bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Basic Structure Content Scaling
Authors: Jackson Douglas N. , Helmes Edward
Published: March 2007

A basic structure approach is proposed for ob taining multidimensional scale values for attitude, achievement, or personality items from response data. Based on conventional components analysis, and described in terms of singular value or Eckart- Young decomposition of a data matrix, basic struc ture scaling yields projections of items upon axes in the person space, equivalent to obtaining com ponent scores for items, with component loadings associated with individuals. Unlike multidimension al scaling methods, the scaling of large sets of stimuli is practical and judgments of items are obviated. In attitude and personality item scaling, the technique permits the unconfounding of scale values due to response bias and to content. It also permits the partitioning of item indices of pop ularity or difficulty among a number of relevant dimensions, a property of possible relevance to tailored or adaptive testing.
A Psychometric Investigation of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire
Authors: Helmes Edward
Published: March 2007

Summaries of item properties for the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) are reported, based upon the responses of 99 male and 92 female undergraduate psychology students. Means, stan dard deviations, and internal consistencies were comparable to those already published, with the ex ception of lower reliabilities for the P and L scales. A high incidence of extreme p values and correla tion with social desirability was noted for the P scale. Item factor analyses at both the first- and third-order levels did not replicate the four-factor structure claimed by Eysenck; at best, four com ponents accounted for approximately 30% of the observed variance. Many items did not load in ac cordance with the EPQ scoring key, and many items did not load on an interpretable component. The question of difficulty factors is discussed: None were located. It is concluded that there is little em pirical support for the structure claimed for the EPQ.
Determining the Length of a Criterion-Referenced Test
Authors: Wilcox Rand R.
Published: March 2007

When determining how many items to include on a criterion-referenced test, practitioners must re solve various nonstatistical issues before a par ticular solution can be applied. A fundamental problem is deciding which of three true scores should be used. The first is based on the prob ability that an examinee is correct on a "typical" test item. The second is the probability of having acquired a typical skill among a domain of skills, and the third is based on latent trait models. Once a particular true score is settled upon, there are several perspectives that might be used to de termine test length. The paper reviews and critiques these solutions. Some new results are described that apply when latent structure models are used to esti mate an examinee's true score.
Influence of Subject Response Style Effects on Retrospective Measures
Authors: Howard George S. , Millham Jim , Slaten Stephen , O'Donnell Louise
Published: March 2007

Recent attempts to reduce internal invalidity in studies employing pretest/posttest self-report in dices of improvement have included the refinement of methodologies employing retrospective reports of pre-treatment states. The present study investigated the operation of social desirability and impression management response bias on such retrospective measures. The results do not support the hypothesis of greater bias on retrospective measurement and, in fact, are in a direction that might suggest an in terpretation of reduced bias on such measures. The results also continue to support superior validity of retrospective over traditional pretest/posttest in dices of improvement following treatment.
Multivariate Generalizability Theory in Educational Measurement: An Empirical Study
Authors: Nußbaum Albert
Published: March 2007

Multivariate generalizability theory was applied to the assessment of student achievement in art educa tion. Twenty-five art students rated the paintings of 60 fourth-grade students with regard to three criteria. Paintings were made on four different topics. The re sults indicate that generalizability is low with respect to different raters and moderate with respect to differ ent topics. The three ratings a rater gave on a single painting were moderately correlated. As indicated by the results for the covariance components, nearly half of the covariance between the three criteria was be cause the three ratings were from the same rater. Ex pected values for σ2(Δ) are reported for different D study designs.
The Effect of Item Selection Procedure and Stepsize on Computerized Adaptive Attitude Measurement Using the Rating Scale Model
Authors: Dodd Barbara G.
Published: March 2007

Real and simulated datasets were used to investigate the effects of the systematic variation of two major variables on the operating characteristics of computerized adaptive testing (CAT) applied to instruments consisting of poly- chotomously scored rating scale items. The two variables studied were the item selection procedure and the stepsize method used until maximum likelihood trait estimates could be calculated. The findings suggested that (1) item pools that consist of as few as 25 items may be adequate for CAT; (2) the variable stepsize method of preliminary trait estimation produced fewer cases of nonconvergence than the use of a fixed stepsize procedure; and (3) the scale value item selection procedure used in conjunction with a minimum standard error stopping rule outperformed the information item selection technique used in conjunction with a minimum information stopping rule in terms of the frequencies of nonconvergent cases, the number of items administered, and the correlations of CAT 0 estimates with full scale estimates and known 0 values. The implications of these findings for implementing CAT with rating scale items are discussed. Index terms:
The Effect of Review on Student Ability and Test Efficiency for Computerized Adaptive Tests
Authors: Lunz Mary E. , Bergstrom Betty A. , Wright Benjamin D.
Published: March 2007

The effect of reviewing items and altering responses on the efficiency of computerized adap tive tests and the resultant ability estimates of examinees were explored. 220 students were ran domly assigned to a review condition; their test instructions indicated that each item must be answered when presented, but that the responses could be reviewed and altered at the end of the test. A sample of 492 students did not have the opportunity to review and alter responses. Within the review condition, examinee ability estimates before and after review were correlated .98. The average efficiency of the test was decreased by 1% after review. Approximately 32% of the examinees improved their ability estimates after review, but did not change their pass/fail status. Disallowing review on adaptive tests administered under these rules is not supported by these data.
Item Response Theory for Scores on Tests Including Polytomous Items with Ordered Responses
Authors: Thissen David , Pommerich Mary , Billeaud Kathleen , Williams Valerie S. L.
Published: March 2007

Item response theory (IRT) provides procedures for scoring tests including any combination of rated constructed-response and keyed multiple-choice items, in that each response pattern is associated with some modal or expected a posteriori estimate of trait level. However, various considerations that frequently arise in large-scale testing make response-pattern scoring an undesirable solution. Methods are described based on IRT that pro-vide scaled scores, or estimates of trait level, for each summed score for rated responses, or for combinations of rated responses and multiple-choice items. These methods may be used to combine the useful scale properties of IR'r-based scores with the practical virtues of a scale based on a summed score for each examinee. Index terms: graded response model, item response theory, ordered responses, polytomous models, scaled scores.
Hyperbolic Cosine Latent Trait Models for Unfolding Direct Responses and Pairwise Preferences
Authors: Andrich David
Published: March 2007

The hyperbolic cosine unfolding model for direct responses of persons to individual stimuli is elabo rated in three ways. First, the parameter of the stimu lus, which reflects a region within which people located there are more likely to respond positively than negatively, is shown to be a property of the data and not arbitrary as first supposed. Second, the model is used to construct a related model for pairwise preferences. This model, for which joint maximum likelihood estimates are derived, satisfies strong sto chastic transitivity. Third, the role of substantive theory in evaluating the fit between the data and the models, in which unique solutions for the estimates are not guaranteed, is explored by analyzing responses of one group of persons to a single set of stimuli obtained both as direct responses and pairwise preferences.
Reliability Estimation for Single Dichotomous Items Based on Mokken's IRT Model
Authors: Meijer Rob R. , Sijtsma Klaas , Molenaar Ivo W.
Published: March 2007

Item reliability is of special interest for Mokken's nonparametric item response theory, and is useful for the evaluation of item quality in nonparametric test construction research. It is also of interest for non parametric person-fit analysis. Three methods for the estimation of the reliability of single dichotomous items are discussed. All methods are based on the assumptions of nondecreasing and nonintersecting item response functions. Based on analytical and monte carlo studies, it is concluded that one method is supe rior to the other two, because it has a smaller bias and a smaller sampling variance. This method also demon strated some robustness under violation of the condi tion of nonintersecting item response functions.
Are Simple Gain Scores Obsolete?
Authors: Williams Richard H. , Zimmerman Donald W.
Published: March 2007

It is widely believed that measures of gain, growth, or change, expressed as simple differences between pretest and posttest scores, are inherently unreliable. It is also believed that gain scores lack predictive validity with respect to other criteria. However, these conclu sions are based on misleading assumptions about the values of parameters in familiar equations in classical test theory. The present paper examines modified equa tions for the validity and reliability of difference scores that describe applied testing situations more realisti cally and reveal that simple gain scores can be more useful in research than commonly believed.
Multidimensional Computerized Adaptive Testing in a Certification or Licensure Context
Authors: Luecht Richard M.
Published: March 2007

Multidimensional item response theory (MIRT) com puterized adaptive testing, building on recent work by Segall (1996), is applied in a licensing/certification context. An example of a medical licensure test is used to demonstrate situations in which complex, integrated content must be balanced at the total test level for va lidity reasons, but items assigned to reportable subscore categories may be used under a MIRT adaptive paradigm to improve the reliability of the subscores. A heuristic optimization framework is outlined that gen eralizes to both univariate and multivariate statistical objective functions, with additional systems of con straints included to manage the content balancing or other test specifications on adaptively constructed test forms. Simulation results suggested that a multivariate treatment of the problem, although complicating some what the objective function used and the estimation of traits, nonetheless produces advantages from a psycho metric perspective.
A Comparison of Linking and Concurrent Calibration Under Item Response Theory
Authors: Kim Seock-Ho , Cohen Allan S.
Published: March 2007

Applications of item response theory (IRT) to practical testing problems, including equating, differential item functioning, and computerized adaptive testing, require a common metric for item parameter estimates. This study compared three methods for developing a common metric under IRT: (1) linking separate calibration runs using equating coefficients from the characteristic curve method, (2) concurrent calibration based on marginal maximum a posteriori estimation, and (3) concurrent calibration based on marginal maximum likelihood estimation. For smaller numbers of common items, linking using the characteristic curve method yielded smaller root mean square differences for both item discrimination and difficulty parameters. For larger numbers of common items, the three methods yielded similar results.
The Effects of Participative Versus Assigned Goal Setting on Intrinsic Motivation
Authors: Chang Grace Shing-Yung , Lorenzi Peter
Published: March 2007

The effects of participative versus assigned goal setting on intrinsic motivation were investigated for interesting and boring tasks. Par ticipative and assigned goal setting have no significantly different effects on performance if the goal is held consistently difficult. Participative and assigned goal setting have different effects on intrinsic motivation at different levels of task interest.
Legal Perspectives on the Interstate Incidence and Shifting of State and Local Taxes
Authors: Hellerstein Walter
Published: March 2007

Lawyers, especially constitutional lawyers, have long been concerned with the problems associated with the interstate incidence and shifting of state and local taxes. The Constitution has frequently been invoked as a restraint on the states' power to levy taxes on persons, property, or activities outside their borders. Yet the lawyer's view of tax incidence embodied in these constitutional disputes often bears little resemblance to the economist's. In recent years, however, lawyers have sought to import economic concepts of shifting and incidence into the legal analysis of the constitutional limitations on the states' power to export tax burdens to residents of other states. Despite the Supreme Court's refusal to constitutionalize the concept of excessive state tax exportation, lawyers' increased sensitivity to the economic issues associated with interstate incidence of state and local taxes may well have an impact on future court decisions and legislation in this domain.
The Location of Foreign Direct Investment in the United States: Patterns and Determinants
Authors: Glickman Norman J. , Woodward Douglas P.
Published: March 2007

The internationalization of the U.S. economy over the past fifteen years has had a discernible impact on regional development. This paper is an analysis of the regional effects of inward foreign direct investment, a particularly dynamic component of the internationalization process. Foreign direct investment dispersed over time, with the locations of foreign operations becoming more like those of U.S. firms. Regression results demonstrate that the location of foreign-owned property, plant, and equipment can be explained by variables representing: energy costs, infrastructure/transportation, and labor climate.
Model Validation in Spatial Econometrics: A Review and Evaluation of Alternative Approaches
Authors: Anselin Luc
Published: March 2007

Formal approaches to assess the validity of spatial theoretical constructs are reviewed and evaluated with respect to their application and potential in spatial econometrics. A distinction is made between specification tests and model selection procedures. For the first, particular emphasis is on tests for residual spatial autocorrelation, tests on common factors, and tests on non-nested hypotheses. For the second, attention is focused on information-theoretic criteria, Bayesian approaches, and heuristic procedures. Also, some thoughts are presented on model validation as a multiobjective decision problem and its relevance in planning and policy analysis.
Input-Output Linkages in a Frontier Region of Indonesia
Authors: Cochrane Steven G.
Published: March 2007

An input-output table is used to estimate multipliers and linkage measures for a rural frontier region of Indonesia. The household sector is found to be the most highly linked to others in the economy and is the most critical in determining results of the inverse matrix. An index combining output, income, and employment multipliers ranks the agriculture, forestry, and food and beverages sectors the highest. Three measures of intersectoral linkage are compared. Rasmussen linkage indices identify manufacturing and service sectors while hypothetical extraction methods identify primary production sectors for development priority. It is proposed that the coefficient of variation not be used as a linkage criterion for the Rasmussen index.
Infrastructure Planning and Rural Development: Reflections on the Urban Functions Approach
Authors: Rietveld Piet
Published: March 2007

Location-allocation models and the urban functions approach should not be viewed as mutually exclusive alternatives. Location-allocation models can have a useful role within the broader urban functions approach to regional development planning. A more systematic treatment of the conflicting objectives inherent to regional planning and a better understanding of the effects of infrastructure on regional economies in developing countries both would be valuable in strengthening the urban functions approach.
Factories in Danish Fields: How High-Wage, Flexible Production has Succeeded in Peripheral Jutland
Authors: Hansen Niles
Published: March 2007

This article examines the nature and significance of industrial development in peripheral Jutland, largely on the basis of survey data obtained from small and medium-sized establishments in the region. The results indicate considerable reliance on flexible production practices, inter-firm networking, and industry-specific localization economies. Despite arguments that these phenomena are likely to entail greater spatial concentrations and favor large agglomerations, peripheral Jutland has retained its essentially rural and small town character without loss of competitiveness nationally or internationally. An entrepreneurial culture has played an important role in this regard.
Some Comments on Central Place Structure and Rural Planning
Authors: Prescott James R. , Vandenbroucke David A.
Published: March 2007

Regional scientists have distinguished between location-allocation and urban functions planning methods to improve the range of urban goods and services in rural regions. Problems common to any planning method at this regional level include assessing the effects of the external economic environment on accessibility to urban goods and services and evaluating methods of identifying sectoral investment programs. This commentary suggests that economic policies and market failures may be important phenomena that explain low accessibility to these goods and services. Identifying central place gaps presents numerous problems, particularly in indistinct hierarchies that are probably typical in less developed countries.
An Empirical Evaluation of the Aggregated Spatial Choice Model
Authors: Ferguson Mark R. , Kanaroglou Pavlos S.
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the performance and capabilities of the aggregated spatial choice model with empirical data. The application is to a problem of Canadian interregional migration in the 1990-91 time period. The strength of the aggregated model is its ability to capture the role of elemental processes in defining the attractiveness of aggregate spatial units without knowledge of elemental choices. The theory of the aggregated model has been discussed in the discrete choice literature. Applications of the model, however, have been very limited in number, while the model in its complete form has never been applied. The application intends to demonstrate the use of the model in the spatial context. The idea that the spatial resolutions of attribute and choice data do not need to be identical can address the aggregation difficulties often inherent in spatial choice problems.
Looking Backward
Authors: Mulkay Michael
Published: March 2007

Publications in Science, Technology, & Human Values need to have an author. For this reason, I have put my name at the head of this text. I have also provided the title.1 But I must emphasize that the words below are not mine. I have done nothing more, in this case, than transcribe an audio-tape recording2 that has recently come into my possession and submit it to the journal's editor. This latter step seemed to me to be appropriate in view of the tape's unique character. If you choose to read on, it will soon become clear why I came to believe that wider distribution was essential. It is no exaggeration, I believe, to suggest that the publication of this transcript may mark a turning-point in human history. As a result, there are likely to be many enquiries about its authenticity. Let me, therefore, state that I have been given conclusive proof that the tape is genuine. I cannot reveal more in this public forum. However, toward the end of the tape, the speaker throws some light on these matters. The tape seems to have been recorded at some kind of academic confer ence. On the original version, there is background noise and evidence of a live audience. This transcription presents only the words of the main speaker. The speaker is female.
Citizen Participation and Environmental Risk: A Survey of Institutional Mechanisms
Authors: Fiorino Daniel J.
Published: March 2007

Standard approaches to defining and evaluating environmental risk tend to reflect technocratic rather than democratic values. One consequence is that institutional mechanisms for achieving citizen participation in risk decisions rarely are studied or evaluated. This article presents a survey of five institutional mechanisms for allowing the lay public to influence environmental risk decisions: public hearings, initiatives, public surveys, negotiated rule making, and citizens review panels. It also defines democratic process criteria for assessing these and other participatory mechanisms.
Understanding Patterns of International Scientific Collaboration
Authors: Luukkonen Terttu , Persson Olle , Sivertsen Gunnar
Published: March 2007

International scientific collaboration has increased both in volume and importance. In this article, the authors study the interpretation of macro-level data on international co authorship collaboration. They address such questions as how one might explain country- to-country differences in the rates of international coauthorship, networks of interna tional scientific collaboration among countries, and patterns of international collaboration in scientific fields. Attention is drawn to cognitive, social, historical, geopolitical, and economic factors as potential determinants of the observed patterns. They present a methodology that gives one a measure, independent of size, of countries'propensities to collaborate internationally.
The Faustian Dilemmas of Funded Research at Case Institute and Western Reserve, 1945-1965
Authors: Stapleton Darwin H.
Published: March 2007

Patrons and sponsors often have shaped and even altered the course of scientific and technological developments. The postwar history of Case Western Reserve University, formed from the federation of Case Institute of Technology and Western Reserve University, indicates that industrial, government, and foundation funders of science and technology also can alter the development of entire institutions.
The Nurse Practitioner and Hypertension Control
Authors: Brown Elyce , Bloom Joan R.
Published: March 2007

Hypertension is the major health problem affecting blacks today. Socioecological stress is implicated in areas in which excess mortality exists. The nurse practitioner, whose role has been established in providing medical treatment for hypertension, also has a role in alleviating social stressors. The objective in this study was to deter mine the nurse practitioner's effectiveness in reducing stress and whether stress reduction resulted in blood pressure re duction. The results indicate that the nurse practitioner's intervention was effective— when patients complied with her suggestions both socioecological stress and blood pressure were significantly reduced.
Human Ecology and the Geographic Distribution of Physician Assistants
Authors: Richards James M. , Golden Archie S.
Published: March 2007

Ecological characteristics of states were correlated with measures of the geographic distribution of physician assistants, and, for comparative purposes, of new physician licenses . It was hypothesized that prior physician-to-population ratios, the distribution of physician assistant training opportunities, and the nature of state laws regulating physician assistants also would affect the geographic distribution of physician assistants. Population size, of course, is strongly correlated with the total number of both groups In the various states. When numbers relative to population are considered, physician assistants are concentrated in states with extensive training opportunities and, to a lesser extent, favorable laws. In contrast, new physician h-censes tend to be concentrated in states that already have high physician-to-population ratios.
Clinical Evaluation:
Authors: Blumberg Phyllis
Published: March 2007

To help determine the role that the exami nation formats play in evaluation, 227 second-year medical students were administered two parallel exams. One required students to generate their own medical problem lists (the generate group). The other required students to select problem lists from a series of alternatives provided in the examination (the select group). It was predicted that the select group would score significantly higher than students generating their own lists. Average overall scores of 42% and 57% correct answers for the generate and the select groups, respec tively, indicated that all second-year medi cal students had difficulty formulating problem lists. Significant quantitative and qualitative differences were noted between the select group, which usually composed properly integrated problems, and the generate group, which constructed partially correct answers consisting of unintegrated cues. The relative utility of generate or select response formats for diagnostic and certify ing examinations is discussed further.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Nursing Home Administrators
Authors: Fottler Myron D. , Smith Howard L.
Published: March 2007

There has been little previous research on the determinants of the effec(tiveness of health care administrators. This research gap pertains to *'irtuallv all health care areas but is especiallv germane to the long-term care field, which has only recently witnessed professional growth in nursing home associations and administrator licensing, education, and ethical behavior. The present studvi evxamines the effectivenes of nursing home administrators according to economic' criteria (costs and profits per patient per dav). Multiple regression analhsis was used to determine structure and process variables related to those effectiveness measures. Results indicate that process variables which are controllable bi, administrators themselves account for the bulk of the variabilitY in nursing home administrator efftctiveness.
The Rasch Model
Authors: Kelley Paul R. , Schumacher Charles F.
Published: March 2007

The Rasch model is one of several item response theory measurement models that provides generality of measurement and linearity of scale. The former is a result of the separation of test item and person measures. Item difficulties are adjustedfor the effects of the particular group of examinees tested, and examinee scores are adjusted for the effects of the particular items in the test. Linearity of scale is accomplished by expressing item difficulty and person ability in a natural log odds unit. After several years of study, the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) now uses the Rasch model to calibrate items, build and maintain calibrated item banks, equate scores, and monitor the consistency ofexaminee item response patterns. The model is also being used by the NBMEin the study ofpatient management problems (PMP) examinations, in standard-setting studies, and in development of computer-based examinations.
Direct Mail in a Cardiovascular Health Campaign
Authors: Salmon Charles T. , Loken Barbara , Finnegan John
Published: March 2007

Public health specialists have concluded that mass media information campaigns can be "moderately successful" in educating the public on certain health issues. The present study examines the effectiveness of a particular mass medium, direct mail, in influencing the perceived importance of three controllable cardiovascular risk factors: cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, and high-fat, high-salt diets. In addition, this study assesses the relative effectiveness of three message strategiespositive, negative and neutral appeals-in educating the public about cardiovascular disease. The results indicate that direct mail can have significant effects on individuals' awareness and perceptions of salience of cardiovascular disease.
Pharmacology Training in Nurse Practitioner Programs
Authors: Waigandt Alex , Chang Jane
Published: March 2007

The present study was designed to compare the pharmacology training of nurse practitioner programs with medical and dental progranms. In all, 73 schools in 14 states were selected Jbr the study. This sample was composed of 40 nurse practitioner programs, 19 schools of medicine, and 14 schools of dentistry. The major findings were that (1) significan t differences were found among the three sch7ool types on didactic hours spent on basic pharmacologicalprinciples, central nervous system depressants and stimulants, psychopharmacology, drug effects on the nervous system, cardiovascular agent, endocrine agents, chemotherapy, and poisons and antidotes; and (2) no statistically significant differences were found among the t ree schools in ocular pharmacology, respiratory and gastrointestinal tract agents, and drug interactions.
Effect of Position-Within-Sequence on Case Performance in a Multiple-Stations Examination Using Standardized-Patient Cases
Authors: Colliver Jerry A. , Vu Nu Viet , Verhulst Steven J. , Barrows Howard S.
Published: March 2007

Several recent studies of multiple-stations examinations of clinical competence have found a "sequence effect," which refers to an observed improvement in performance across a sequence of examination cases, so that performance on stations encountered later in the sequence is significantly superior to that on stations encountered earlier. The present study was conducted to assess the possibility of a sequence effect in the multiple-stations performance-based examination given to senior medical students at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. Unlike the previous studies, the present study assessed the sequence effect at the level of the individual case, the level at which the effect creates a serious problem for score interpretation. Analyses were performed on scores obtained from checklists completed by standardized patients and on scores to written questions following the patient encounter for each standardized-patient case for the classes of 1989 and 1990. In general, the results showed no improvement in case scores across successive cases in the examination. There was no evidence for a sequence effect on student examination performance.
Seeing the Forest Despite the Trees
Authors: Sinacore James M. , Chang Rowland W. , Falconer Judith
Published: March 2007

In the present article, it is argued that there is a benefit to applying techniques of exploratory data analysis (EDA) to program evaluation. To exemplify this, an evaluation of a rehabilitation program for people with rheumatoid arthritis ispresented. The perceived health status of patients receiving intensive rehabilitation services from a major rehabilitation institute was compared with that of patients receiving customary office-based care over an 18-month period. The data were analyzed in a conventional way (analysis of variance) and then by way of EDA techniques (graphic display of medians and boxplots). The conventional analysis suggested that all patients improved over time and that intensive rehabilitation services provided no particular benefit or harm. The exploratory analysis showed that the distribution of the outcome variable was patently nonnormal, thus casting doubt on the validity of the conventional analysis. The EDA furthershowed that the rehabilitation group lagged behind the comparison group fora year, with a precipitious improvementat the 18-month period. Thissuggests that a selection factor was operating (i.e., those in the rehabilitation group could have been sicker) or that the patients in the rehabilitation group were made more aware of their condition by the intensive health services they received The EDA provided an important insight.
Estimating Cancer Screening Indicators in the Primary Care Setting
Authors: Neale Anne Victoria , Gallagher Richard E. , Velez Lourdes
Published: March 2007

The software "Profile: A Cancer Risk Profile of Your PatientPractice " was used to estimate cancer screening activities in a primary care practice. "Profile" is a public health tool that does not track the screening histories of individual patients, but rather, using a sampling strategy, provides estimates for the entire practice of the age and sex specific number of screening eligible patients, the number screened, and the number that should have been screened, based on National Cancer Institute/American CancerSociety (NCI/A CS) guidelines. This report describes "Profile," and the results it generatedfrom a sample of medical records. Primary care providers who seek to integrate primary and secondary cancer prevention activities into their routine practices willfind it useful to have an objective estimate of their current level of such activities.
The Impact of Data-Analysis Methods on Cumulative Research Knowledge
Authors: Schmidt Frank , Hunter John E.
Published: March 2007

The methods of data analysis used in research have a major effect on the development of cumulative knowledge. Traditional methods based on statistical significance testing have systematically retarded the growth of cumulative research knowledge by making it virtually impossible to discern the real meaning of research literatures. Meta-analysis makes it possible to demonstrate graphically the high price the research enterprise has paid for its reliance on significance testing. But in addition to these demonstrations, reform will require that researchers come to understand that the benefits they see asflowingfrom the use of significance tests are illusory. In research practice and in training of researchers, we must use and teach appropriate data analysis methods: point estimates of effect sizes and confidence intervals within individual studies, and meta-analysis in the integration of multiple studies to producefinal conclusions. These reforms are essential to the progress of cumulative research knowledge.
Linking Evaluation and Program Development
Authors: Arispe Irma E. , Bernstein Jill F.
Published: March 2007

Within a research organization such as the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR), the process of evaluating program performance must often be integrated with a larger research and development agenda. The blending of evaluation and program development (research and development activities undertaken to build expertise and knowledge in a specific programmatic area) can both strengthen the quality of a program and enhance the science of evaluation research. This article describes AHCPR's evaluation strategy and highlights evaluation activitiesfor the agency's clinical practice guideline program. A case study is presented to illustrate the unique methodological challenges in guideline evaluation, the creation of new tools and approaches for evaluating clinical quality, and the benefits of linking evaluation research with program development.
What Is Outcomes Research and What Can It Tell Us?
Authors: Slater Carl H.
Published: March 2007

In 1989, Congress enacted PL. 101-239, establishing the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR). Since then, practically every specialty society has developed practice guidelines for its practitioners, and every health care organization has embarked on some outcomes research. Outcomes research has become a fashion, meaning all things to all people, and runs the risk of becoming meaningless. This article attempts to reduce the confusion by clarifying what outcomes research is and delineating its several levels, along with the methods, tools, and examples appropriate to each level. The contributions of outcomes research to health care delivery innovation to date have been modest. Ultimately, we need community health information systems, which have not only the structural and process variables but also include the outcome results, to guide decision making with regard to the health of entire communities and the appropriate investment of resources to improve health.
A Randomized Trial of the Impact of Certified Mail on Response Rate to a Physician Survey, and a Cost-Effectiveness Analysis
Authors: del Valle Maggi L. , Morgenstern Hal , Rogstad Teresa L. , Albright Carol , Vickrey Barbara G.
Published: March 2007

This study's goals were to (a) determine whether sending a survey by certified mail results in a higher response rate from physicians compared to sending by first-class mail and (b) evaluate the cost-effectiveness of this method. The study sample was 409 physicians who were nonrespondents to two previous mailings of a medical specialty society survey. Eligible physicians were designated at random to receive afinal mailing either by U.S. Postal Service certified mail including a return-receipt postcard or by first-class mail. There was a higher response rate from the certified mail group compared with the first-class mail group (41.3% versus 24.8%; relative risk = 1.66, 95% Confidence Interval 1.25, 2.21). A cost-effectiveness analysis showed that the cost per respondent was higher using certified mail versus first-class mail in the third mailing ($2.77 versus $2.34). Thus, use of certified mail is effective in increasing survey response but more costly.
The myth of universal service: hermeneutic considerations and political recommendations
Authors: Verhoest Pascal
Published: March 2007

The liberalization of the telecommunications sector provoked renewed attention to the concept of universal service. This has led to popular misconceptions of the underlying historical rationale for universal service that blur academic discussions on the topic and are often misused by policy makers for ideological purposes. The hermeneutic approach of this article consists of a critical investigation of the meaning of the concept of universal service in the light of historical evidence and economic theory. This `restoration' of the meaning of universal service transcends the political part of this article. It is argued that the universal service provision is largely unproblematic in `mature' telecommunication markets. However, in a socalled information economy, other problems arise that require new regulatory and political approaches. The basic tenets of such an alternative policy are outlined in the conclusion.
Pop music radio in the public service: BBC Radio 1 and new music in the 1990s
Authors: Hendy David
Published: March 2007

The article begins by reviewing recent work on music radio, much of which suggests that radio's processes of selection reinforce the success of existing and familiar artists and genres. Through examining the recent history of BBC Radio 1, I suggest that there are ways in which the music selection and scheduling processes of radio may be used to lead (rather than entirely follow) public tastes. I include a small-scale comparative analysis of the `airplay' of certain records on Radio 1 and its commercial rivals, together with an examination of Radio 1's recent scheduling and programming changes. I seek to draw out two implications from this analysis. First, I argue that there is some support for Radio 1's rhetorical claims to have changed the British popular music environment in the mid-1990s. Second, I argue that the patterns of programming on Radio 1 are consistent with many of the BBC's stated public-service commitments, despite a popular and commercial perception of pop music being inappropriate for the Corporation. However, I suggest that this public-service role is achieved, not through the usual habit of scheduling specialist music in the evenings, but by effecting a new permeability between the traditionally separate domains of daytime (mainstream) and evening (specialist) music programmes.
Framing of asylum seekers in Dutch regional newspapers
Authors: d'Haenens Leen , de Lange Mariëlle
Published: March 2007

The research literature indicates five recurrent frames in news reporting: conflict, human interest, economic consequences, morality and responsibility. Our central research question is: how does news reporting on asylum seekers in four Dutch regional newspapers reflect these frames? The latter are published in places where the inhabitants' reactions to the establishing of an asylum seekers' centre in their neighbourhoods varied from positive to negative. We expect this difference in attitude to be reflected in the reporting. On the one hand we assume that wherever people adopt a more negative attitude, the regional media will emphasize the conflict and the economic consequences. On the other hand we suspect that a positive attitude on behalf of the inhabitants will lead to a more human and moralistic accent in the reporting. Notwithstanding some differences, the human interest frame is most strongly evident in all the newspapers, with the attitude of the population making very little difference.
Contradictions in the democratization of international communication
Authors: Winseck Dwayne
Published: March 2007

The New World Information and Communication Order (NWICO) is exhausted and the `free flow of information' doctrine has been brought back to life, despite persistent inequalities in global communication and the failure to significantly democratize the international communications system. This article maps the rise, fall and resuscitation of the free flow of information doctrine. It also presents evidence illustrating that people's access to basic communications technologies and services has increased significantly, although persistent gaps remain and new axes of inequality are emerging. The article also illustrates how NAFTA and the WTO agreements covering telecoms and computer services facilitate efforts to realize the economic value of information by shielding a range of new technologies and services from the reach of telecommunications policies and expanding the free flow of information doctrine. Based on distinctions between the technical and communicative dimensions of democracy, I argue that both agreements, and the history of NWICO and the `free flow' debates in general, envision and construct a transnational politics of limited democracy. The idea of `communicative democracy' is offered as a standpoint from which to critique these developments and as a normative basis for policy analysis.
Television news and the economy: inflation in Britain
Authors: Gavin Neil T. , Goddard Peter
Published: March 2007

This study looks at television coverage of the economy through analysis of the issue of inflation. A year-long corpus of material from the BBC and ITN is surveyed. The focus is on the way this medium handles explanations of the causes of inflation — and on the political implications that follow. The agenda that emerges is broadly based in political terms and reification of the economy is not found to be a common feature of the coverage. Explanations for the contours of the agenda (and omissions from it) are sought in terms of newsroom practice and the location of the coverage within a broader discourse of economic ideas.
`Is anyone else out there sick of the news?!': TV viewers' responses to non-routine news coverage
Authors: Harrington C. Lee
Published: March 2007

Who gets to decide what `counts' as `news'? Scholars debate whether journalists or corporate elites have more power to determine issues of newsworthiness, paying little attention to the opinions of consumers. This article investigates consumers' impact on the construction of an event or issue as newsworthy by examining their reactions to non-routine news coverage. Specifically, I analyze US television viewers' complaints about unscheduled pre-emptions of regularly scheduled programs as published in entertainment magazines, solicited through fan surveys and occurring on-line through electronic bulletin boards. Analysis suggests that viewers engage in only minimal debate over whether or not a given event is `news'. Instead, their comments focus on what `kind' of news it is and the kind of media coverage it should warrant. While usually perceived as uninformed whining, viewers' complaints about pre-emptions might be considered a form of political action.
“Friendship” Interactions and Expression of Agitation among Residents of a Dementia Care Unit
Authors: Kutner Nancy G. , Brown Peter J. , Stavisky Ronda C. , Clark W. Scott , Green Robert C.
Published: March 2007

“Friendships” (ongoing interpersonal interactions) and agitated behavior were studied among 59 residents of a dementia special care unit; most residents had mild to moderate cognitive impairment. Behavior scan data were recorded by trained observers over six months. Three scans per hour were conducted, seven days a week, between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., producing more than 17,000 observations. A marginal model for binary longitudinal data was developed to associate covariates with repeated observations of agitation, the dependent variable; generalized estimating equations were used to estimate regression parameters. Friendship behavior was significantly associated with (less) observed agitation in this group of dementia residents, controlling for additional variables expected to predict agitation. Opportunity for self-initiated interpersonal engagement may contribute significantly to the well-being of moderately impaired dementia residents. Repeated over-time assessments are important in understanding factors related to expression of problem behaviors in this population.
Applications of Item Response Theory to the Examination of the Psychometric Properties and Differential Item Functioning of the Comprehensive Assessment and Referral Evaluation Dementia Diagnostic Scale among Samples of Latino, African American, and White Non-Latino Elderly
Authors: Teresi Jeanne A. , Kleinman Marjorie , Ocepek-Welikson Katja , Ramirez Mildred , Gurland Barry , Lantigua Rafael , Holmes Douglas
Published: March 2007

Item response theory was used to examine the psychometric properties of a cognitive screening measure used in several epidemiological surveys among Latino, African American, and White non-Latino elderly. Estimates of precision (reliability) examined across several values of Θ (the estimate of degree of cognitive impairment) were good (.70s to .90s) in the range representing most respondents. Overall reliability, although adequate, was lower among the White non-Latino and high-education subgroups relative to other racial/ethnic and education subgroups. Differential item functioning (DIF) was examined using several area- and model-based tests. Tests of the magnitude of DIF showed the measure to be relatively free of DIF for the racial/ethnic subgroup and education subgroups examined. However, one item related to remembering the telephone number was more difficult for Latinos than for other racial/ethnic subgroups. Several other items evidenced mild DIF, and one (difficulty remembering words or names) was a poorly discriminating item. The subjective memory items, intended to provide additional information at the earlier, “borderzone” stages of cognitive impairment, did provide more information at the mild to moderate levels of impairment, although maximum information was not provided at these borderzone ranges.