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A Word of Caution: Questions to Ask About Samples

13 October, 2015 - 14:11

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

  1. Identify several questions we should ask about samples when reading the results of research.
  2. Name some tenets worth keeping in mind with respect to responsibly reading research findings.

We read and hear about research results so often that we might overlook the need to ask important questions about where research participants come from and how they are identified for inclusion in a research project. It is easy to focus only on findings when we’re busy and when the really interesting stuff is in a study’s conclusions, not its procedures. But now that you have some familiarity with the variety of procedures for selecting study participants, you are equipped to ask some very important questions about the findings you read and to be a more responsible consumer of research.