Selected Practical Problems in Health and Social Research

By: Thomas E Dinero

Selected Practical Problems in Health and Social Research explores some of the theoretical ideas underlying classical and modern measurement theory. These ideas form a set of guidelines for professional researchers, health professionals, and students in the social, psychological, or health sciences planning and evaluating a measurement activity. Readers learn of measurement, research methodology, and contextual issues which can lead to misinterpretation of research results and how to avoid these in order to collect valid and reliable data. Chapters in Selected Practical Problems in Health and Social Research help practitioners interpret quantitative and qualitative data in a wide variety of contexts. The book covers several theoretical and practical issues often not covered in general research courses. Readers learn about scale development, validity and reliability issues in published public health and social policy research, questionnaire development, the effects of non-response on statistical inference, problems with categorizing data, reading qualitative research from a methodological point of view, obstacles to conducting program evaluations, and implications for public health evaluators. Contributors to Selected Practical Problems in Health and Social Research discuss methodological problem areas in contemporary social and health science research that can possibly invalidate empirical research interpretation. They argue that the conditions under which data are collected often create ambiguous interpretation. They support this contention by: expanding evaluations of journal publications relevant to the field exploring the manner in which researchers treat or fail to treat measurement issues presenting an overview of pitfalls to avoid when writing questionnaires offering a discussion of problems with the return rate of data, specifically questionnaires presenting an argument that there is no sound justification for using categories in writing questionnaires and analyzing data, and that doing so can often lead to misinterpretation of the research results describing how the applied social setting can inhibit the data collecting process Readers learn of circumstances under which measurement is most likely to be valid and reliable. Professional researchers whose data are found within social or medical contexts, health professionals who wish to keep up with contemporary methodological issues, and masters and doctoral students in the social, psychological, or health sciences will find Selected Practical Problems in Health and Social Research paramount to their interpretations, evaluations, and applications of data.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1560248327
• ISBN13: 9781560248323
• Release Date: December 1996
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 107 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.8" x 6.5"