ASC Research Methods & Evidence-Based Practice 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In avalanche research, what does a 'systematic review' provide that a single field study cannot?
- A pooled analysis of multiple studies to reduce individual study bias (Correct answer)
- Real-time snowpack data from a specific region
- Eyewitness accounts from avalanche survivors
- Proprietary forecasting algorithms
Correct answer: A pooled analysis of multiple studies to reduce individual study bias
Systematic reviews aggregate findings across multiple studies, reducing the impact of any single study's limitations or biases.
Question 2: Which metric is most commonly used in avalanche fatality research to track trends over time?
- Avalanche frequency per square kilometer
- Annual fatalities normalized per capita or per recreationist-day (Correct answer)
- Total snowfall accumulation per season
- Number of forecasts issued per region
Correct answer: Annual fatalities normalized per capita or per recreationist-day
Normalizing fatalities per capita or recreationist-day accounts for growing participation rates and allows meaningful year-over-year comparisons.
Question 3: What is the primary purpose of 'control plots' in snowpack research studies?
- To measure wind speed at ridge tops
- To provide an unmanipulated baseline for comparison against experimental conditions (Correct answer)
- To mark GPS waypoints for rescue teams
- To record air temperature at valley floors
Correct answer: To provide an unmanipulated baseline for comparison against experimental conditions
Control plots remain undisturbed so researchers can isolate the effect of the variable being tested against a natural baseline.
Question 4: Which organization publishes the most widely referenced database of US avalanche accidents used in evidence-based safety education?
- National Weather Service
- Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) / American Avalanche Association (Correct answer)
- Federal Emergency Management Agency
- US Forest Service Timber Division
Correct answer: Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) / American Avalanche Association
The American Avalanche Association's accident database and CAIC records are the primary resources for US avalanche accident analysis and safety research.
Question 5: When evaluating an avalanche study, 'sample size' matters most because:
- Larger sample sizes guarantee more expensive equipment is used
- Smaller samples always produce more accurate results
- Larger sample sizes reduce random variation and improve statistical confidence (Correct answer)
- Sample size determines which mountain range was studied
Correct answer: Larger sample sizes reduce random variation and improve statistical confidence
Larger sample sizes reduce the influence of random variation, making it more likely that observed patterns reflect real phenomena.
Question 6: In evidence-based avalanche practice, 'anecdotal evidence' is considered less reliable because it:
- Is collected only by certified professionals
- Lacks systematic data collection and is subject to recall and survivorship bias (Correct answer)
- Always contradicts snowpack observations
- Is never published in peer-reviewed journals
Correct answer: Lacks systematic data collection and is subject to recall and survivorship bias
Anecdotal evidence is unsystematic and prone to biases such as survivorship bias (only survivors can report) and memory distortion.
Question 7: Which research method would BEST determine whether a new avalanche education curriculum reduces accident rates?
- Expert opinion surveys
- A prospective cohort study tracking trained vs. untrained recreationists over multiple seasons (Correct answer)
- Single-season snowpack profiles
- Post-accident victim interviews only
Correct answer: A prospective cohort study tracking trained vs. untrained recreationists over multiple seasons
A prospective cohort study follows groups forward in time, enabling direct comparison of outcomes between those who received the new curriculum and those who did not.
ASC Research Methods & Evidence-Based Practice 2
In avalanche research, what does a 'systematic review' provide that a single field study cannot?