Choosing the Study Subjects: Specification and Sampling

Choosing the Study Subjects: Specification and Sampling

Introduction Basic Terms and Concepts Specification Sampling Recruitment Recapping the Error in Choosing the Study Subjects Summary

Introduction
A good choice of study subjects serves the vital purpose of assuring that the findings in the study accurately represent what is going on in the population. The protocol must specified a sample of subjects that can be studied at an acceptable cost in time and money

Figure. Choosing study subjects that represent the population

Truth in the Universe

Infer

Truth in the Study

Infer

Findings in The Study

Error Research Question design Target population Study Plan

Error
Actual Study implement

Intended Sample
Intended Variables

Actual Subjects
Actual Measurements

Phenomena Of Interest

External Validity

Internal Validity

Basic Terms and Concepts

Target and accessible populations
A population is a complete set of people with a specified set of characteristics
Target population; the clinical and demographics characteristics. Ex; all teenagers with asthma Accessible population; the geographic and temporal characteristic. Ex; teenagers with asthma living in the investigators town in 1989

A sample is a subset of the population

Basic Terms and Concepts

Target and accessible populations Generalizing the study findings Steps in designing the protocol for acquiring

RESEARCH QUSTION
Target population (Generalization Fairly Secure)
Same ass exists in all suburban IND adults
EXTERNAL VALIDITY INFERENCE #2 EXTERNAL VALIDITY INFERENCE #1

STUDY PLAN

INTERNAL VALIDITY INFERENCE

ACTUAL STUDY

Accessible population
Same association exists in as Yogya adults

Intended Sample
Same association exists in the designed sample of Yogya adults

Actual Subjects
Association between Hypertension and CHD in the actual sample of Yogya adults

(Generalization Less Secure)

Same association exists in: a) Other IND Adults b) People living countries

Figure. Inferences in generalizing from the studies to accessible and target population