IRB Protocol sample 2 anotated notes
3b says that no research will be done off of BYU campus.
6c – may need to have more of a plan for how to communicate with the people
10- says that it will be random sampling but that probably isn’t the case- she’s probably doing a convenience sample.
15c- she does not indicate the duration or number of encounters she will make- only the nature of them.
e- could be a little more detailed about the procedures
f/g- can’t be none for both of these
17 c- needs to be more specific about how she will lock up the tapes
Description of subjects- 12-15 subjects is not very many
Confidentiality- doesn’t explain what she will do to keep things confidential
Compensation- she checked that no compensation would be given earlier
Review of IRB proposal sample 1 titled, “Age Shall Not Wither Them: Elderly and Those Who Care For Them in Rural Ghana”
The protocol summary seems to be adequate. I feel that it could be more detailed, for example by listing exactly the questions that will be investigated. However, this is done later on in the more in-depth description. In addition, in the summary a sort of thesis statement or hypothesis would help the reader understand a bit more thoroughly what the research question is and why he is conducting it.
. He will be going to Ghana and will use semi-structured and unstructured interviewing techniques to assess specific questions about the aging process in Ghana and the social consequences to aging. His methods seem to be fairly solid. He will interview not just elderly people (although he will interview mostly elderly people) but also people of all age groups about the aging process and their views on aging. He does not completely exclude a group but does in detail describe the groups that he will be sure to include and emphasize more, (the elderly) which is appropriate for the project that he is conducting. He also describes exactly how he defines the “elderly” and how he will identify them. His write-up on background and significance could use a little more detail and explanation. He discusses a bit some general ideas of aging but that is it. It would be beneficial for him to include information about Ghana and aging or other African or similar societies and their ideas about aging. His mentor apparently did a similar project in Asia- he could site her research in order to back-up his own reasons for research. In addition, he could describe in more detail why this information is important. I’m sure there have been extensive studies conducted about the aging process as well as problems that occur from lack of understanding about it. I personally don’t know specific benefits to studying aging- it would be good to give the reader a more solid and concrete idea of the importance of the research.
Source Document Analysis Worksheet
Jared Wilkerson | Fall 2009 | |||
Author’s name (last, first) | Publication date | |||
Beyond Remittances: Husband Migration and its Effects on Wives in Rural Mexico | ||||
Title | ||||
Inquiry Journal | BYU vol 4 p. 77-96 | |||
Book series OR Journal | Location and publisher OR volume, issue, pages | |||
- What is the source’s stated purpose (the argument or thesis)?
To identify the effects of husband migration on Mexican women. Specifically, he argues that women whose husbands are migrant “have poorer mental health” because of a poorer gender-role ideology and decreased sense of well-being.
- What evidence does the author provide to support his or her main argument? How is the author attempting to logically prove his or her thesis and how does this affect the organization of the document?
He first creates the setting for the reader by describing first the high occurrence of migration in Mexico and the reasons for it and then describes the communities that the people live in including the migrant workers and the tendency for boys to decide at an early age to leave the community. By describing these things he is able to show how the current circumstances for women of migrant husbands are different than the traditional role for women. This thus supports the idea of “poorer gender-role ideology” and lower sense of well-being in women. He is also sure to contrast the differences between American culture and the impact of the feminist movement being liberating for American women etc in order to help the reader see that female “independence” in Mexico is not the same as in the United States and the idea of a women doing the work of a man has a more negative impact on Mexican women than it seems to have on American women. Thus he shows a counter-argument that the reader may have and is able to show the flaws in it.
After his methods are complete and the data is collected he describes the results to the reader using actual dialogue from his interviews. The dialogues provide support toward specific characteristics of lower mental health, which the author describes in specific detail.
- Who is the audience? What does the author assume the audience already knows about the topic?
The audience is an American academic one. It was published in an academic journal and so it is written in a thorough and scientific way. It is also quite accessible to someone from any discipline. He makes it a point to explain the Mexican culture in a way that someone with American ideals and thought processes might be able to look at the study disregarding the norms of American culture. For instance, by explaining what the gender-roles are in the Mexican culture so that the audience doesn’t assume that Mexican gender roles are the same
as American gender roles.
In addition, after providing statistical analysis the author then has a section titled “layman’s terms” where he explains the analysis for the non-statically savvy.
- Describe the author’s methods (i.e. how does the author know what he or she knows)? In your opinion were they appropriate why or why not?
The author first began by spending a lot of time in the areas that he was studying. He took more than one trip there in order to get a better feel for the culture. He then conducted interviews with 94women (half had husbands who were currently absent because of migration and the other half were not.) The women were interviewed about their normal daily routines and how it differs from before their husbands were gone. The questions and survey used were well thought out as to try and reveal unbiased results. For a more qualitative project such as this interviews were probably the best way to find out more about the women and the ways they were affected by having a migrant husband. For the most part it seems that he was thorough in eliminating any biases and other factors that may invalidate the data the he collected. With a project such as this with “self-reported” data that must be interpreted into numbers and statistics, he tried to keep everything very professional and well planned out.
- To what other sources (theorist, researchers, artists) does the author refer? Explain the specific ideas the author draws upon from these other sources to support his or her own argument (the theoretical framework).
When explaining the background of the research to the reader, the author tries to explain the migrant culture of Mexico and why this project is relevant. He uses specific statistics reporting data related to migration as well as education level and economic status providing a foundation for scientific relevancy as well as helping the reader understand the culture.
The author also uses several psychological references where he is able to describe and help the reader understand the reasons why women might be affected by having migrant husbands as well as the ways that this would affect them. In addition, he uses a lot of really good sources about Women and Mexico in order to describe the “traditional roles of women in a Mexican society and what changes occur because of migration.
- What are the connections between this source and your project? How useful or applicable is this source’s approach to your own project? How is yours new and different?
From this paper I was able to learn a little more about the Mexican culture. It has been useful because I was able to learn from the different activities and the ideas of the people that I will be working among when I get to Mexico. It will be interesting as well to see if there is a difference in the reaction of the women to my study whether their husbands are around or not. In addition, when asking for permission to test their children who is it that will be making the overall decision? The husband or the wife? Or will they make it together? So while this project is quite different from my own planned project, it has brought some questions to my mind that I will try to answer.
Source Document Analysis Worksheet
Amy Nagle | 23 March 2009 | |||
Author’s name (last, first) | Publication date | |||
Impact of Physical Activity on Core Stability: A Comparative Study of Children in the United States and Rural Ghana | ||||
Title | ||||
Research Proposal | Brigham Young University | |||
Book series OR Journal | Location and publisher OR volume, issue, pages | |||
- What is the source’s stated purpose (the argument or thesis)?
To find what types of physical activities correlate with greater core stability in children. This includes the durations and intensities of the activities. In addition, the information will later be used to educate and inform adults and school systems of the types of activities their students should be engaged in.
- What evidence does the author provide to support his or her main argument? How is the author attempting to logically prove his or her thesis and how does this affect the organization of the document?
The author begins by discussing the significance of the understanding core stability and the need for this knowledge for children. For instance she discusses a teacher that creates a type of standing desk in order to help her students be more active in the classroom. She provides evidence that most American school systems do not provide the recommended amount of physical activity for their students. In addition, relates the importance of core stability to the classroom telling the reader that without weak trunk support students have difficulty holding themselves up straight while sitting in a desk. She also compares Ghanaian and American BMI reports stating that Ghanaians have a far lower instance of obesity than Americans. In addition, she explains the differences in the culture and why the Ghanaian children may have a higher level of core stability.
Lastly, she explains to the reader a few principles of muscular development namely the principal or use and disuse, giving the reader a basic physiological understanding of the why activity level and type would be correlated with level of core stability.
So the research and background of the study is very well-rounded. She really seems to cover all of the bases and gives a thorough explanation of the relevancy and evidence for the purpose of the study.
- Who is the audience? What does the author assume the audience already knows about the topic?
The author is speaking to an academic audience from any discipline. The paper is a scientific article written in an academic voice but it also does not assume that the reader is well versed in the topics and theories of exercise science. However, the author takes on a very professional voice assuming that the reader can follow the academic style. In addition, she toroughly explains the background and culture of both the United States and Ghana making sure that a person from any country would be able to follow and understand.
- Describe the author’s methods (i.e. how does the author know what he or she knows)? In your opinion were they appropriate why or why not?
The author will begin the research through observatory methods. She wants to first build rapport with the people of Ghana so that she can find subjects to test. When she does this she will explain the procedures to them and make sure that they understand their rights and risks etc. She then will perform a series of fitness tests collecting data about core stability and endurance. IN addition she will give a questionnaire as well as a pedometer to each child in order to understand their activities, the intensity and length of activities. She will then do the same thing in the United States and compare both sets of data. She also thoroughly explains the statistical analysis for the data that will be collected.
I feel that these methods were appropriate. It allowed the children to stay in their home setting while she attempted to gain their trust and the trust of their parents. She did all that she could to explain the procedures and risks of the study and was sensitive to the cultural expectations of Ghana (for example, offering a small gifts to each child at the end of the data collection.) In addition, she attempted to keep all of the data very subjective. She took easily measurable and quantitative data so that it would be scientifically valid. I’m sure that there could have been other ways to find the data. For instance giving each child an accelerometer or using other very expensive equipment. But this study was done in a non-invasive and cost efficient way that helped the children and adults feel comfortable and therefore more responsive to the tests.
- To what other sources (theorist, researchers, artists) does the author refer? Explain the specific ideas the author draws upon from these other sources to support his or her own argument (the theoretical framework).
The author included statistical sources involving obesity and activity reports of both countries. She also included similar studies that have been conducted in an attempt to determine the types and durations of activities in which adults and children should be engaged in order to prevent core weakening or other more serious injuries. Most of these sources come from primary research articles in a similar field. In addition, she sites specific instances in which people attempt to correct the problems of decreased trunk stability, for instance standing desks that have been used in some classrooms.
She also uses sources that explain or describe current physical fitness practices and equipment (such as the pedometer) that she will actually use in the study. She also has done extensive research on lower back, abdomen, and hip joint function and strength in order to be well educated in these specific areas of the body.
- What are the connections between this source and your project? How useful or applicable is this source’s approach to your own project? How is yours new and different?
I will, for the most part, be repeating this same experiment in Mexico. There are a few changes that I will make that I have discussed with my mentor, but I will keep most of the methods the same in order to use data from both studies and compare them. While the methods of collecting data must stay the same in order to keep the experiment valid but the methods for recruiting people might be different since I will be in a completely different culture. So I will have to adapt the study in that way. I also imagine that I will find different types and levels of activity in the children in Mexico than what was found in Ghana.
Literature Review Worksheet (Part 1, before class)
Please answer each question according to your understanding of the academic discussion/literature surrounding your research topic. Answers likely will not be definitive and may include some speculation (which you should indicate as such). Be honest about what you do not presently know and where you can improve (you will be evaluated on your thoughtful completion of the assignment, not on whether or not you know all the answers).
- What are the key concepts you’ve dissected within your own question? List related search terms.
So far with my sources I have had several questions that have been fairly spread out. For instance, I feel that I need to find sources concerning the importance of good posture in children and the negative effects of poor posture. I was able to find an article on backpacks and the way they affect posture. One way that this is helpful is that the problems that occur because of heavy backpacks is fairly well-known and so it is easy to help a novice in the subject recognize that this is an important subject. In addition, this is a type of activity that may differ in Mexico from the United States and could affect my study. Within this study, is discussed the resulting back pain that comes from heavy backpack use. – One question that I feel still needs to be answered is the long term affects of poor posture and trunk stability. I still haven’t found too much research on that and I feel that it is key to presenting the importance of my project. One reason that I haven’t found any evidence of it could be that there have not been many studies performed concerning the long term affects of poor posture.
In addition, one of the key searches that I conducted was muscular development in childhood. Honestly, this was mostly for my own benefit in understanding how the muscles and body works as far as muscle and spinal development is concerned. I was able to brush up on it a bit and in addition, this research led me to other questions and ideas of where to go with my project.
As far as culture is concerned – I did several searches regarding health in Mexico especially rural areas. I really am trying to get a good feel for the different attitudes that accompany health and activity in Mexico. I was able to find some good studies about school children as well as family and community dynamics concerning health in Mexico. Some of them dealt more with larger cities, but I was able to find a few that specifically studied more rural areas which relates more to the area where I will be. On study that I felt was particularly helpful was centered around teaching techniques in the schools of rural Mexico. In this article I was able to better understand the culture and methods of learning the schools. For instance, the children spend a lot of their time on their feet and moving around in the classroom. This good make a huge difference in the trunk stability. It could even mean that because they aren’t required to sit and hold themselves up straight, that they do not have as well developed core strength.
Some of these studies also lead me to look up methods using pedometers as well as a method called SOFIT for evaluating physical activities. These studies as well have been very helpful to me in understanding a bit better how to conduct a valid scientific study. I plan to look further into these types of techniques to see which ones I should implement in my own study.
- What additional key terms and concepts have you discovered in the literature?
I guess I just answered this in the previous question but I’ll expound a little more. For instance, the SOFIT method of observing and evaluating physical activity is a legitimate and scientifically accepted method of collecting data on a topic such as mine. I did not know that a method like this existed before reading about it in the literature that I have been reviewing. The method includes categorizing each type of activity and recording the amount of time spent in each one. Similarly, in some of the pedometer studies that I have looked at I have been able to gain a better understanding of how they have been used in the past and also how to account for variables that may upset the data.
In addition, I have found a few other leads that I will hopefully be able to look into further. I recently heard that there has been some uproar about obesity in Mexico. I need to find out more about this.
The most helpful study that has brought to light some of the information that I have looked up as well as what I need to look up is the proposal that Amy Nagle wrote for the same project in Ghana. From her proposal I was able to see what types of studies she used for preliminary research and the types of support that she included into her proposal. However, I do still need to look at her final paper from the project. There might be some differences because of things that she did not account for before she went to Ghana.
- What discipline or disciplines are your sources based within?
Almost all of these articles have come from scientific journals in the exercise science or health related fields. There have been a few that I have taken from other fields such as psychology but these have not been quite as helpful.
- What are some of the concepts that your sources generally agree on (underlying assumptions)?
My searches seem to vary quite a bit and so one article might be about spinal stability while another is about exercise in the school systems, so there aren’t really a lot of areas in which they might agree or at least they wouldn’t disagree. I feel that this is partly what I am trying to come up with- I’m trying to find a source that will talk about the culture and normal activities of rural Mexicans or another culture and correlate it to trunk stability instead of just obesity. But I guess if that existed then there would be no reason for me to conduct a study that has already been done before. So I am just trying to collect evidence that would lead to the assumption that they would affect each other. I guess that I could say that my sources generally argue toward ways to improve health. In a round-about way they agree and I should be able to use them as support for my proposal as well as my final paper.
- Are there particular scholars or sources that seem to be referenced frequently in what you’ve read so far?
So far I haven’t found any one source that is referenced often in the literature. My searches all seem to be quite different and so this may be one reason why. Hopefully as I narrow things I will be able to find more focused sources on just my topic.
- What need is there for further research in the academic discussion? In other words, where are the gaps?
I have mentioned some of the gaps already. I want to find more research on Mexican obesity reports. In addition I would love to find some evidence regarding core stability and the short and long term negative effects of poor posture and lack of activity. In Amy’s study, she also listed specific exercise techniques and pedometer use from previous studies. I would like to be able to find articles that are using exactly the techniques that I will use in order to be sure that the methods are valid and reliable.
Literature Review Worksheet (Part 2, in class)
- Where are you strong within your literature review?
- What are some things you may be missing and still need to find (including things you haven’t been able to find, or haven’t noticed were missing before)?
- Summarize in 3-4 sentences what your sources are arguing when considered together, based on what your understanding and on the things you’ve read.
