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| Saturday, 15 January 2005: 2:00 PM-3:45 PM | |||
| Hibiscus B (Hyatt Regency Miami) | |||
| Workshop: Bridging the Research-Practice Gap: Concept Mapping as a Mixed Methods Strategy in Practice-Based Research and Evaluation | |||
| Roundtable/Workshop Submitter(s)s: | Carrie J. Petrucci, PhD, California State University, Long Beach Kathleen M. Quinlan, PhD, Concept Systems, Inc | ||
| Format: | Workshop | ||
| Abstract Text: Conducting research in practice settings has many challenges. Finding research methods that are meaningful to practitioners, are rigorous enough to meet the standard of researchers, and feasible in their implementation is an ongoing struggle in practice-based research and evaluation. Practitioners often prefer qualitative approaches, because they are viewed as less threatening and more discernable than complex quantitative analyses. Yet, the cost and time in carrying out qualitative studies can be prohibitive. Researchers, on the other hand, are often more comfortable with the familiar, streamlined territory of quantitative approaches, with their clearly specified process and outcome variables. Concept mapping is a mixed methods strategy that captures the rich conceptual data from communities of interest on a particular question or topic, and organizes and analyzes it statistically (using multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis). The result is visual representations of complex knowledge domains that meet social scientists’ standards for rigor and reliability, while being easily-interpretable to practitioners. This workshop will illustrate the steps involved in concept mapping (Trochim, 1989), using studies carried out by each of the presenters, and highlight the advantages and disadvantages of each from a research perspective. Various ways that concept mapping can be used in research, including instrument development, needs assessment, evaluation frameworks and collecting and organizing large amounts of data from multiple stakeholders or panels of experts will also be discussed. A classroom discussion format with the use of visual aids, hand-outs, and participatory exercises will be used. Questions from the audience will be encouraged throughout the presentation. The workshop will begin with an overview of concept mapping, including what it is, the steps involved, and identifying when concept mapping is an appropriate data collection method. This will be followed by a step-by-step presentation of data collection, data analysis, and data interpretation of a statewide evaluation of child abuse treatment programs in which staff from 34 agencies participated in a non-computerized concept mapping approach. The results of a similar process, but one in which the data was analyzed using multi-dimensional scaling and cluster analysis built into specialized software for this purpose will also be presented. The second research study is a national study of what state and local health departments can do to improve the quality of life for end-of-life patients and their families. The methods will be compared and contrasted. At the end of this workshop, it is intended that participants will be familiar with what concept mapping is, when it would be an appropriate research strategy, the steps involved in carrying it out, the advantages of carrying it out, and how findings from concept mapping can be used to contribute to practice knowledge. | |||
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