FOCUS AREAS
Researchers increasingly need efficient and innovative web-based tools to conduct their research involving human participants. iRT is developing high-quality, multimedia rich, accessible, web- and mobile-based resources for their own research and to support the work of researchers around the world.
Selecting measures; determining the study design; recruiting, consenting, and enrolling participants in a research project; deploying research tasks and surveys; tracking participant completion of the research project tasks; and downloading and analyzing data are some of the major tasks involved in any research project involving human participants. iRT has developed a suite of web-based and mobile software called DigiKnowIt News and eTrove to support the work associated with all these tasks for both clinical and research goals.
eTrove includes three inter-related web-based software applications that support the research and evaluation process as well as delivery of online interventions.
eTrove includes five interrelated web-based software applications:
- DigiKnowIt News (Building knowledge about participation in clinical trials)
- The Measures Library
- The Survey Developer (SD)
- The Project Management System (PMS)
- The Learning Management System (LMS)
There are currently two Measures Libraries – one for researchers studying drugged driving and the other for HIV/AIDS researchers that includes a curated set of measures of social and behavioral instruments. Once measures have been chosen, researchers can use the Survey Developer software to create and edit surveys that can be administered on desktop or mobile devices. The capabilities include: survey authoring with multiple questions types and response formats; question logic for follow-up questions or conditional branching; media inclusion (e.g., audio files, illustrations, graphic images, video files of stimuli or instructions) on a page and/or for any question.
The Project Management System (PMS) includes Recruitment and Consulting Tools as well as software functionality that automates the processes around setting up projects; recruiting and consenting participants; randomizing participants into groups; scheduling, deploying, and administering surveys; and providing access to self-paced online courses.
The LMS delivers e-Learning courses in a SCORM-compliant manner and has individual as well as group administration of courses and e-commerce capabilities. We have updated the LMS to include xAPI which enhances tracking of learning activities and allows for e-Learning outside the web browser such as through mobile apps.
The eTrove applications are used in all iRT projects as well as by numerous clients to help them manage their data collection needs.
Dr. Rebecca Stelter conducts product development and research on measures library, survey developer, project management, and learning management technology.
Dr. Janis Kupersmidt conducts product development and research on measures library, survey developer, project management, and learning management technology. She also conducts project development and research on the use of mobile technology for screening youth for behavioral, emotional, and developmental disorders, as well as risk for early onset of substance misuse.
Dr. Alison Parker conducts research on educating children and adolescents about participation in clinical trials. She also conducts research and project development activities on the use of mobile technology for screening youth for behavioral, emotional, and developmental disorders, as well as risk for early onset of substance misuse.
Dr. Tracy Scull conducts research on educating children and adolescents about participation in clinical trials.
