Randomization and Data-Analysis Items in Quality Standards for Single-Case Experimental Studies

• Published in: The Journal of special education Vol. 49; no. 3; pp. 146 - 156
• Main Authors: Heyvaert, Mieke, Wendt, Oliver, Van den Noortgate, Wim, Onghena, Patrick
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.11.2015; SAGE Publications and Hammill Institute on Disabilities; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Analysis; Case Studies; Comparative Analysis; Consumers; Control Groups; Data analysis; Effect Size; Evaluation Methods; Experimental Groups; Experiments; Guidelines; Literature Reviews; Quality Control; Quality standards; Randomization; Research Design; Research Methodology; Researchers; Statistical Analysis; randomization; single-case experiment; randomization test; effect size; statistical analysis; single-subject experimental design; single-subject research
• ISSN: 0022-4669; 1538-4764
• DOI: 10.1177/0022466914525239

Reporting standards and critical appraisal tools serve as beacons for researchers, reviewers, and research consumers. Parallel to existing guidelines for researchers to report and evaluate group-comparison studies, single-case experimental (SCE) researchers are in need of guidelines for reporting and evaluating SCE studies. A systematic search was conducted for quality standards (QSs) for reporting and/or evaluating SCE studies. In total, 11 unique QSs were retrieved. In this article, we discuss the extent to which there is agreement with regard to randomization and data analysis of SCE studies among the 11 proposed sets of QSs. We provide recommendations regarding the inclusion of a randomization and data-analysis standard.