Practice Test Geeks(ABFM) American Board of Forensic Medicine Certification Practice Test
← All ABFM Flashcard Decks

Research Methods & Evidence-Based Practice Flashcards

7 cards from real ABFM practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Research Methods & Evidence-Based Practice flashcards as text

  1. Which element of PICO is represented by 'forensic DNA analysis' in a research question comparing identification methods?

    Answer: Intervention/Index test

    In PICO, the 'I' represents the Intervention or Index test being evaluated, which in this case is forensic DNA analysis.

  2. A forensic researcher wants to assess the accuracy of a new bite mark analysis technique. Which statistic simultaneously reflects both sensitivity and specificity across all thresholds?

    Answer: Area under the ROC curve (AUC)

    The AUC of a receiver operating characteristic curve summarizes diagnostic accuracy across all possible cut-off thresholds into a single index.

  3. In a forensic toxicology study, inter-rater reliability between two examiners is best quantified using which statistic?

    Answer: Intraclass correlation coefficient

    Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) is preferred for quantitative or ordinal ratings by multiple raters because it accounts for both agreement and consistency.

  4. A forensic study with n=12 autopsy cases uses a non-parametric test for group comparison. Which assumption was likely violated?

    Answer: Normal distribution of the outcome variable

    Non-parametric tests are chosen when the normality assumption is violated, which is common with small samples like n=12.

  5. Which research framework is most appropriate for investigating the lived experiences of families following a forensic autopsy in a medicolegal context?

    Answer: Qualitative phenomenological study

    Phenomenological qualitative research is designed to explore subjective human experiences and meaning, making it ideal for understanding families' experiences.

  6. Publication bias in a meta-analysis of forensic evidence reliability studies is best visualized using which tool?

    Answer: Funnel plot

    Funnel plots display effect size against study precision, and asymmetry in the plot suggests potential publication bias.

  7. In evidence-based forensic medicine, which GRADE category applies to evidence from well-designed observational studies with consistent, precise results?

    Answer: Moderate

    GRADE classifies well-designed observational studies as 'Moderate' quality evidence by default, which can be upgraded under certain conditions.