Process for launching an ITC
Project: From Inception to Result
Dissemination
Anne C.K. Quah, Ph.D.
University of Waterloo
Canada
ITC Project Workshop
Taipei, Taiwan—November 22, 2011
1
Aspects of Creating and Implementing an
ITC Project Survey
•
General considerations
•
ITC Survey methodology and data
management
•
Role of ITC Project & ITC Data
Management Centre (DMC), and broader
ITC Project team in the creation of research
products
Aspects of Creating and Implementing an
ITC Project Survey
General considerations:
A) Funding
•
•
Establish funding for ITC Survey, Data Management and
Support
Investigate the process of funding for multiple waves
B) Investigators
•
Identify investigators in surveyed countries
•
Establish and ITC liaison (or ITC Project team)
Aspects of Creating and Implementing an
ITC Project Survey
C) Rationale
•
•
•
Examine existing poly environment
Identify expected changes in policy and dates of
expected changes
Determine if estimation of prevalence is important
D) Survey Population
•
•
•
•
•
Determine populations of interest (i.e. smoker vs non, adult vs
youth)
Determine if participants will be urban, rural, or both
Determine languages in which to survey
Determine data collection mode (telephone vs. face-to-face)
Determine sample sizes
Aspects of Creating and Implementing an
ITC Project Survey
E) Timelines
•
•
Identify a proposed timeline for surveying
Establish a timeline for pre-survey work (planning,
ethics, agreements)
F) Survey Planning
•
Establish survey questions and supplementary
documents (information letters/consents, scripts,
enumeration forms and training manuals)
G) Ethics/IRB Requirements
•
Ethics applications must be submitted to all appropriate
institutions
Aspects of Creating and Implementing an
ITC Project Survey
H) Standard Agreement and Data Sharing
• Agreements regarding partnerships, funding and data
sharing need to be in place.
I) Participation in other ITC/Roswell Park Projects
• Product Repository
• Air Quality Monitoring
Aspects of Creating and Implementing an
ITC Project Survey
ITC Survey Methodology and Data
Management:
Survey Methodology
A) Sampling Design
• Determine stratification
• Determine clustering
Aspects of Creating and Implementing an
ITC Project Survey
B) Telephone Surveys
• Establish protocol for random recruitment and dispositions
• Determine if recruitment and survey call will be separate
• Establish protocol for survey call
C) Face-to-Face Surveys
• Establish protocol for random recruitment and dispositions
• Establish household enumeration protocol and sequence
with interviews
• Establish protocol for survey interview
Aspects of Creating and Implementing an
ITC Project Survey
Survey Content
A) Selection of policy domains
• FCTC policy domains
• Identification of key policy domains in country (e.g.,
policies scheduled to be implemented): list of key
tobacco control policies in country is essential
B) Creation of survey items
• Consistency with existing ITC Surveys—essential for
cross-country comparisons
• Creation of new items because of country-specific
interests/importance
• Simplification of items/expansion of items
Aspects of Creating and Implementing an
ITC Project Survey
Survey Fieldwork and Data Management
A) Household Enumeration Data File
B) Survey field reports
C) Response Rates and other
Disposition/Outcome Rates
D) Survey Data File and Incorporation into the
ITC Data Repository
E) Inclusion of Design Variables for Creating
Survey Weights
Aspects of Creating and Implementing an
ITC Project Survey
Role of ITC/ Data Management Centre
•
•
•
•
Consultation on all aspects of design and data collection
Design of data file
Documentation of variables and their relationships
Assistance with calculation of response rates, survey
weights, etc. + documentation
• Storing and managing access to data
• Assistance with preparation of reports
• Assistance, partnership with preparation of academic
products (presentations, publications)—with broader
involvement with ITC Project team members
The specific role that the Data Management Centre and the ITC
Project plays in each country will depend on availability of funding
The Life of an ITC Telephone Survey
Hold Discussions with ITC Country Team
Secure Funding by UW and Country Team
Plan Sampling Design and Scope of Survey with
ITC Country Team
Consider the number of individuals to be surveyed, upcoming policies that
should be assessed, which regions/cities, rural vs. urban areas, what groups to
survey: smokers, non-smokers, smokeless tobacco users, youth, etc.
The Life of an ITC Telephone Survey
Develop Survey Questions*
Survey questions are developed for smokers and non-smokers
(in some countries) based on key content areas and policies.
*Many questions are derived from previous ITC surveys.
Translate Surveys
The surveys are originally developed in English and subsequently
translated into the appropriate language(s) for the country being
studied. This can be done through UW, or by the ITC Country Team.
The Life of an ITC Telephone Survey
On-going Communication with the ITC Country
Team
Once the surveys are translated, changes can be made to the survey
questions and/or the overall content. While taking care to have
common measure questions, some survey questions are uniquely
tailored to the specific country, language and culture.
Finalize Survey Questions
ITC UW and ITC Country Team agree on the English and translated
survey questions.
The Life of an ITC Telephone Survey
DMC Enters Survey into Database
The survey is entered into the Access database. A completed version is
sent to the survey firm or the international team conducting the
surveys. Often, new questions or modifications are added to the survey
during this time.
Ethics Clearance
ITC UW and ITC Country Team apply and receive full ethics
clearance before conducting survey fieldwork.
The Life of an ITC Telephone Survey
DMC Sends Survey to Survey Firm
The survey firm is responsible for training interviewers and for
generating a CATI (Computer-Assisted Telephone Interview) program.
Survey Firm Returns Survey and CATI Program to
DMC
The survey produced by the survey firm is checked for its fidelity to the
draft sent by DMC. The CATI (Computer-Assisted Telephone Interview)
program created by the firm is also checked, particularly for correct
routing of respondents. Once verification is complete the go-ahead is
given to the firm.
The Life of an ITC Telephone Survey
Survey Firm Begins Fieldwork
Surveys are conducted and the firm reports back to the ITC team about
their progress.
Data Cleaning by the Survey Firm
The data collected by the survey firm is organized and presented in a
manner that corresponds to the analysis protocols used at the DMC.
Data Sent to DMC
DMC data analysts calculate data weights and prepare the data set for
release to researchers.
The Life of an ITC Telephone Survey
Access Survey Compared to Data Set
The data in the data set is compared to the Access version of the
survey to check that responses are in the correct order, the appropriate
variable names have been assigned and that questions were not
missed. Any changes to the survey that occurred in the field can be
documented in Access at this time.
ITC UW and ITC Country Team Prepare Technical
Report
The ITC Country Technical Report describes the entire survey project
for a particular wave. Included is information about sampling design,
survey protocols, weight construction and other relevant topics.
The Life of an ITC Telephone Survey
Data Set Released to ITC members
The data set is released to those researchers/organizations involved
with ITC surveys that have signed the appropriate data sharing
agreements.
Queries on Data Sets
Queries by internal ITC members and external researchers are
forwarded to ITC-DMC at UW who then provides assistance or
clarification.
The Life of an ITC Face-to-Face Survey
Hold Discussions with ITC Country Team
Secure Funding by UW and Country Team
Plan Sampling Design and Scope of Survey with
ITC Country Team
Consider the number of individuals to be surveyed, upcoming
policies that should be assessed, which regions/cities, rural vs urban
areas, what groups to survey: smokers, non-smokers, smokeless
tobacco users, youth, etc.
The Life of an ITC Face-to-Face Survey
Develop Survey Questions* and Interviewer
Training Manual
Survey questions are developed for smokers, non-smokers and youth
based on policies that will be assessed. The training manual is
developed specifically for an ITC Country based on the method of
interviewer training.
*Most questions are derived from previous ITC surveys.
Translate Surveys and Training Manual
The surveys are originally developed in English and subsequently
translated into the appropriate language(s) for the country being
studied. This can be done through UW, or by the ITC Country Team. In
some countries, both the English and translated surveys are
administered in the field.
The Life of an ITC Face-to-Face Survey
On-going Communication with ITC Country Team
Once the surveys and training manual are translated, changes can be
made to the survey questions and/or content of the training manual.
While taking care to have common measure questions, some survey
questions are uniquely tailored to the specific country, language and
culture. The training manual is usually specifically written for each ITC
Country Team.
Finalize Survey Questions & Training Manuals
ITC UW and ITC Country Team agree on the English and translated
survey questions and training manual.
The Life of an ITC Face-to-Face Survey
Ethics Clearance
ITC UW and ITC Country Team apply and receive full ethics
clearance before conducting survey fieldwork.
Distribute Final English and Translated Survey
& Training Manual to International Team
Interviewer training will be carried out using the training manual and
the final version of the survey.
The Life of an ITC Face-to-Face Survey
DMC Enters Survey
into Database
The English version of the
survey is entered into the Access
database. Syntax is generated
for variable and value labels.
ITC Country Team Conducts
Interviewer Training Sessions
ITC Country Team Interviewers
Conduct Fieldwork
Annotate
Translated Survey
with Variable
Names
(This document is then posted
on the online survey bank).
ITC Country Team Enters
Responses into Data
Management Software and does
Preliminary Cleaning
The Life of an ITC Face-to-Face Survey
Compare Survey
Response Options to Data
Set
This check ensures the correct
variable names are assigned to their
corresponding questions. It also
provides confirmation that the
document response options match the
data set sent from ITC Country Team.
ITC Country Team Sends
Data Set to DMC
Data analysts finish cleaning the
data, calculate weights and establish
preliminary frequencies.
ITC UW and ITC Country Team Prepare Technical Report
The ITC Country Technical Report describes the entire survey project for a
particular wave. Included is information about sampling design, survey protocols,
weight construction and other relevant topics.
The Life of an ITC Face-to-Face Survey
Data Set Released to ITC members
The data set is released to those researchers/organizations involved
with ITC surveys that have signed the appropriate data sharing
agreements.
Queries on Data Sets
Queries by internal ITC members and external researchers
are forwarded to ITC-DMC at UW who then provides
assistance or clarification.
ITC Project Dissemination Process
1. Initial Proposal Steps
• Consult existing ITC documents to ensure idea is unique
(http://www.itcproject.org/library/paperlist)
1. In Press & Published Paper Citation List
2. In-Progress Paper Tracking List
3. Conference Presentation List
• If unique, then continue with the dissemination process
27
ITC Project Dissemination Process
2. Dissemination Process
1. Researcher reads Data Usage Guidelines, Paper & Presentation Policy, Authorship Policy
28
ITC Project Dissemination Process
3. Dissemination Documents
29
ITC Project Dissemination Process
4. Dissemination Documents
30
ITC National Reports
Key Objectives:
•
•
•
The primary reason we undertake ITC Projects – to
communicate with policymakers and tobacco control
advocates key learnings about where tobacco policies are
strong and where they are weak
The culmination of years of effort in survey planning, survey
fieldwork, preparation of the data set
Provides a tool or product to galvanize support among
tobacco control community (and the media) for stronger
policy actions
31
Life of an ITC/TCP National Report
STEP 1: Initial scoping
STEP 2: Information gathering (ITC frequency data
and policy context)
STEP 3: Report writing (draft-revise-signoff)
STEP 4: Public release/Dissemination event
32
Life of an ITC/TCP National Report
Step 1: Initial scoping
• Identify available resources (funding for dissemination
workshop; translation; design and printing)
• Identify team members (DMC, PMs, country team
members, graphic designer, etc.)
• Identify launch date/event (WNTD, anniversary of a
policy, other smoke-free events, tobacco control/public
health conference)
• Plan timeline
• Specific objectives- tool to lobby for stronger warnings,
smoke-free policies, tax increase, advertising ban
(national report vs. specific policy reports)
• Identify key target audiences
33
Life of an ITC/TCP National Report
Step 2: Information gathering
• Identify key survey variables and data analysis
strategy (state-level, urban/rural, type of
products used, age/sex)
• Submit data request to DMC
• Assemble information sources on tobacco
control policy landscape (warnings, smoke-free,
price/taxation, ad/promo bans,
education/communication,cessation) and
published academic papers
34
Life of an ITC/TCP National Report
Step 3: Report writing
• Waterloo prepares drafts for IN team comments
o
o
o
o
o
o
Tobacco use and cessation
Smoke-free
Labelling
Price/tax
Ad/promo
Education, communication, public awareness
• Collaborate in identifying key findings and
recommendations
• Ongoing process of review, revision, sign-off
• Translation?
• Graphic design (key ingredients)– sign-off
35
Life of an ITC/TCP National Report
Step 4: Public release/dissemination
• Launch on ITC and project partner websites
• News releases (link to Reuters)
• Presentation/distribution of report at public
dissemination event
• Press coverage
• Meetings with tobacco control officials
36
ITC Project Research Organizations
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
ITC Project Research Support
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Core support provided by the
U.S. National Cancer Institute
(P01 CA138389)
Additional core funding
provided by the
Canadian Institutes of
Health Research
37