This document provides an overview of key concepts in evidence-based management, including what constitutes evidence and different types of evidence. It discusses levels of evidence based on research design and internal validity. Randomized controlled trials are considered the gold standard, but observational studies can also provide valuable evidence if biases are accounted for. The document outlines different types of biases that can affect research quality and validity of findings. It also summarizes different research designs commonly used in evidence-based management like systematic reviews, randomized trials, observational studies, and qualitative research.
The Path to Evidence Based Management: Major Challenges and Some Solutions
HR Conference Groningen 2011
Key note speech by Sara Rynes
HR Conference 2011
The Path to Evidence Based Management: Major Challenges and Some Solutions
HR Conference Groningen 2011
Key note speech by Sara Rynes
HR Conference 2011
Calls for both practical and scholarly activities to be grounded more in actual evidence have become louder, especially in the last decade. Four domains in particular have embraced evidence-based thinking, resulting in the respective developments of evidence-based medicine, evidence-based management, evidence-based education and evidence-based policy. Despite the presumed benefits of drawing on different sources of evidence for decision-making in practice, whether in medicine, management, education or policy, this does not seem to prevail. Whilst one likely reason for this slow uptake could simply be down to practitioners not always having much time to consult the evidence-base in their day-to-day work, another reason might be that they are not aware of specific insights applicable to their domain of work or to practice in general.
This is where the workshop contributes:
Representatives from the four key domains engaged with evidence-based practice will share with the audience their latest insights and the consequences thereof for practice. Further, all speakers will discuss questions such as:
What do we have in common?
How can we learn from one another?
How can we combine insights from the four domains?
These will be discussed as part of a concluding panel.
Workshop organiser:
Dr Celine Rojon, University of Edinburgh, celine.rojon@ed.ac.uk
Evidence-Based HR Management & Systematic Reviews
PhD Consortium of the 7th International Conference of the Dutch HRM network,
Rob Briner, Eric Barends
Bridging The Research-Practice Gap Through Evidence-Based Management And Systematic Review.
David Denyer and Rob Briner
Academy of Management Annual Meeting 2014, Philadelphia
Talent Management – What’s the Evidence?
With Rob Briner & Eric Barends
28th April 2016, 3:00PM-5:00PM, IMI Conference Centre, Dublin 16
In this session, Rob Briner, Prof. of Organisational Psychology, University of Bath and Eric Barends, MD, Centre for Evidence-Based Management, put talent management under the microscope. They challenge some of the traditional thinking behind talent management shaped almost 20 years ago by The War for Talent – including the idea that potential can readily be identified in complex roles and that the best organisations have the best people.
From Passively Received Wisdom to Actively Constructed Knowledge:Teaching Systematic Review Skills As a Foundation of Evidence-Based Management
Presentation by Rob Briner and Neil Walshe
AOM Annual Meeting 2015, Vancouver
Key Note of the EHMA 2016 Annual Conference in Porto
In this key note, Rob Briner and Eric Barends from the Center for Evidence Based Management will discuss the basic principles of EBMgt and consider why while most people agree with the principles of EBMgt, few organisations are able to take advantage of its potential benefits. Utilising interactive social media tools
Rob and Eric will demonstrate how EBMgt can be used to separate the wheat from the chaff.
Systematic review and evidence-based work and organizational psychology
Presentation by Prof. Rob Briner
17th congress of the European Association of Work and Organizational Psychology, Oslo
May 20, 2015
Calls for both practical and scholarly activities to be grounded more in actual evidence have become louder, especially in the last decade. Four domains in particular have embraced evidence-based thinking, resulting in the respective developments of evidence-based medicine, evidence-based management, evidence-based education and evidence-based policy. Despite the presumed benefits of drawing on different sources of evidence for decision-making in practice, whether in medicine, management, education or policy, this does not seem to prevail. Whilst one likely reason for this slow uptake could simply be down to practitioners not always having much time to consult the evidence-base in their day-to-day work, another reason might be that they are not aware of specific insights applicable to their domain of work or to practice in general.
This is where the workshop contributes:
Representatives from the four key domains engaged with evidence-based practice will share with the audience their latest insights and the consequences thereof for practice. Further, all speakers will discuss questions such as:
What do we have in common?
How can we learn from one another?
How can we combine insights from the four domains?
These will be discussed as part of a concluding panel.
Workshop organiser:
Dr Celine Rojon, University of Edinburgh, celine.rojon@ed.ac.uk
Evidence-Based HR Management & Systematic Reviews
PhD Consortium of the 7th International Conference of the Dutch HRM network,
Rob Briner, Eric Barends
Bridging The Research-Practice Gap Through Evidence-Based Management And Systematic Review.
David Denyer and Rob Briner
Academy of Management Annual Meeting 2014, Philadelphia
Talent Management – What’s the Evidence?
With Rob Briner & Eric Barends
28th April 2016, 3:00PM-5:00PM, IMI Conference Centre, Dublin 16
In this session, Rob Briner, Prof. of Organisational Psychology, University of Bath and Eric Barends, MD, Centre for Evidence-Based Management, put talent management under the microscope. They challenge some of the traditional thinking behind talent management shaped almost 20 years ago by The War for Talent – including the idea that potential can readily be identified in complex roles and that the best organisations have the best people.
From Passively Received Wisdom to Actively Constructed Knowledge:Teaching Systematic Review Skills As a Foundation of Evidence-Based Management
Presentation by Rob Briner and Neil Walshe
AOM Annual Meeting 2015, Vancouver
Key Note of the EHMA 2016 Annual Conference in Porto
In this key note, Rob Briner and Eric Barends from the Center for Evidence Based Management will discuss the basic principles of EBMgt and consider why while most people agree with the principles of EBMgt, few organisations are able to take advantage of its potential benefits. Utilising interactive social media tools
Rob and Eric will demonstrate how EBMgt can be used to separate the wheat from the chaff.
Systematic review and evidence-based work and organizational psychology
Presentation by Prof. Rob Briner
17th congress of the European Association of Work and Organizational Psychology, Oslo
May 20, 2015
Research, Writing, and Publishing in High Impact JournalsDr. Abdul Mujeebu M
This is compilation of my presentations in a recent workshop at AMU Aligarh, India. Interested institutions can contact me for conducting similar workshop.
Nr 505 Education Specialist -snaptutorial.comDavisMurphyC68
For more classes visit
www.snaptutorial.com
NR 505 Analysis and Application of Clinical Practice
Analysis and Application of Clinical
Practice Guidelines & Scoring Rubric
Purpose
The purpose of this assignment is to provide an opportunity for students to apply and disseminate information based on practice summaries. The most common type of practice summary in healthcare is the clinical practice guideline (CPG).
PSY 326 Research Methods Week 3 GuidanceWelcome to Week 3 of Res.docxwoodruffeloisa
PSY 326 Research Methods Week 3 Guidance
Welcome to Week 3 of Research Methods! This week, you will learn about a few of the most popular qualitative research designs. Required resources are sections 3.1, 3.2, and the parts of section 3.4 about “Pros and Cons of Observational Research” and “Types of Observational Research” in the Newman (2016) textbook, an ebook chapter by Levitt (2016), and two videos about qualitative research. The videos are linked in the Course Materials and the discussion prompt.
Assignments for the week include a discussion, an interactive learning activity and quiz, and a written assignment. To see how your assignments will be graded, look at the rubrics accessible through a link on the screen for each discussion or assignment.
The Week 3 discussion is Pros and Cons of Qualitative Research. Your initial post is due by Day 3, and all replies are due by Day 7. To prepare for the discussion, read the sections of the Newman (2016) textbook listed above, the Levitt (2016) book chapter, and the lecture portion of this instructor guidance. Also, view the videos Different Qualitative Approaches (Kawulich, 2013) and When to Use a Qualitative Research Design: Four Things to Consider (Zhang, 2017), which are linked in the Course Materials and the discussion prompt.
This week’s discussion assignment is a jigsaw puzzle. Instead of having the entire class read and report on four different qualitative research designs, each person will research and report on one specific design. Designs are assigned based on the first letter of your last name. When you determine your assigned design, use the Research Methods research guide and the databases in the Ashford University Library to find at least one scholarly/peer-reviewed article about the research design AND at least one published research study that used the design. Then, explain the characteristics and features of the research design and what kinds of topics it can be used for, describe the data collection and data analysis methods used in the design, and discuss the published study you found. Document your sources in APA style.
At least three replies to the initial posts of classmates will be required for this discussion, because you must read and respond to at least one post about each of the other three qualitative research designs. As the expert on your assigned design, you will also be expected to respond to some of the questions posted on your thread by others. See the discussion prompt for complete details.
After you have learned about qualitative research from the assigned readings and participating in the discussion, you will be ready to do the interactive activity and take the quiz called Qualitative Research Fundamentals, due by Day 6. In the first part of the learning activity, match terms related to qualitative research with their definitions. In the scenarios presented in the second part of the activity, you must select the most appropriate qualitative research design fo ...
En prélude à la célébration du Cinquantenaire de l’ESSTIC qui aura lieu du 14 au 16 juin 2023, le Professeur Innocent Awasom de Texas Tech University Lubbock, et Fulbright à l'Université de Bindura au Zimbabwe a donné une communication intitulée: "Scholarly Products: Presentation Visibility and Collaboration"
Cette conférence a eu lieu le 18 avril 2023, à l'ESSTIC.
Please pay attention to all the details. The instructor told me th.docxstilliegeorgiana
Please pay attention to all the details. The instructor told me the conclusion must include all the topics learned in this class sin ce week 2. I added all the necessary info you need to complete the conclusion for my final paper.
Concusion Section
7 - Conclusion: In this section, the student will identify a summary of their EBP project as well as consider the potential contribution to their specialty track (FAMILY NURSE PRACTITIONER) practice setting. The required content includes: MUST BE A COMPREHENSIVE CONCLUSION FROM WEEK 2 THROUGH WEEK 7
· Provide a comprehensive summary of key points from this EBP proposal project (PART A)
WEEK 2 – To develop an EBP PICOT/PICo question as well as a research question, numerous sources can trigger the spirit of inquiry, or to put it simply, the "I wonder . . . ?" The sources include, but are not limited to, the following.
· Identification of a concern in a practice area (i.e., "I wonder how I can prevent . . . ")
· Inconsistencies found in professional literature (i.e., Article A says I should do X, but Article B says that the preferred action is Y. I wonder which one is correct for my practice area.")
· Problems occurring with the practice area (i.e., "This has been a problem in the unit as long as I can remember; I wonder how I can improve the . . . ")
· Reviewing nursing theory (i.e., "I read that knowledge helps with self-care; I wonder whether it would help to foster patient compliance with . . . )
Although the source of the EBPPICOT/PICo or research study question can vary based upon your practice area and its related events, the role of nursing theory is where this week begins.
WEEK 3 – Discussions - Elements of Quantitative Research: Design and Sampling
This discussion will explore the quantitative approach sampling and design by analyzing a single study quantitative research article related to your specialty track. WEEK 4 - Developing New Evidence: Qualitative Research Studies Overview of the Qualitative Research Approach
Qualitative research studies phenomena in their natural settings. By using the natural settings, this design interprets phenomena in terms of the meanings that people bring to them. Qualitative research aims to get a better understanding through firsthand experience because subjects share thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Qualitative research involves the collection of a variety of empirical materials. These materials include, but are not limited to, case study, personal experience, life story, interviews, observations, historical perspectives, interactional, and visual texts. All of this information becomes data that describe routine as well as problematic moments with the meanings these moments have in individuals' lives.
Often, the qualitative approach is used as the initial research study in an area of interest because it will help to explore and define the phenomena. By gaining an understanding of underlying reasons, opinions, and motivations, it provid ...
Action research is a philosophy and methodology of research generally applied in the social sciences. It seeks trasformative change through the simultaneous process of taking action and doing research which are linked together by critical reflection
Similar to Denise Rousseau's Generic EBMgt Class 2 & 3 (20)
Big data, evidence-based, predictive analytics, today these terms are all over the place. Is this just another fad or an irreversible trend? An increasing group of HR leaders relies on science, critical thinking and data analyses to make decisions.
Evidence-based HR, however, is still perceived by many as too time-consuming, narrow or impractical. Meanwhile, evidence-based practice is becoming mainstream in many other disciplines (like medicine). This is the momentum for pioneering HR leaders to seize the opportunity and make a difference with evidence. As part of an inclusive approach, valuing different perspectives.
We will enter into the dialogue about the why, the what, and most of all the how of evidence-based HR. How to get started and how to blend it with softer, less tangible HR practices? A pragmatic introduction, with realistic ambitions and openness towards other approaches.
The Case for Competition: Learning About Evidence-Based Management Through Case Competition
Presentation by Tina Saksida, UPEI
AOM Annual Meeting, 2015, Vancouver
Presentation of the first two online learning modules developed by the Center for Evidence-Based Management and Carnegie Mellon' Online Learning initiative
Unit 8 - Information and Communication Technology (Paper I).pdfThiyagu K
This slides describes the basic concepts of ICT, basics of Email, Emerging Technology and Digital Initiatives in Education. This presentations aligns with the UGC Paper I syllabus.
Embracing GenAI - A Strategic ImperativePeter Windle
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies such as Generative AI, Image Generators and Large Language Models have had a dramatic impact on teaching, learning and assessment over the past 18 months. The most immediate threat AI posed was to Academic Integrity with Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) focusing their efforts on combating the use of GenAI in assessment. Guidelines were developed for staff and students, policies put in place too. Innovative educators have forged paths in the use of Generative AI for teaching, learning and assessments leading to pockets of transformation springing up across HEIs, often with little or no top-down guidance, support or direction.
This Gasta posits a strategic approach to integrating AI into HEIs to prepare staff, students and the curriculum for an evolving world and workplace. We will highlight the advantages of working with these technologies beyond the realm of teaching, learning and assessment by considering prompt engineering skills, industry impact, curriculum changes, and the need for staff upskilling. In contrast, not engaging strategically with Generative AI poses risks, including falling behind peers, missed opportunities and failing to ensure our graduates remain employable. The rapid evolution of AI technologies necessitates a proactive and strategic approach if we are to remain relevant.
The Roman Empire A Historical Colossus.pdfkaushalkr1407
The Roman Empire, a vast and enduring power, stands as one of history's most remarkable civilizations, leaving an indelible imprint on the world. It emerged from the Roman Republic, transitioning into an imperial powerhouse under the leadership of Augustus Caesar in 27 BCE. This transformation marked the beginning of an era defined by unprecedented territorial expansion, architectural marvels, and profound cultural influence.
The empire's roots lie in the city of Rome, founded, according to legend, by Romulus in 753 BCE. Over centuries, Rome evolved from a small settlement to a formidable republic, characterized by a complex political system with elected officials and checks on power. However, internal strife, class conflicts, and military ambitions paved the way for the end of the Republic. Julius Caesar’s dictatorship and subsequent assassination in 44 BCE created a power vacuum, leading to a civil war. Octavian, later Augustus, emerged victorious, heralding the Roman Empire’s birth.
Under Augustus, the empire experienced the Pax Romana, a 200-year period of relative peace and stability. Augustus reformed the military, established efficient administrative systems, and initiated grand construction projects. The empire's borders expanded, encompassing territories from Britain to Egypt and from Spain to the Euphrates. Roman legions, renowned for their discipline and engineering prowess, secured and maintained these vast territories, building roads, fortifications, and cities that facilitated control and integration.
The Roman Empire’s society was hierarchical, with a rigid class system. At the top were the patricians, wealthy elites who held significant political power. Below them were the plebeians, free citizens with limited political influence, and the vast numbers of slaves who formed the backbone of the economy. The family unit was central, governed by the paterfamilias, the male head who held absolute authority.
Culturally, the Romans were eclectic, absorbing and adapting elements from the civilizations they encountered, particularly the Greeks. Roman art, literature, and philosophy reflected this synthesis, creating a rich cultural tapestry. Latin, the Roman language, became the lingua franca of the Western world, influencing numerous modern languages.
Roman architecture and engineering achievements were monumental. They perfected the arch, vault, and dome, constructing enduring structures like the Colosseum, Pantheon, and aqueducts. These engineering marvels not only showcased Roman ingenuity but also served practical purposes, from public entertainment to water supply.
Instructions for Submissions thorugh G- Classroom.pptxJheel Barad
This presentation provides a briefing on how to upload submissions and documents in Google Classroom. It was prepared as part of an orientation for new Sainik School in-service teacher trainees. As a training officer, my goal is to ensure that you are comfortable and proficient with this essential tool for managing assignments and fostering student engagement.
How to Make a Field invisible in Odoo 17Celine George
It is possible to hide or invisible some fields in odoo. Commonly using “invisible” attribute in the field definition to invisible the fields. This slide will show how to make a field invisible in odoo 17.
Acetabularia Information For Class 9 .docxvaibhavrinwa19
Acetabularia acetabulum is a single-celled green alga that in its vegetative state is morphologically differentiated into a basal rhizoid and an axially elongated stalk, which bears whorls of branching hairs. The single diploid nucleus resides in the rhizoid.
2024.06.01 Introducing a competency framework for languag learning materials ...Sandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/iateflwebinar2024
Published classroom materials form the basis of syllabuses, drive teacher professional development, and have a potentially huge influence on learners, teachers and education systems. All teachers also create their own materials, whether a few sentences on a blackboard, a highly-structured fully-realised online course, or anything in between. Despite this, the knowledge and skills needed to create effective language learning materials are rarely part of teacher training, and are mostly learnt by trial and error.
Knowledge and skills frameworks, generally called competency frameworks, for ELT teachers, trainers and managers have existed for a few years now. However, until I created one for my MA dissertation, there wasn’t one drawing together what we need to know and do to be able to effectively produce language learning materials.
This webinar will introduce you to my framework, highlighting the key competencies I identified from my research. It will also show how anybody involved in language teaching (any language, not just English!), teacher training, managing schools or developing language learning materials can benefit from using the framework.
Palestine last event orientationfvgnh .pptxRaedMohamed3
An EFL lesson about the current events in Palestine. It is intended to be for intermediate students who wish to increase their listening skills through a short lesson in power point.
CLASS 11 CBSE B.St Project AIDS TO TRADE - INSURANCE
Denise Rousseau's Generic EBMgt Class 2 & 3
1. Postgraduate Course
Getting and making sense of “the
best available” scientific evidence
EBMgt
Helping Managers Make Better
Decisions
2. Postgraduate Course
Evidence is not the same as ‗proof‘ or ‗hard facts‘
Evidence can be
- so strong that no one doubts its correctness, or
- so weak that it is hardly convincing at all
What is evidence?
5. Postgraduate Course
CAT: Critical Appraised Topic
A critically appraised topic (or CAT) is a structured, short (2
pages max) summary of evidence on a topic of
interest, usually focused around a practical problem or
question. A CAT is like a “quick and dirty” version of a
systematic review, summarizing the best available research
evidence on a topic. Usually more than one study is included
in a CAT.
8. Postgraduate Course
5-step approach
Gathering Best Scientific Evidence is
a 5-step approach
1. Formulate an answerable question (PICOC)
2. Search for the best available evidence
3. Critical appraise the quality of the found
evidence
4. Integrate the evidence with managerial
expertise and organizational concerns and
apply
5. Monitor and evaluate the results
9. Postgraduate Course
Asking the right question?
Does team-building work?
Does leadership development training work?
Does management development improve the
performance of managers?
Does employee participation prevent
resistance to change?
Is 360 degree feedback effective?
10. Postgraduate Course
P = Problem or population
I = Intervention or successfactor
C = Comparison
O = Outcome
C = Context
Answerable question: PICOC
11. Postgraduate Course
Scenario: You are a consultant, your client is an insurance
company, there are plans for a merger, you have heard that the other
company has a different culture, you want to know if this will effect
the outcome
P = Organizations with a different corporate culture
I = Merger
C = Organizations with a similar corporate culture
O = Long term profitability
(C)) = Profit organizations, competitive market)
Answerable question: PICO(C)
13. Postgraduate Course
Searching evidence
Article 1
Article 2
Article 3
Article 4
Article 5
Article 6
Article 7
Article 8
There are about 1350 articles published
on HRM every year. For an HR
professional to keep up this means
reading 3 to 4 articles every day!
(most of these publications are not valid
or irrelevant)
15. Postgraduate Course
Searching for scientific
evidence
What kind of evidence are we looking for?
1. Studies with a design that best suits the research question
2. Studies with the highest level of evidence
21. Postgraduate Course
Type of Information Source
Current Information
Wall street Journal, Financial
Times, Business week, Financieel
Dagblad
Overview of a subject
General background
Academic Information
Statistical Information
Textbooks and popular books
Encyclopedias, yearbooks & book reviews
ABI/INFORM, Business Source
Premier, Emerald, PsychInfo, Science
Direct
CBS Statline, Eurostat
Theories about a subject Textbooks and encyclopedias
Information sources
Company information
Company Annual
Reports, Datastream, Factiva.com, Amad
eus
23. Postgraduate Course
Why do we need a search strategy?
Promotes deeper learning about your question
Leads to better yield of quality research.
Saves time in the long run.
Source: Inky Bob, www.flickr.com, Creative Commons, April 2006.
Search strategy
25. Postgraduate Course
Snowball method
Starting from one book or article, you search
for other literature on the same topic.
Snowballing to older publications by finding out which
publications were used by the author (see bibliography of
book or article).
Snowballing to more recent publications by finding out
how often that book or article has been
cited by other authors (see Web of
Knowledge or Google Scholar).
26. Postgraduate Course
Synonyms or
related terms
….
….
….
….
Synonyms or
related terms
….
….
….
….
Synonyms or
related terms
….
….
….
….
Building blocks method
Synonyms or
related terms
….
….
….
….
Keyword 1 Keyword 2 Keyword 3 Keyword 4
AND AND AND
OR OR OR
27. Postgraduate Course
P = back office employees
I = merger, integration, back office
C = status quo
O = economy of scale
C = healthcare, different organizational culture, unequal
Answerable question: PICOC
1. Underline the keywords
2. Number the order of importance from 1-4
28. Postgraduate Course
P = back office employees
I = 1. merger, 3. integration, back office
C = status quo
O = 4. economy of scale
C = 5. healthcare, different 2. organizational culture, unequal
Answerable question: PICOC
1. Underline the keywords
2. Number the order of importance
30. Postgraduate Course
corporate culture: organizational behavior/character, corporate identity
merger: acquisition, take-over, fusion, combination, unification
profitability: profit, advantage, return on investment, shareholder value
The keywords of your PICOC may be enough.
If not, select more words by using:
Select keywords
synonyms
alternate spelling, translations
related terms / words / subjects
narrower or broader terms
31. Postgraduate Course
Search Query
1. Search with #1 PICOC term (incl. alternative terms,
synonyms, alternate spellings, truncations, etc.) in the
thesaurus, title or abstract
2. Combine the results with OR (use the history function!)
3. Search with #2 PICOC term (incl. synonyms, etc.)
4. Combine the results with OR
5. Combine the results of step 2 and 4 with AND
32. Postgraduate Course
• Merger
• Fusion
• Combination
• Take over
• Acquisition
• Unification
• …
1. Merger 3. Integration
• Healthcare
organization
• Non profit
• Not for profit
4. Health care
organization
AND
Search Query: an example
I I O
OR OR
• Integration •Corporate culture
•Organizational
behavior
•Organizational
character
•Corporate
identity
•Core beliefs
•Shared values
2. Corporate
culture
C
AND
OR
35. Postgraduate Course
Boolean operators
AND = both terms (apples AND oranges)
OR = either one of these terms (apples OR oranges)
NOT = without this term (fruit NOT oranges)
NEAR = near this term (apples NEAR oranges)
* = replaces 0,1 or more characters (apple*=
apple, apples, applejack, applejuice, applepie, etc.)
?= replaces 1 character (organi?ation=
organisation, organization)
37. Postgraduate Course
Justify your search strategy
Why?
To help the reader of your paper:
Follow the steps of your search process
Understand the end results
How?
Including keywords used for the search actions
Justify information sources used (literature list)
Search Strategy
38. Postgraduate Course
Include literature references
Why?
To give other authors the credit they are due.
To show that you have made use of reliable sources
To show the relationship between your work and that of others.
To show that you have studied the subject in depth
To make it possible to check your work.
To avoid committing plagiarism !!!
How?
Cite & include references to acknowledge all your sources carefully.
Include sufficient own / new ideas in your work.
You can make use of Reference Manager or Endnote
Search Strategy
42. Postgraduate Course
Levels of evidence = A hierarchical order for
research designs based on their internal validity
Internal validity = Degree the results may be
unbiased. Higher when conditions demonstrating
causality are present (1. control over ―cause‖, 2.
temporal order, and 3. control over or no
plausible alternative explanation for findings).
Careful design of primary studies promotes these three conditions but
seldom eliminates them. Threats to internal validity are overcome when
accumulated studies with different designs yield comparable findings.
Levels of Scientific Evidence
44. Postgraduate Course
Levels of internal validity
It is shown that …
It is likely that …
Experts are of the
opinion that …
There are signs
that …
45. Postgraduate Course
But … sometimes observational
studies are as good as RCT‘s
Internal validity
When the size of effect is very large (swamps
the bias)
46. Postgraduate Course
Generalizability
Degree findings hold across
populations, settings, procedures etc. (external
validity).
Reasons for rejecting generalizability must be
logical and evidence-based (not mere dislike of
findings)
Logical threats to generalizability include:
Person/Treatment interactions: e.g., incentives based
on dice throw that work for gamblers and not
Baptists
File draw problem: Studies only published if show
significant effects (why unpublished sources matter)
47. Postgraduate Course
These treatments have not been tested in RCTs:
are they supported by poor evidence?
Internal validity
Heimlich manoeuvre Dehydration: drinking water Cardiac arrest: AED
48. Postgraduate Course
Better than a single study:
a replication study
Better than a replication study:
a systematic review / meta analysis
If there were 100 studies, 99 of which gave a ‘negative’
result (where, say, the new intervention appeared to be
not effective), while one had a ‘positive’ result (were the
intervention appeared effective), it would obviously be a
mistake to consider only the single positive study.
But ….
49. Postgraduate Course
Research designs
Systematic review or meta-analysis
Randomized controlled study (experiment)
Non-randomized controlled study (quasi-experiment)
Observational research: cohort-, panel-, case-control and cross-
sectional study
Before-after study (pretest – posttest design)
Qualitative research
50. Postgraduate Course
Systematic review
The intention behind a systematic review is to identify as fully
as possible all the scientific studies of relevance to a
particular subject and to assess the validity and authority of
the evidence of each study separately. As the name
indicates, a systematic review takes a systematic approach to
identifying studies and has the methodological quality
critically appraised by multiple researchers independently of
each other, as a consequence of which the review is
transparent and reproducible and can be monitored. The use
of statistical analysis techniques in a systematic review to
pool the results of the individual studies numerically in order
to achieve a more accurate estimate of the effect is termed a
―meta-analysis‖.
52. Postgraduate Course
Founded in 1993 and named after the British epidemiologist Archy Cochrane
International non-profit and independen organization
Mission: to enable people to make well-informed decisions abouth healthcare
Dedicated to making up-to-date, accurate information about the effects of
healthcare readily available worldwide.
Main product: The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
1995: 36 reviews
1999: 500 reviews
2001: 1000 reviews
2004: 2000 reviews + 1400 published protocols
Reviews prepared by healthcare professionals who volunteer
(10.000 people worldwide)
Application of rigorous quality standards
Cochrane Collaboration
53. Postgraduate Course
Controlled study
In a controlled study two or more groups are
compared with each other, usually comprising
one group in which an intervention is carried out
(experimental group) and one group where no
or an alternative intervention is conducted
(control group).
54. Postgraduate Course
In the case of randomization, the groups compared with each
other are selected entirely randomly, for example by drawing
lots. This means that each participant (or other unit such as
a team, department or company) has an equal chance of
being in the intervention or control group. In this way, the
influence of any distorting factors is spread over both groups
so that these groups are as comparable as possible with
each other with the exception of the intervention.
Randomization
Controlled study
55. Postgraduate Course
Observational research
Cohort/panel study—entities followed over time
(classic longitudinal study of AT&T managers)
Case-control study—comparisons between entities
with different outcomes (Collins‘ ―Good to Great‖)
Cross-sectional study—one-time assess‘t (turnover
rates of high performing employees in 2012
Observational research refers to studies where the researcher merely
observes but does not intervene, with the intention of finding correlations
among the observed data (synonym: naturalistic study, non-intervention trial)
56. Postgraduate Course
Case-control study
Longitudinal study in which one group of people or companies with a
particular outcome (for example, above-average performance) is compared
subsequently (= retrospective) with a group that does not have this outcome.
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Cross-sectional study
Study in which data of a statistically significant sample of a population
(managers, CEO‘s, employees) is gathered at one point in time. It provides
a snapshot of the current condition but does not explain cause and effect.
Cross-sectional studies include
surveys
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1. Title
2. Abstract
3. Introduction
4. Background / review of literature
5. Organizational context
6. Methodology
7. Results
8. Discussion
Structure of an article
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In general
Don‘t let yourself be taken in by scientific jargon and
complex use of language!! Good articles are written in
plain English.
Even authorative journals with a high impact factor
contain bad articles and vice versa.
Focus on research question, study design and outcome.
Don‘t worry about statistics!
Be critical!! Always ask yourself: does this make sense?
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Bias: distortion of the outcome due to
systematic errors caused by the way the
study is designed or conducted.
NB: If bias is not taken into account then any
conclusions drawn may be wrong!
Bias
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1. Selection bias
2. Information (detection) bias
3. Performance bias
4. Exclusion (attrition) bias
5. Publication bias
…
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30. …..
Forms of bias
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Selection bias
Error in the way participants in a study were selected. Means comparison
groups differ in measured or unmeasured baseline characteristics.
Types of selection bias:
Sampling bias (selecting only successful departments or individuals who
have committed crimes)
Participation bias (self-selection, non-response, etc.)
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Distortion of the outcome due to misinterpretation of information
or systematic errors in the the measurement of research
variables which leads to misclassification.
Information bias can be prevented by the use of standardized
measurement instruments, hard outcome measures, validated
questionnaires and objective, independent and blinded
assessors.
Types of information bias:
Reporting bias (recall bias)
Observer bias (interviewer bias, halo-effect)
Information bias
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Confounding
Confounding is the idea that a 3rd variable can distort or confuse (or
confound..) a relationship between two other variables.
Let‘s say that a college education is strongly positively correlated to
successful completion of firefighter training. Is it true that people
with less than four years of college don‘t make good fire fighters?
Or cannot fulfill the requirements of well-trained firefighter?
Confounding could exist if the reading materials use in firefighter
training are written at a much higher level than the job actually
requires.
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Effect Size
Strength or meaningfulness of relationship
between two variables (cause/effect)…several
metrics exist:
Practical value (average $ saved, weight lost, gain in
test scores)
Effect strength (standardized indicate of d difference
between treatments or r strength of relationship
across multiple studies)
Judgment required: Small effects with low cost can
be of practical value (e.g. can be relatively easy to
create identification or ingroup/outgroup effects)
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Standard appraisal questions
1. Did the study address a clearly focused issue?
2. Is the sample size justified?
3. Is the design appropriate to the stated aims?
4. Are the measurements likely to be valid and reliable?
5. Are the statistical methods described?
6. Did untoward events occur during the study?
7. Were the basic data adequately described?
8. Do the numbers add up?
9. Was the statistical significance assessed?
10. What do the findings mean?
11. Are important effects overlooked?
12. What implications does the study have for your practice?
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Appraisal of a controlled study
1. Did the study address a clearly focused issue?
2. Were subjects randomly allocated to the experimental and control
group? If not, could this have introduced bias?
3. Are objective inclusion / exclusion criteria used?
4. Were groups comparable at the start of the study?
5. Are objective and validated measurement methods used and were
they similar in the different groups? (misclassification bias)
6. Were outcomes assessed blind? If not, could this have introduced
bias?
7. Is the size of effect practically relevant?
8. Are the conclusions applicable?
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Appraisal of a cohort / panel study
1. Did the study address a clearly focused issue?
2. Was the cohort / panel recruited in an acceptable way? (selection
bias)
3. Was the cohort/ panel representative of a defined population?
4. Was a control group used? Should one have been used?
5. Are objective and validated measurement methods used and were
they similar in the different groups? (misclassification bias)
6. Was the follow up of cases/subjects long enough?
7. Could there be confounding?
8. Is the size of effect practically relevant?
9. Are the conclusions applicable?
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1. Did the study address a clearly focused issue?
2. Were the cases and controls defined precisely?
3. Was the selection of cases and controls based on external, objective
and validated criteria? (selection bias)
4. Are objective and validated measurement methods used and were
they similar in cases and controls? (misclassification bias)
5. Did the study incorporate blinding where feasible? (halo-effect)
6. Was there data-dredging?
7. Could there be confounding?
8. Is the size of effect practically relevant?
9. Are the conclusions applicable?
Appraisal of a case-control study
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Assessment of a survey
1. Did the study address a clearly focused issue?
2. Was the sample size justified?
3. Could the way the sample was obtained introduce (selection)bias?
4. Is the sample representative and reliable?
5. Are the measurements (questionnaires) likely to be valid and
reliable?
6. Was the statistical significance assessed?
7. Are important effects overlooked?
8. Can the results be generalized?
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Don‘t confuse: representativeness and reliability
The number of respondents has no direct relationship with
representativeness; even a large random sample can be insufficiently
representative. However, the number of respondents does have an
impact on the reliability of the results.
Assessment of a survey
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1. Is your organization / division / population so different from
those in the study that its results cannot apply?
2. How relevant is the study to what you are seeking to understand
or decide?
3. What are your organization‘s potential benefits and
harms from the intervention?
4. Is the intervention feasible in your setting?
5. What are your executive‘s (or client‘s) concerns,
preferences and expectations for both the
outcome you are trying to prevent and the
intervention you are offering?
Organization concerns
Organization
Concerns
Ask yourself to what extent the evidence is
applicable in your situation: