Research Methods & Evidence-Based Practice Flashcards

Which evaluation framework assesses parking programs on inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes in a sequential model?

Answer: Logic model

A logic model maps the chain from inputs through activities and outputs to short- and long-term outcomes.

When reviewing published parking studies, a practitioner should primarily assess which to gauge reliability of findings?

Answer: The methodology and sample size

Evaluating methodology and sample size helps determine whether findings are trustworthy and generalizable.

A before-and-after study of a new parking guidance system lacks a control group. This design is called:

Answer: Quasi-experimental

Quasi-experimental designs test interventions without random assignment to a control group, limiting causal conclusions.

Which measure of central tendency is most resistant to extreme outliers in parking transaction data?

Answer: Median

The median is the middle value and is not affected by very high or low outliers the way the mean is.

A parking authority publishes an annual report based solely on its own operational data without external verification. This is an example of:

Answer: Primary source research

Primary source research is data collected directly by the reporting organization from its own operations.

In parking research, 'interrater reliability' is most important when:

Answer: Two or more observers classify the same parking events

Interrater reliability measures the degree of agreement when multiple observers independently code or classify the same data.

A parking researcher uses existing city permit records rather than collecting new data. This approach is called:

Answer: Secondary data analysis

Secondary data analysis uses data previously collected for another purpose, saving time and resources.