Measuring the Concepts and Variables in Conceptual Framework - Assignment Example

Describe how you will measure the concepts and variables in your conceptual framework (i.e., IVs, DVs and potential confounders). A quantitative experimental will be performed in order to measure the concepts and variables in the conceptual framework such as the independent variables, dependent variables and potential confounders (Imas & Rist, 2009). The potential negative health impacts of glutathione especially on the likelihood of obtaining melanoma and vetiligo have minimal literature or none at all. Thus, the proponent comes up with a quantitative experiment that is some sort of experimental in nature. The idea is based on available research designs with respect to finding cause and effect of certain medical health issues (Arjinpathana & Asawanonda, 2010). This is not a new method or design on how to measure the concepts and variables included in the conceptual framework of a research study. This particularly will involve how the proponent should understand some potential impacts of the entire research designs in the entire study, and their potential advantages and disadvantages in obtaining results. Thus, at some point, the proponent will be able to integrate or develop a new measure as far as it is necessary, but the entire approach will still be in line with the quantitative experiment about finding cause and effect relationship. In the cause and effect approach, something has to be done and later an observation about its potential impacts is necessary. In the same way, the proponent will come up with a control and treatment groups, two groups for the former and two groups for the latter. This is to ensure that there is equal treatment of samples and effective generating of information. 2. Describe how you will be collecting your data and why you selected that approach. For example, primary or secondary data collection? A combination of these approaches? a. Be sure to indicate who will be collecting the data. In other words, will a study staff person collect data? Will existing staff members do it? b. Identify 2 advantages and 2 disadvantages for the data collection approach that you have selected. A primary data collection will be initiated since the proponent will want to obtain first-hand information coming primarily from the chosen respondents. Since this study requires direct interaction between the proponent and the respondents, primary information will be obtained. It is through constant follow up with the respondents that the relevant information will be obtained. Data collection in this study requires that the proponent will motivate the various skin health practitioners in order that they will cooperate throughout the entire research process. Thus, it is important that primary data will be personally obtained by the proponent and so as to have personal interaction with these practitioners and they too will initiate effective interaction with their patients. As stated earlier, the proponent will initiate the data collection. However, this would require the supervision of experts and related health practitioners. The respondents will need to regularly visit experts and obtain primary data from them. Another reason, primary data collection is necessary in this study because there is little or no available literature for this so far. There are many things to learn about the negative health impacts of glutathione on the human health even though most are all positive information. 3. Describe each of the following: a. Who is your target population? b. Who is your accessible population? c. Who is your sample population? Approximately how many Samples are you planning to recruit? Describe how you decided on this number. a. The target population is adult Asian women because cultural and social factors would be favorable especially in the popularity of usage of glutathione as skin-whitener treatment (Malaya, 2009). Thus, many Asian women are trying to use glutathione in the hope that it will improve the quality of their skin as they desire. These women should have no significant background of other related-health problems. This is to ensure that the entire research would be free from other extraneous and nuisance variables that could interrupt the entire analysis and could influence the whole result. b. The accessible population consists of those Asian women with regular consultation with their dermatologists or other experts and related practitioners, inquiring about the condition of their skin. At some point, these women have substantial experience with skin treatment and receiving related medications. In other words, these women will not be hard enough to find as potential respondents for this study. c. Based on some previous related research, the proponent requires at least an estimate of 500 respondents or more that will be required for this study (Arjinpathana & Asawanonda, 2010). This study focuses on special groups and would require detailed observation of outcomes of the experiment. The stated number of respondents therefore will be subject to the availability of potential source. 4. Describe how you will gain access to your accessible population and more specifically how they will be recruited. As stated earlier, the target respondents will be those Asian women having regular consultation with their dermatologists or other health-related experts. The proponent will approach these people with constant exposure to patients who would want to improve their skin condition. The proponent will send them a formal letter informing them about the intent of the study. However, the proponent will also request to have personal communication with them in order to discuss everything about the entire research as clearly as possible. Furthermore, this would also ensure how to improve the methodology of this study in great possible detail. In line with this, the proponent will propose how to possibly convince the respondents to join in the study. The health practitioners or dermatologists whom the respondents are connected with should suggest possible options to their patients regarding the treatment of their skin and this would integrate the entire research plan. In other words, there is a good chance to obtain a possible good result considering that the respondents regularly visiting their trusted dermatologists are putting their hope and trust to them as they would want to obtain good results. The dermatologists or other health-related experts in this field should prepare a list of respondents who would be included in the study. They have substantial information regarding them so it is important to integrate whatever significant information they have about the chosen respondents. The respondents will not be recruited but their dermatologist will include them in the study not as an option, but as merely part of the regular treatment process. In this regard, the chosen respondents will eventually respond to the entire duration of this study. However, there would be no enough assurance as to how much level of response they would give especially in the middle of the treatment process. 5. Describe what type of sampling (probability/non-probability) you plan on using and explain why you made this decision. The type of sampling that the proponent plans for this study is probability. Using the probability sampling, the proponent would assume that each entity or sample is given equal chance of probability to be chosen. Thus, the likelihood that each sample is to be chosen is assumed to be equal. There will be no substantial bias in the process, ensuring the reliability of obtaining good results and outcomes (Babbie, 2010). Probability sampling is an approach that is commonly used especially when dealing with large number of samples. The proponent will choose to have more than 400 samples and this is large enough to investigate. Thus, in order to find out more about these samples in general detail, the probability sampling would make sense. Random sampling for instance would be a good option because this would determine information or describe the nature of the entire sample. References Arjinpathana, N., & Asawanonda, P. (2010). Glutathione as an oral whitening agent: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Retrieved October 23, 2011, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20524875 Babbie, E. R. (2010). The Practice of Social Research (12th ed.). Belmont, California: Cengage Learning. Imas, L. G. M., & Rist, R. C. (2009). The road to results: designing and conducting effective development evaluations. NW, Washington DC: World Bank Publications. Malaya. (2009). FDA cites health risks of glutathione injections. Retrieved October 23, 2009, from http://www.malaya.com.ph/may13/news14.html Read More