Study Design - Jones & Bartlett Learning

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222Study DesignDesigning a research Study is not a simple task. Just as the key elements anddeterminants of outcomes of war are fixed even before it is fought ( , at itsplanning stages), the success of a Study is also largely determined at its initialplanning stage. Successful studies need to address two important dimen-sions: reliability and validity. A reliable Study should be replicable, providingsimilar results if the same Study parameters are applied. Validity is concernedwith the ability of the Study to correctly answer the question it asks. Internalvalidity deals with the ability of the Study to correctly infer about the relation-ship between the independent variables and the outcome(s) being validity deals with application of the findings to other observations,samples, or populations and implies generalizability of the Study results. Theneed for reliability and validity of studies dictates sound Study designs.

Study Design 23 BOX 2.1 A Short Checklist for Designing a Study Steps Involved in Designing a Study • Outline of study • Title of study • Research question (what is the overall, broad question?)

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