Problem
A. Decide which study design you would use to study the relationship between the exposure and outcome of interest.
B. Briefly discuss what may be the groups of comparison (e.g., cases and controls, exposed and unexposed, or who would be surveyed)
C. Determine the sources of data you could use, or what data you may want to collect from each comparison group.
Scenario I
A researcher with a medium-sized grant wants to study the relationship between exposure to in-home treated drinking water (such as Brita filters) and diarrhea among children in three neighboring towns, in comparison to tap water. All three towns use the same water source and treatment facility.
Scenario II
A researcher wants to survey the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among female college students at four universities. Two of these universities have large educational and outreach campaigns for sexual protection and testing, while the other two do not. The researcher has very limited time and funds.
Scenario III
A researcher wants to study whether women who breastfeed have lower rates of breast cancer in later life. Funders would like an analysis within two years.