Type: Online Tutorial

Level: Basic

Description: Overview of Meta Analysis, Systematic Review, Practice Guideline, Randomized Controlled Trial, Cohort Study, Case Control Study, Case Reports

Continuing Education Credits: N/A

Type: Electronic Journal Article

Level: Basic

Description: This article assesses a variety of CBPR procedures and principles for effective work in improving public health.

Type: Educational Series

Level: Intermediate

Description: Addresses statistical issues in trial design, interpreting statistics in medical literature, methods for statistical analyses, and data and safety monitoring boards.

Continuing Education Credits: N/A

Type: Educational Document

Level: Intermediate

Description: IRB guidelines for detailed analysis of structures and stages of research. Topics discussed include implementation and incremental study.

Continuing Education Credits: N/A

Type: Toolkit

Level: Intermediate

Description:

From the toolkit:

“This toolkit is designed to provide clinical and administrative staff at Community Health Centers with the elements involved in building a primary care research infrastructure. Organized into eight stand-alone modules, health center clinicians and staff will find information on the following:

1. Introduction to Quality Improvement and Research
2. Building Primary Care Research Infrastructure
3. Data: Access and Utilization
4. Study Design and Methods Overview
5. Dissemination and Action
6. Funding Your Research
7. Partnerships for Research
8. Ethics and the Institutional Review Board”

Type: On-demand, streaming presentation with voiceover; duration: 90 min.

Level: Advanced

Description: The final webinar in the 2012 EDM Forum Medical Care Special Supplement Series, addressed methodological considerations for collecting and using electronic clinical data for research and QI. This session presented a data quality assessment framework in multi-site studies to distinguish true variations in care from data quality problems, and described selected conceptual and practical challenges of developing multi-site diabetes and asthma registries. Authors: Jay R. Desai, MPH, HealthPartners; Michael Kahn, Md, PhD, University of Colorado, Denver; Russell E. Glasgow, PhD, National Cancer Institute.

Type: Online learning module

Level: Basic

Description: This online module teaches the user many useful things pertaining to research design such as: distinguishing between questions about effectiveness and causation and learning which research designs are most appropriate to answer your questions. The module also allows you to practice your acquired skills and knowledge and, upon completion of the module, receive a certificate of completion.

NOTE: this online module requires registration with NCCMT

Type: eBook

Level: Basic

Description: This comprehensive web-based textbook addresses all of the topics in a typical introductory undergraduate or graduate course in social research methods. In explains the total research process including: formulating research questions; sampling (probability and nonprobability); measurement (surveys, scaling, qualitative, unobtrusive); research design (experimental and quasi-experimental); data analysis; and, writing the research paper. It also covers the important theoretical and philosophical underpinnings of research including: the idea of validity in research; reliability of measures; and ethics. The language the text uses is an informal, conversational style. This enables both the newcomer and the more experienced student of research to easily engage with the material presented in the text. It is a fully hyperlinked text that can be integrated easily into an existing course structure or used as a sourcebook for the experienced researcher who simply wants to browse.

Type: Article

Level: Intermediate

Description: This paper by B. Borrelli PhD introduces the concept of treatment fidelity in health behavior change trials conducted in public health contexts. It outlines the National Institutes of Health’s Behavioral Change Consortium framework for assessing and monitoring treatment fidelity across five domains: Study Design, Training, Delivery, Receipt, and Enactment. Specific guidelines on how to integrate treatment fidelity measures into study design and implementation are discussed.

Type: Online Module

Level: Intermediate

Description: Community health centers that serve our most vulnerable populations play an important role in improving the health of communities. The potential for their role in the research enterprise and in translating evidence into practice is enormous. But, they often lack the infrastructure, resources, and time necessary to effectively lead or collaborate in research. This toolkit is designed to provide clinical and administrative staff at Community Health Centers with the elements involved in building a primary care research infrastructure. Organized into eight stand-alone modules, health center clinicians and staff will find information on the following:

Module 4 builds participants’ foundation in research. This module provides an overview of the different study designs, research methods (quantitative and qualitative), and sampling strategies.

The toolkit is a product of the Safety Net Infrastructure Initiative, a program of the Community Health Innovation and Research Program, Harvard Catalyst | The Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Center.