Resources to account for bias

Twice each year I get a new lot of students in to undertake their capstone undergraduate research project. Twice each year I have to explain what bias is, and what we need to do to ensure it doesn't derail a research project.

I have always directed students to both of our textbooks, and recently got totally put on the spot by a student who came to me asking where they could find information in one of our two texts. I had a good look, and apologised: the author had not specifically dealt with bias at all! The other author had dealt with bias, and, even better, dealt with bias alongside various research methods.

As an institute, we use Moodle as our information bank/blended learning backbone. My micro-site for the research paper I deliver is generally very well-resourced due to the years I have had to accumulate and filter the information I have discovered. However, following my student's questions about bias, I revisited the resources with fresh eyes, and have reorganised, labelled and clustered information to make materials easier to find.

As I was taking the inventory of resources, I thought that the materials in themselves might make a good blog post for those of us who find it difficult to find good quality materials on bias. The resources I draw on are:

• Critical Appraisal Skills Programme. (2018). CASP Appraisal Checklists. Retrieved from http://www.casp-uk.net/casp-tools-checklists
• Critical Appraisal Skills Programme. (2018). CASP Qualitative Checklist Download. https://casp-uk.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/CASP-Qualitative-Checklist-Download.pdf
• Google (25 Aug 2017). Machine Learning and Human Bias. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=153&v=59bMh59JQDo
• Halvorson, H. G. & Rock, D. (2015). Beyond Bias. Retrieved from https://www.strategy-business.com/article/00345
• Hartman, M. (1 Oct 2015). TEDxStJohns: Unpacking the biases that shape our beliefs. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dU7Mhne4CzU
• Hoets, H. (2018). What is Bias in Qualitative Research? Retrieved from http://www.focusgrouptips.com/qualitative-research.html
• Jones, I. (2015). Research Methods for Sports Studies (3rd ed.). UK: Routledge. (Chapter 7 on sampling & non-response bias; Chapter 8 on survey bias; Chapter 9 for interview bias)
• Morris, T. (2017). Denial [of Biases]. Retrieved from http://thewireless.co.nz/system/production/content_images/images/000/005/188/full/Pencilsword38_01_%281%29.gif?1498770505
• Mullane, K. & Williams, M. (17 September 2013). Bias in research: the rule rather than the exception? Retrieved from https://www.elsevier.com/editors-update/story/publishing-ethics/bias-in-research-the-rule-rather-than-the-exception
• Noble, H. & Smith, J. (2015). Issues of validity and reliability in qualitative research. Evidence-Based Nursing, 18(2), 34-35. https://doi.org/10.1136/eb-2015-102054. Retrieved from https://ebn.bmj.com/content/ebnurs/18/2/34.full.pdf
• Rajendran, N. S. (2001). Dealing With Biases in Qualitative Research: A Balancing Act for Researchers. Retrieved from http://nsrajendran.tripod.com/Papers/Qualconfe2001.pdf
  
• Sarniak, R. (2015). 9 types of research bias and how to avoid them. Retrieved from https://www.quirks.com/articles/9-types-of-research-bias-and-how-to-avoid-them
• Smith, J., & Noble, H. (2014). Bias in Research. Evidence-Based Nursing, 17(4), 100-101. https://doi.org/10.1136/eb-2014-101946. Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/c49e/2f596d13b868421034ef9636ca925bbfecfd.pdf
• Tannenbaum, R. (21 Sept 2015). Avoiding Bias. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EdbMXS4OYw

I explain to my students that they need to think about (a) what kind of researcher bias, participant bias, bias in questions, and inherent bias in their method itself there may be; then (b) provide a solution to isolate, minimise or eliminate that bias through their methodology. While sometimes we will simply have to accept bias, we still need to clearly acknowledge it.

I hope these help someone - and, if you have better resources, I would love to hear about them!


Sam