Homework Help due by 9pm

The research project MUST include the following sections and sub-sections:

Table of Contents

1) Specific Aims (3 pages) -> *consider this section a long abstract*

a. brief description of goal(s) of program

b. Description of your desired outcomes of the evaluation

c. Identification of population, sampling, and experimental design selection

2) Methods (10 pages) ->

a) Description of population and method of sample selection (1.5 pages)

· 3 paragraphs

· 1st paragraph:

· Define/Describe your POPULATION (these are the people you want to generalize your results)

· Include demographics (i.e. race/ethnicity, culture, language, age, gender, SES, Education, geographic location, immigration status etc.)

· Any clinical eligibility criteria to enter the program (i.e. BMI > 25, HgA1c > 7, etc.)

· Other eligibility criteria (i.e. eligible for Medicare, MediCAL etc.)

· Remember, the more defined your population, the easier it is to select a representative sample

· 2nd paragraph:

· Describe how you will select a representative sample

· Most likely you use

· Cluster sample (if no population list available)

· Describe what will be the clusters along with justification for your selection

· How will you recruit people from these clusters

OR

· Stratified random sample (if population list available)

· Describe by what characteristic(s) you will stratify along with justification for your selection

· How will you select participants from the strata

· 3rd paragraph:

· Calculate sample size

· You do not need to define Type 1 and Type 2 error or effect size

· State the Type 1 and Type 2 error

· Last sentence should include n= _________ (your sample size)

b) Design of experimental methodology ( 2 - 2.5 pages )

· Explain the specifics of your evaluation design including your approaches to address threats to internal validity

· State which design you choose along with a justification (why is your choice the best possible design in your specific situation)

· Most likely you use

· Non-equivalent comparison group (in case you do not have randomization)

· Indicate location of Experimental and Comparison Group

· Describe how you made the two groups as equivalent as possible

· Describe what you will do to address the threats to internal validity that the design cannot control

· You do not need to define the threats

OR

· Classical Experimental Design (in case you have randomization)

· Indicate location of Experimental and Control Group

· Describe how you made the two groups as equivalent as possible (refer briefly to your stratification method)

· Describe what you will do to address the threats to internal validity that the design cannot control

· You do not need to define the threats

c) Operationalization of Concepts ( 1.5 pages )

· Describe your data collection method

· face-to-face interview, observation, self administered questionnaire, telephone interview, clinical measurements etc.

· Justify your choice of data collection method

· why is your approach the best with regard to

· the capabilities of your population

· i.e. Kindergarteners completing a self-administered questionnaire

· setting restrictions

· i.e. your ability to get Triglyceride test result information

· Describe your Pre/Post test (if applicable)

· If you adopted from existing instrument provide any validity and reliability information that might be given (i.e. Cronbach’s alpha etc.)

· What types of questions do you ask?

· Remember your questions /measurements need to address all three of your impact objectives

· Demographics (your Pre/Post test MUST include demographics

· Which demographics

· What level of measurement (nominal. ordinal, interval)

· Knowledge questions (If increase in Knowledge is part of your objectives)

· Type of knowledge

· Type of question (i.e. True/False, Multiple Choice etc.)

· Level of Measurement (nominal. ordinal, interval)

· Needs to include at least 10 - 15 questions measuring the same concept

· Attitudinal questions (If change of Attitude is part of your objectives)

· Type of Attitude

· Type of question (i.e. x-point Likert scale, other type of scale, etc.)

· Level of Measurement (nominal. ordinal, interval)

· Needs to include at least 10 - 15 questions measuring the same concept

· Behavioral questions/Clinical measurements (If change in behavior or anthropometrics is part of your objectives)

· Type of behavior

· Level of measurement (nominal. ordinal, interval)

· For information that needs to be calculated (i.e. BMI) state formula used to calculate

d) Formative Evaluation Methods – Pilot Testing Procedures ( 1 page )

· Describe methods you used to Pilot test your program

· Remember: You want to get feedback from community and experts in the field

· Experts in the field

· Qualifications for experts in the field for your program

· Content experts

· Population experts

· Setting Experts

· How will you elicit information?

· What type of information would you like to know from them?

· Community input

· How will you elicit information?

· What type of information would you like to know from them?

e) Process Evaluation – Monitoring of Program Implementation ( 1 page )

· For each of your program components indicate how you will monitor

· If program is reaching the target population

· Are they attending each program component on a regular basis?)

· If each component of the program is being implemented as outlined

· Budget

f) Rationale for Choice of Statistical Techniques

· 1st section Title: “Descriptive Statistics - Univariate Analysis”

· Describe how you will report your variables by level of measurement

· i.e. “Frequencies and percentages will be reported for nominal data. This will include frequency tables, pie charts, bar graphs. In addition, the mode will be reported”

· 2nd section Title: “Inferential Statistics – Bivariate Analysis”

· Restate Objective #1 (copy and paste from Background and Significance part d)

· Identify

· Dependent Variable (along with its level of measurement)

· Independent Variable (along with its level of measurement)

· If necessary create a summative index

· State whether Chi-square or t-test will be performed along with Significance level

· Repeat procedure with each objective

3) Appendix –

a) Test Blue Print

b) Sample Questionnaire.