IDEAL Logo
← Back to Home

Training Slides & Resources

Below are links to training slide decks for the IDEAL project. As we continue to develop our training materials, these slides and this site will be updated..

Introduction to IDEAL and Data Extraction
  • Introduction to IDEAL This presentation introduces IDEAL and explains how the platform will enable researchers and policymakers to use research to make evidence-informed decisions.
  • IDEAL Data Extraction This presentation details the operational workflow for the IDEAL project, including the design of the survey.
  • IDEAL Training - Meta-analysis This overview explains how meta-analysis harmonizes and summarizes evidence from multiple studies. It includes examples of how the accurate coding of outcomes and interventions enables the calculation of average effect sizes across different contexts.
  • IDEAL Training - Research Transparency This module links IDEAL to research transparency, describing how the platform integrates open science principles. It also describes the fields that collect resources like replication packages and pre-analysis plans to document the study's methodological integrity.
  • Principles of Evidence Aggregation This presentation defines the systematic process of searching, screening, and extracting findings from different studies to build a valid, generalizable evidence base.
  • Survey CTO Introduction This presentation provides step-by-step instructions for using the SurveyCTO, including account management, form navigation, and saving progress.
Concept Reviews and Applied Fields
  • Concept Review Estimates This presentation defines the core components of an estimate, distinguishing between estimands (what is being estimated) and estimators (how it is calculated). It covers the essential statistics required for data extraction, including point estimates, precision measures like standard errors and p-values, and sample sizes.
  • Concept Review Sampling These slides explain how study participants are selected, distinguishing between random sampling for representativeness and randomized assignment for internal validity.
  • Concepts: Randomization and Stratification This presentation covers the mechanics of randomized assignment, including determining the unit of randomization and the use of stratification to increase precision.
  • Concepts: Specifications This presentation details how to identify and classify the empirical specifications used in a study, such as Intent-to-Treat (ITT) and Treatment-on-the-Treated (TOT). It explains the IDEAL "priority" approach for selecting the treatment effect estimate when multiple specifications are reported.
  • Fidelity, Compliance, Attrition, Take-up This presentation clarifies distinct but related concepts that affect study validity: implementation fidelity (quality of delivery), compliance (adherence to assignment), take-up (acceptance of the offer), and attrition (data loss).
  • Field Session: Estimates These slides guide coders through entering estimate data into SurveyCTO, focusing on point estimates, standard errors, and confidence intervals.
  • Fields: Intervention details These slides outline the fields required to describe the intervention, including its duration, intensity, and the profile of project implementers.
  • Fields: Outcomes These slides explain how to count and define outcome variables found in papers. It provides instructions for specifying the unit of analysis and constructing clear, standardized definitions for each outcome measure.
  • Fields: RCT Design This presentation includes instructions on how to count and characterize the structural elements of the study, such as the number of distinct experiments and interventions within a single paper. It provides specific rules for mapping interventions to study arms and identifying "rounds" of data collection.
  • Fields: Randomization and stratification These slides walk through the fields used to record the randomization process, including the total number of units and the specific method of assignment (e.g., clustered or stratified). It instructs on how to extract details about stratification variables and enter data regarding balance tests and quality robustness.
  • IDEAL Training - Stage 2 Field Review This presentation focuses on identifying specific treatment effects within tables and figures. It provides instructions on how to map outcomes to specifications and time periods.
  • Interventions Concept Review These slides clarify key concepts related to the intervention itself, such as defining the specific target population and eligibility criteria distinct from the unit of analysis.
  • Outcomes Concept Review These slides have instructions on how to conceptually define and classify outcome variables. It covers standardization procedures (z-scores) and specifying the correct unit of measurement and analysis for each outcome.
  • RCT Design Concept Review This presentation defines the structural components of an experiment, distinguishing between the study population, the interventions tested, and the assignment strategy (e.g., parallel, factorial, or crossover). It explains how to correctly identify "study arms" and data collection "rounds" to ensure accurate mapping of the experimental design.
  • Session: Partners and Funders This presentation includes instructions on how to extract information about the organizations supporting the study, including funders and implementing partners.