1. Introduction to Gathering Data (1 of 7)

In this session, we are going to be learning about how to gather data on hearing quality. As with any project, the method that you choose for data collection should depend largely on the questions that you want to answer, balanced with the resources that you have to collect the data. So, consider first, what do you want to know? That will help drive the decision for how to collect data. Then consider, what resources do you have available to better understand your issue.

The most common, and often the most robust way to collect hearing quality data is through a structured court observation process. This allows you to examine specific, directly observable practices that are occurring in court. This process is typically fairly resource intensive, requiring observation of multiple hearings.

We are going to learn how to do court observation of a child abuse and neglect hearing using a structured instrument.

An instrument has been provided that is very typical to what is used in the field and includes several of the constructs identified in session I. Please download the instrument and print so that you can use it to code. This instrument is designed to be used at an initial hearing, the first hearing on the case.

We are going to walk through the instrument together.