Exam 12: Drawing Your Study Sample

When you conduct an evaluation research study, you develop a knowledge base, you select a study sample from a study population, you choose an evaluation research design, you select a means of measuring study variables, you collect and analyze data, and you draw conclusions. Which of these aspects of your study description is the one that gives you the basis for generalizing your findings? Identify why another aspect of this description is not the one that deals with generalization.

Your study population is comprised of those persons who provided data for your study.

If you used a mailed survey for your study, the participation rate for your study would be characterized as ______.

One of the steps in the selection of a random sample is the selection of the sampling interval.

Would it be wrong for you to say "I can only generalize my findings to my study sample?"

Your study sample is comprised of ______

A purposive sample is a nonrandom sample selected because of special characteristics of these people that is of interest to the study, such as the selection of Hispanic people.

The key issue that is addressed by the nature of your study sample is ______.

What is the procedure for selecting a snowball sample?

Suppose that you have selected the 19 clients in your current caseload as your study sample. You have found similarities between these individuals and the clients from the past year in regard to variables that help determine how well individuals make good use of treatment. For example, there were similarities in regard to the number of years in which they have experienced the problem that brought them to you agency. Which of the following is true?

Suppose that you selected a study sample that included all the students in your program of study. Why could you not define your study population as female students?

What is a study sample and what is a study population? Are all types of samples equal in regard to generalization?

The concept of sampling error only applies to nonrandom samples.

In regard to the data you are analyzing in research when you have a random sample, sampling error refers to ______

When you generalize your study findings, you are ______

For a research study, the students in your research class would best be labeled as a ______ sample.

Logical generalization of study findings can best be characterized as ______.

Think of how you might evaluate a practice that is familiar to you. Briefly describe the evaluative study you might undertake with information on how the study sample would be selected. To what population would you be able to generalize your study findings on a scientific basis? To what population would you be able to generalize your findings on a logical basis? Explain why.

Suppose that 234 people indicated an interest in your weight loss program and 107 of these individuals actually applied for it. Of these 107 people, 56 began the program and 41 completed it, 36 of whom responded to the tool used to measure weight gain. Which group would be the one for which it would be safest to generalize your findings?

Which of the following is true about defining a study population?