Proportion Of Questions Research Articles

A Panel Assessment of Glaucoma Management: Modification of Existing RAND-like Methodology for Consensus in Ophthalmology. Part I: Methodology and Design

To examine ways to improve existing methodology to reach appropriate consensus in the treatment of primary open-angle glaucoma. Evidence-based literature and accumulated expert opinion. A core nonvoting steering committee composed of four individuals created 148 statements. Another nonvoting individual with expertise in clinical epidemiology reviewed all evidence in support of or against each statement and summarized this information. After review of these summaries, 10 panelists voted on each of the statements both before and after a panel meeting where each question was discussed by the panel. The polling was conducted online using a customized software program for the process. Consensus was reached on most statements both before and after the panel meeting. The proportion of questions where consensus agreement or disagreement was reached increased from 82 of 148 before the panel meeting to 110 of 148 after the meeting. Detailed information regarding the results of the polling are provided in the accompanying article.(1) Refinements to existing descriptions of modified RAND-like appropriateness methodology was successful in allowing a group of ophthalmology panelists to reach consensus for or against most statements developed by nonpanelists. Future studies should be conducted to compare how robust and valid this methodology is as compared with other methods of determining optimal clinical care decision making.

Young people's concerns about sex: unsolicited questions to a teenage radio talkback programme over three years

This paper describes a novel qualitative study that identified the concerns of young people about sex through a talk‐back segment from 2002 to 2004 on an Australian national radio popular music programme targeting 15–24 year olds. Two hundred and thirty‐one unsolicited callers (150 female and 81 male) went to air over the study period, and 212 (92%) of these asked questions relating to sexuality and sexual health. Content analysis was used to categorise the verbatim data. Four categories were identified: sexual development; sexual and reproductive health, sexual relationship issues and sexual practices. The findings suggest that young people have a wide range of concerns, many of which are very explicit. An important finding was the high proportion of questions related to concerns over relationships. The overall implication for health educators and professionals is that a broader approach to sex education is warranted.

Same Questions, Different Venue

This study applied traditional categories used for classifying questions presented at reference desks to online reference services. Questions presented at Penn State's subject libraries were classified as ‘Where Is,’ ‘Troubleshooting,’ ‘Policy and Service,’ and ‘Reference.’ Definitions and examples were provided to the librarians and staff covering thirteen reference desks. These categories were then applied to Penn State's e-mail and chat reference transactions for the Fall 2002 semester. Although the types of questions were similar across the three services, there were differences in the proportion of questions by categories. This suggests that services have similar, yet distinct, functions and that the type of questions submitted differ between in-person and online and also between e-mail and chat.

Mother and father language input to young children: Contributions to later language development

There has been little research comparing the nature and contributions of language input of mothers and fathers to their young children. This study examined differences in mother and father talk to their 24 month-old children. This study also considered contributions of parent education, child care quality and mother and father language (output, vocabulary, complexity, questions, and pragmatics) to children's expressive language development at 36 months. It was found that fathers' language input was less than mothers' language input on the following: verbal output, turn length, different word roots, and wh-questions. Mothers and fathers did not differ on type-token ratio, mean length of utterance, or the proportion of questions. At age 36 months, parent level of education, the total quality of child care and paternal different words were significant predictors of child language. Mothers' language was not a significant predictor of child language.

GLOBALIZATION AND KNOWLEDGE HIERARCHY THROUGH THE EYES OF A QUIZ SHOW

The study compares the quiz show Who Wants to be a Millionaire in seven countries – America, Germany, Italy, Russia, Poland, Israel and Saudi Arabia. Through content analysis of 1,888 questions that were collected from 65 programs, this work aims to ascertain the extent of globalization and the structure of knowledge hierarchy, as they find expression in a successful international television format. Three cultural profiles emerge: American, western European and eastern European, which also characterizes the Arab world. The American model features a high percentage of questions on light entertainment and a low amount of language questions. Quizzes from west Europe offer a high proportion of language questions and a medium amount of questions on light entertainment. The Arab quiz and quizzes from east Europe are noted for keeping a higher amount of questions on history and language and a low proportion of questions on light entertainment. In terms of knowledge hierarchy, in all the countries, academic knowledge yields higher prizes than everyday knowledge.

Crossover Comparison of Drug Information Online Database Vendors: Dialog and Medlars

To compare Dialog EMBASE with the National Library of Medicine's (NLM's) MEDLARS MEDLINE, TOXLINE, and TOXLIT to evaluate differences among the databases and vendors in a method consistent with routine drug information practice. Crossover comparison. NLM MEDLARS databases MEDLINE, TOXLINE, and TOXLIT were searched directly. EMBASE was searched via Dialog Information Services. MEDLINE was searched back to 1980; TOXLINE and TOXLIT were searched back to 1981, reflecting the different database structures. EMBASE was searched back to 1980. To control bias, searches were randomized; identical strategies were used during the same session and were performed by the same trained searcher. Twenty-six drug information requests were compared. The MEDLARS and Dialog databases were generally similar, with no significant differences in the number of potentially relevant references, English references, clinically relevant references, available abstracts, unique citations, time online, and number of questions answered. EMBASE searches were more costly (p = 0.0005). TOXLIT was costlier than TOXLINE and MEDLINE (p = 0.0018). NLM MEDLARS databases were comparable to Dialog EMBASE. Although MEDLARS provided more total and English-language citations, the differences were small and did not influence the proportion of questions answered. The greatest difference between the vendors was the significantly lower cost of searching on MEDLARS. Although this difference may be partially offset by the significantly shorter search times on EMBASE, the mean 1.9 minutes saved would not recoup the mean $7.89 difference in cost. MEDLARS databases are less expensive for routine drug information requests.

The effects of hearing loss and age of intervention on some language metrics in young hearing-impaired children.

This study examined the oral language production abilities of a group of young children with bilateral sensorineural hearing impairments (greater than 25 dB HL). The effects of age of intervention-as indexed by age of detection, referral, first appointment and hearing-aid fitting-and of the severity of their hearing impairments on spoken language and communication were the foci of the study. Children were aged between 27 and 80 months with hearing threshold levels ranging from 32 to 98 dB in the better ear. All were audio- and video-taped in their own homes, in an unstructured play setting with the mother. Measures of expressive language ability were extracted including mean length of utterance, vocabulary size, words per min., total utterance attempts per min., proportion of non-verbal utterances and the proportion of questions asked by the child. No significant correlations were found between the children's hearing impairments and their scores on the language measures once age at interview had been statistically controlled. However, significant correlations were found between the language measures and the ages at which the children received intervention for their hearing impairments, in particular for vocabulary and those language measures denoting the rate and quality of the child's interaction during the episode recorded. This finding is consistent with some of the arguments to be found in the small body of data addressing the question of early intervention.

Mood and realism of confidence judgements of one's own answers to general knowledge questions

This study examines the effect of a depressed mood on the realism of subjects' confidence judgements of the correctness of answers to general knowledge questions. Research conducted on how mood influences cognitive processes gives reason to expect that a depressed mood might increase the realism of individuals' confidence ratings. Sixty subjects were divided into three conditions, two of which were given mood induction, one condition into an elated-happy mood and one condition into a depressed-sad mood. As evidenced by subjects' responses to mood scales only the depressed condition was affected by the mood induction. All subjects answered 93 general knowledge questions and rated their confidence in the correctness of the answer given. Subjects were instructed to think aloud when answering the last 31 questions. The conditions did not differ with respect to the proportion of questions answered correctly, mean level of confidence, nor with respect to three measures of the realism in subjects' confidence ratings (calibration, over/underconfidence and resolution). The results were the same when questions answered with and without think aloud instructions were analysed separately.

Evaluation of purposeful reading skills in elementary-age students.

This study examined goal-related detection and processing of text as a function of individual differences in rading ability. It was anticipated that more able readers would more consistently recognize question-relevant text and would correctly answer a higher proportion of questions. It was also hypothesized that the relationship between question accuracy and the detection of relevant text would be similar for the two ability groups

Determination of the Minimum Number of Questions in a Multiple-Choice Test

A method of determining the minimum number of questions which should be included in a multiple-choice test is described. This method ensures a desired probability of correctly ranking any given pair of examinees who know answers to different proportions of questions in the test.

Comparison of the diagnostic methods of family physicians and internists

Two groups of physicians (nine family physicians and nine consulting internists) were presented with three clinical problems by a programmed "patient". Analysis of the recorded interviews showed that family physicians asked fewer history questions, requested fewer items of data about physical examination, and ordered fewer laboratory investigations. In two out of the three cases family physicians asked a higher proportion of questions about mental status and life situation. In an analysis of the "commonness" of questions asked by internists and family physicians, it was found that internists were more consistent among themselves in the questions asked. There were no significant differences in the final diagnosis reached by these two groups.

A comparison of the quality and sequence of television and classroom science questions with a proposed strategy of science instruction

AbstractThis study was part of a research project designed to measure the utilization and effectiveness of a locally televised science series in 54 classrooms in the Seattle metropolitan area. A design was selected that provided a treatment variable representing four degrees of utilization of TV science and non‐TV science, and four grade levels.One measure of effectiveness of TV and non‐TV science instruction involved the use of a multiple question category system in analyzing questions asked by studio and classroom teachers. All questions asked by these teachers were categorized into a modified Gallagher‐Aschner system. All questions asked by classroom teachers were also categorized into the Science Lesson Category System designed by the project investigators. In addition, all questions asked by studio teachers and classroom teachers utilizing TV science instruction, grades three and four, were categorized into the Instructional Strategy Category System, designed by the writer and patterned after the instructional strategy found in the Science Curriculum Improvement Study.With a curriculum containing preplanned scripts and Teachers' Manuals with suggested activities, teachers utilizing TV science instruction asked a higher proportion of convergent questions than teachers not using TV instruction. These questions were found, for the most part, in the post‐TV period and in the discovery phase of the model instructional strategy. Comparisons of these findings with those proportions of questions asked during the non‐TV period indicated differences in questioning behavior between treatment groups using TV and non‐TV science instruction. It was concluded that these differences resulted from the influence of the TV science series.