Free Data! Using Publicly- Available Data for Your Research Project

Transcription

1 Free Data! Using Publicly- Available Data for Your Research Project Tamara S. Ritsema MPH, MMSc, PA-C University of Nebraska Medical Center Physician Assistant Program

2 Why Do Research? My dean / chair is making me I want to get ahead It is required as part of my MPH or doctoral studies I need answers to questions I have as an educator or practitioner For the love of science / investigation

3 Types of Research To Consider PA / other health professional workforce research Educational research Clinical research Other (public health, community-based, bench research)

4 Data Options Primary / Original Data data you collect yourself. Secondary Data data collected by someone else, often governments or large professional organizations

5 Primary Data Advantages: Study is designed to answer the precise research question of interest Disadvantages: $$$$$ Takes time to design, get through IRB, recruit subjects, collect, and analyze data Requires more expertise in both scientific and practical aspects of research

6 Secondary Data Advantages: No cost for data collection (may be small cost to purchase data) IRB usually not required Larger sample sizes May be able to get longitudinal data Professionally validated and weighted Much quicker from conceptualization to completion Disadvantages: Data available may not answer the precise research question of interest

7 How to Use Public Data A practical example

8 Academic Emergency Medicine, 2007; 14(2):

9 Formulate Your Research Question First! Who gets good pain control in the ED? Who gives good pain control in the ED? Under what circumstances is pain control given? How is pain assessed?

10 Consider Existing Data Sources Look at the questions being asked and the way the data is collected to refine your question

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12 Ensure You Understand Study Design Examine: Population from which sample is collected Questionnaires Assumptions made Interview protocols Weights applied

13 Consider Surrounding Circumstances What is going on in history at this time? Are people reluctant to record stigmatizing information? What trends are occurring and in which direction are they headed? Is data from the past (even the recent past) still applicable?

14 Refine your questions Usually this process is governed by the way questions are asked / recorded in the dataset Make sure the way you want to ask your question squares with an accepted statistical method

15 Refine your questions - Example Instead of who gets pain control? we asked does opiate administration differ by patient race? Instead of under what circumstances are opiates given? we asked which patients with long bone fractures get opiates for pain control? After considering circumstances, we asked Did the initiation of the JCAHO standard for assessing pain on 1/1/2001 change rate of administration of pain control for long bone fracture patients?

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17 Questionnaire Pain Assessment?

18 2003 Questionnaire

19 Warning - Don t Data Dredge! Know the difference between using existing data to answer a question and data dredging Hypotheses must have scientific face value Cannot prove causation from secondary data strong correlation is best possible outcome Beware multicollinearity, confounding and interaction

20 Obtain Data and Codebooks Data usually comes in at least ASCII or Excel formats. May come as existing SAS, SPSS, or Stata files or may have to be converted. Make sure to download all readme files, codebooks and input statements to prevent frustration Note: sometimes institution filters cause trouble ask your IT person for help

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23 Analyze Data Unless you very comfortable with stats or have a stats-savvy collaborator, work with a professional statistician. If money is an issue, see if you can find a PhD student in statistics to work with. S/he will be cheaper and will likely be just fine as long as your study design is not too complicated.

24 Check For Face Validity Again Is there a plausible Biological Educational Psychological Policy Economic explanation for what you see? (especially if results are surprising )

25 Face Validity Check (Example)

26 Consider Journals Have a target journal in mind as you are writing up your paper. A bit of spin will help your paper be more attractive to a specific journal.

27 Where to submit? Which journal publishes on this topic in the format of your paper? Who is the target audience of this journal is it a clinical journal, a research journal, a policy journal? Where is the conversation on this topic happening right now? Time from submission to publication Cost

28 Writing up First: Consult journal s website for: Length restrictions Formatting guidelines Number of tables / figures permitted Review Process Second: Show paper to a trusted friend or advisor, preferably someone with publishing experience, for feedback

29 Writing up (2) Third: If you get revise and resubmit seriously consider the reviewers suggestions, and respond to them politely. Follow them as much as possible within the limits of your study / reason Fourth: If rejected, read comments carefully. Decide if study is fatally flawed, if not, look for a new journal and edit paper to spin it specifically for new journal.

30 Where Can I Get Some Support? Academic medical center resources Statistics / Biostatistics Departments PAEA Research Mentors Program Potential collaborators with more experience than you Someone you admire in research Colleagues

31 Review of Specific Data Sets See session handout

32 Special Thanks To. Rod Hooker Perri Morgan Anita Glicken Chris Everett Ann Peton

33 Thank You! Feel free to contact me with questions: