1 Process for launching an ITC Project: From Inception to Result Dissemination Anne C.K. Quah, Ph.D. University of Waterloo Canada ITC Project Workshop

1

Process for launching an ITC Project: From Inception to Result

Dissemination

Anne C.K. Quah, Ph.D.University of Waterloo

Canada

ITC Project WorkshopTaipei, Taiwan—November 22, 2011

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


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)


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


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


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


ITC Survey Methodology and Data Management:

Survey Methodology

A) Sampling Design• Determine stratification• Determine clustering


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


Survey ContentA) 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


Survey Fieldwork and Data ManagementA) 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


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

Hold Discussions with ITC Country Team

The Life of an ITC Telephone Survey

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.

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 SurveysThe 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.

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 QuestionsITC UW and ITC Country Team agree on the English and translated

survey questions.

DMC Enters Survey into DatabaseThe 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.

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.

Survey Firm Begins FieldworkSurveys are conducted and the firm reports back to the ITC team about

their progress.


Data Cleaning by the Survey FirmThe 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 DMCDMC data analysts calculate data weights and prepare the data set for

release to researchers.

Access Survey Compared to Data SetThe 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.

Data Set Released to ITC membersThe 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.

Hold Discussions with ITC Country Team

The Life of an ITC Face-to-Face Survey

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.


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 ManualThe 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.


On-going Communication with ITC Country TeamOnce 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 ManualsITC UW and ITC Country Team agree on the English and translated

survey questions and training manual.


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.

Ethics ClearanceITC UW and ITC Country Team apply and receive full ethics

clearance before conducting survey fieldwork.


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.

Annotate Translated Survey

with Variable Names

(This document is then posted on the online survey bank).

ITC Country Team Conducts Interviewer Training Sessions

ITC Country Team Interviewers Conduct Fieldwork

ITC Country Team Enters Responses into Data

Management Software and does Preliminary Cleaning


Compare Survey Response Options to Data

SetThis 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 ReportThe 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.


Data Set Released to ITC membersThe 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.

27

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 List2. In-Progress Paper Tracking List3. Conference Presentation List

• If unique, then continue with the dissemination process

ITC Project Dissemination Process

http://www.itcproject.org/library/paperlist

28

2. Dissemination Process1. Researcher reads Data Usage Guidelines, Paper & Presentation Policy, Authorship Policy1. Researcher reads Data Usage Guidelines, Paper & Presentation Policy, Authorship Policy


29

3. Dissemination Documents


30

4. Dissemination Documents


31

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

ITC National Reports

32

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

33

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


34

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


35

Step 3: Report writing

• Waterloo prepares drafts for IN team commentso Tobacco use and cessationo Smoke-freeo Labellingo Price/taxo Ad/promoo 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


36

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


37

ITC Project Research Support

Core support provided by the U.S. National Cancer Institute

(P01 CA138389)

Additional core funding provided by the

Canadian Institutes of Health Research

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

ITC Project Research Organizations

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.