the public and your peers. The chapter is intended for those new to using media (traditional or social) for research communication and does not seek to provide a comprehensive overview of the potential ways media might be used, but rather offers examples as a jumping-off point for your own endeavours. The chapter briefly covers writing for traditional media, before moving on to consider your digital profile and the practicalities of using
Quantitative Data Analysis Patrick Callaghan and Penny Bee Chapter overview Quantitative data analysis makes sense of numerical data. We often refer to quantitative data analysis as statistical analysis, and you may see this term used in published research papers. We can use numbers to summarise the experiences or characteristics of a group of participants, for example their average age or the number of symptoms they report. We can also use numbers to look at people’s behaviours, experiences and views, for example the number of people using mental health
This book was developed during a five-year research programme funded by the UK’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). This study aimed to improve service user and carer involvement in care planning in mental health services. The study was called Enhancing the Quality of User Involved Care Planning in Mental Health Services (EQUIP). Its aim is to help other public and patient representatives increase their understanding and skills in research methods. The EQUIP programme used a range of different research methods to achieve its goals, and you will read
listening to their process, why service user and carer different views and perspectives. You can involvement in care planning may not have happened in the past, and what might be the learn more about this research approach in Chapters 7 and 8. best way of making sure it happens in the future. You will learn more about how to find We conducted all our work according to the and use research knowledge and evidence in principles of ethical research, and these are Chapter 2. discussed more fully in Chapter 9. Training was delivered by service users and Finally, we used lots of
uncertainty around the likely costs of a particular health activity and to compare this against a ‘willingness to pay’ threshold, in order to judge their value for money. Economic evaluations can be done as part of randomised controlled trials or can draw on evidence taken from other sources (e.g. surveys). Similar to clinical evidence, economic evidence needs to be updated and researched as new questions arise or more evidence becomes available. Learning objectives By the end of this chapter you should be able to: 1. Understand why economic evaluations are needed 2
ways in which putting together a dissertation is different from writing a shorter piece. Note that this book does not cover everything that you need to know about conducting your own research and writing a dissertation. There are several other books that deal with this in great detail, specifically concentrating on what is involved in preparing a dissertation. So, as well as working through this chapter, it would also be wise for you to consult such books for advice on conducting research for and managing a dissertation project (a selection is listed in the
use them as data. It is certainly possible to use a primary source such as a newspaper report to help spark ideas about what to look for in the academic literature, but it cannot be counted as the equivalent of research findings or an authoritative source. You must ensure that you mainly work with academic materials, i.e. secondary sources. Distinguishing between different types of writing is not always straightforward. Academics sometimes write for newspapers, as journalists, or for other organisations as advisers. They may well undertake research according
developed. Indeed, situating a specific book or article by one or another author in the broader body of their research and interests is often valuable for helping understand the significance of the specific piece with which you started – and it can be an effective way of opening your essay and getting to grips with its argument. The amount of any one item you should read varies. Much of the time you will need to read the whole of a journal article, usually at least twice, to be sure you have grasped its import and to make critical notes. Now and then you may need
Writer’s block refers to a sudden inability to write. Some talk about a blank page syndrome, likening it to a type of medical or psychological problem. It often seems to happen to people who write for a living or who are famous, novelists in particular. It is obviously potentially very serious for them, since it threatens their income or reputation or both. Anyone who writes can suffer it, including all of us engaged in academic writing, whether in the first undergraduate year or towards the end of a research career. It is typically temporary, and there