← Evidence Appraisal, Mixed Methods & Research Communication

Practice & understand

Formative practice with explanations. No registration or certification.

1. A review finds two articles reporting the same trial. How should these be managed?07. Evidence synthesisLink them as reports of one study and reconcile information transparentlyCount them as two independent trials to increase precisionRetain only the larger p-valuePool every result twice and describe the duplication later

2. What is the appropriate role of STROBE when reporting an observational study?08. Research communicationIt turns every association into a causal effectIt is a universal numerical risk-of-bias scoreIt replaces ethics review and a protocolIt supports transparent reporting and does not certify methodological validity

3. A paper does not describe how missing outcomes were handled. What is the most defensible appraisal judgment?02. Evidence-linked appraisalThe authors definitely deleted all unfavorable observationsMissingness is irrelevant whenever an interval is narrowHandling is unclear or not reported; record the gap and its implicationsAssume a suitable imputation procedure was used

4. Survey findings and interviews appear to disagree about service satisfaction. What should a mixed-method team do?06. Mixed-method integrationDiscard the less convenient strandReport only the survey because it has more participantsExamine sampling, wording, context and alternative interpretations in an integrated displayAverage the quotations and survey percentages

5. An accuracy study uses obvious severe cases and unusually healthy controls, although the test is intended for routine screening. What is the principal applicability concern?03. Diagnostic appraisalThe study spectrum and recruitment may not represent intended useSensitivity and predictive value are necessarily identicalThe table cannot contain valid countsA reporting checklist alone will correct the sampling

6. A purposive interview sample frequently mentions transport cost. What interpretation is justified?05. Qualitative interpretationTransport cost is the most common barrier in the entire districtThe accounts support an interpretation to examine in context, not a population prevalence estimateThe code frequency proves a causal effectNo qualitative conclusion is possible unless the sample is random

7. Of 100 survey respondents, 80 answered a barrier item and 40 of those reported the barrier. Which statement is supported directly by these counts?01. Results and denominatorsExactly 40% of all district residents have the barrierHalf of the 80 item respondents reported the barrier; missingness and recruitment limit generalizationAll 20 missing answers mean no barrierThe survey proves the barrier causes missed visits

8. Two hypothetical populations share 90% sensitivity and 95% specificity. Disease frequency is 10% in A and 1% in B. Under those assumptions, what is expected?04. Predictive-value workshopPPV must be identical because sensitivity is identicalPPV must be higher in BNeither population can have false positivesPPV is lower in B because fewer positive results arise from true cases