Study Design Introduction

Question 1

Study/Source/Reference/Target Populations

Answer 1

Study pop: group we observe and collect data from
Source pop (sampling frame): group clearly defined to be eligible for the study - defined by geographic, temporal, etc
Reference pop (base pop): group of at-risk individuals who would become cases in the study if they developed the disease of interest–the group we make causal inferences about
Target Pop: group to which we would generalize our results to and apply knowledge to

Question 2

What are the basic Quantitative Procedures in Epi Research? (3)

Answer 2

1. Measurement of variables: assign each unit of observation a value representing a factor of interst. Classify /categorize the observations
2. Estimation of population parameters: we mathematically derive a summary value / . statistic intended to represent a given population parameter.
3. Testing of Null hypothesis: assess the extent to which chance / sampling error may account for the observed results represented by the estimates (p value)

Question 3

Hypothesis & Study Design:

• Research Question
• Conceptual Hypothesis
• Operational Hypothesis
• Study Design

Answer 3

Research Question : question that will be answered
Conceptual Hypothesis: idea proposed to explain the occurrence of an event or problem
Operational Hypothesis: testable prediction derived from conceptual hypothesis
*null is an operational hypothesis reflecting no statistical association
Study Design: specific plan/protocol for conducting the study- allows the investigator to translate conceptual hypothesis to operational hypothesis