Research and Program Evaluation Flashcards

A researcher conducting a needs assessment wants to identify gaps between current services and community needs. Which data collection method provides the broadest community perspective most efficiently?

Answer: Community survey

A community survey reaches a large representative sample and efficiently quantifies the scope of unmet needs across a population.

Which type of validity assesses whether a measure correlates with a theoretically related variable?

Answer: Construct validity

Construct validity evaluates whether a measure behaves as theory predicts in relation to other variables.

In a longitudinal study tracking child welfare outcomes over five years, participants who move away and cannot be re-interviewed represent which threat?

Answer: Attrition (mortality)

Attrition occurs when participants drop out over time, potentially biasing results if dropouts differ systematically from those who remain.

A social worker reviews aggregate data showing that neighborhoods with more liquor stores have higher crime rates. Concluding that alcohol causes individual criminal behavior is an example of:

Answer: Ecological fallacy

The ecological fallacy occurs when conclusions about individuals are incorrectly drawn from group-level aggregate data.

Which IRB category typically applies to anonymous surveys about non-sensitive topics with minimal risk?

Answer: Exempt review

Anonymous surveys on non-sensitive topics generally qualify for exempt status under federal research regulations because they pose minimal risk.

A researcher codes qualitative interview data and then has a second researcher independently code the same data to assess:

Answer: Inter-rater reliability

Inter-rater reliability (also called inter-coder reliability) measures agreement between independent coders applying the same coding scheme.

Logic models in program evaluation are primarily used to:

Answer: Map the relationship between program inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes

A logic model visually depicts the program theory by linking resources and activities to intended short- and long-term outcomes.