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Matching anonymous pre-posttests using subject-generated information
J McGloin1, S Holcomb, D S Main
1Center for Studies in Family Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, USA.
Evaluation Review
|November 3, 1996
Summary
Anonymous questionnaires are vital for sensitive research. A new subject-generated coding system accurately matched 75.2% of pretest-posttest pairs, proving effective for maintaining confidentiality in studies.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Research Methodology
- Data Collection
Background:
- Anonymous questionnaires are crucial for sensitive research topics.
- Accurately matching pretests with posttests is challenging in anonymous studies.
- The accuracy of existing subject-generated coding schemes is largely unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the accuracy of a subject-generated coding system for matching pretests and posttests in an anonymous study.
- To determine the effectiveness of subject-generated codes in maintaining participant confidentiality.
- To assess the feasibility of using such coding systems in research involving sensitive issues.
Main Methods:
- Conducted an anonymous study with 745 students.
- Implemented a subject-generated coding system for pretest-posttest matching.
- Verified coding accuracy using an anonymous sticker identification system.
Main Results:
- The subject-generated coding system achieved an accurate match rate of 75.2% for pretest-posttest pairs.
- 22.1% of pairs remained unmatched.
- Incorrect matches occurred in only 2.7% of cases.
Conclusions:
- Subject-generated coding systems are effective for matching pretests and posttests in anonymous research.
- These systems significantly enhance confidentiality, which is critical for sensitive research.
- The sticker identification system provides a reliable method for verifying coding accuracy.
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