ASC Research Methods & Evidence-Based Practice 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does 'publication bias' mean in the context of avalanche research?
- Journals only publish studies from European mountain ranges
- Studies with positive or significant findings are more likely to be published than null results (Correct answer)
- Researchers must pay to publish avalanche data
- Only government agencies may publish snowpack findings
Correct answer: Studies with positive or significant findings are more likely to be published than null results
Publication bias skews the overall body of literature toward positive findings, potentially overstating the effectiveness of safety interventions.
Question 2: A 'p-value' below 0.05 in an avalanche study most commonly indicates:
- The study was conducted at elevations above 5,000 feet
- There is less than a 5% probability the observed result occurred by chance alone (Correct answer)
- The terrain was rated Extreme on the danger scale
- Five percent of the study participants were avalanche professionals
Correct answer: There is less than a 5% probability the observed result occurred by chance alone
A p-value < 0.05 is the conventional threshold indicating the result is statistically unlikely to be due to random chance.
Question 3: Which snow science research technique uses buried sensors to continuously monitor temperature gradients within the snowpack?
- Extended column tests (ECT)
- Thermistor strings or temperature logger arrays (Correct answer)
- Rutschblock scoring
- Crystal card analysis
Correct answer: Thermistor strings or temperature logger arrays
Thermistor strings or data logger arrays record continuous temperature at multiple snowpack depths, revealing gradient changes that drive faceting and weak layer formation.
Question 4: When applying evidence-based decision-making in the field, the '3 × 3 filter' is used to:
- Calculate the debris volume of a potential avalanche
- Systematically evaluate terrain, snowpack, and weather factors across three scales of consideration (Correct answer)
- Filter GPS coordinates for rescue teams
- Score the hardness of three snow layers
Correct answer: Systematically evaluate terrain, snowpack, and weather factors across three scales of consideration
The 3×3 filter examines conditions at regional, local, and slope scales across terrain, snowpack, and weather, providing a structured framework for risk assessment.
Question 5: In accident causation research, 'human factors' are implicated in what approximate proportion of avalanche accidents?
- Less than 10%
- Around 50%
- More than 90% (Correct answer)
- Exactly 75%
Correct answer: More than 90%
Research consistently shows human factors — such as poor route selection, group dynamics, and heuristic traps — are implicated in more than 90% of avalanche accidents.
Question 6: The 'Reduction Method' (Munter method) for avalanche risk assessment is an example of evidence-based practice because it:
- Was invented by a single expert with 50 years of experience
- Translates statistical fatality data into simple multiplication factors practitioners can apply in the field (Correct answer)
- Requires a weather station reading before each descent
- Is mandated by US federal avalanche regulations
Correct answer: Translates statistical fatality data into simple multiplication factors practitioners can apply in the field
The Reduction Method converts empirical fatality statistics into practical risk multipliers, grounding field decisions in real accident data.
Question 7: What is a 'case study' limitation that makes it unsuitable as the sole basis for avalanche safety guidelines?
- Case studies cost too much to conduct in winter conditions
- A single case cannot be generalized to all terrain types, snowpack conditions, and user groups (Correct answer)
- Case studies require satellite imagery not available in most regions
- They only apply to ski resorts, not backcountry terrain
Correct answer: A single case cannot be generalized to all terrain types, snowpack conditions, and user groups
Because case studies examine one incident or location, their findings cannot be reliably generalized across the diverse conditions encountered in avalanche terrain.
ASC Research Methods & Evidence-Based Practice 3
What does 'publication bias' mean in the context of avalanche research?