SBIR/STTR Award attributes
ABSTRACT HIV/AIDS researchers do not have access to an up-to-date, web-based library of social and behavioral measures that is curated, rigorously reviewed, and readily usable for studies. Selection of measures, particularly when not in the researcher’s area of expertise; compilation of measures into assessment batteries; and deployment, administration, and project management tasks are labor intensive and not integrated into one software platform. The goal of the proposed project is to integrate the content of the Social and Behavioral Instruments (SABI) database (created and managed by the Social and Behavioral Sciences Core of the UNC Center for AIDS Research) into eTrove (developed by iRT), an integrated survey development, project management, and learning management software platform. In Phase I, procedures for conducting the technical reviews on SABI measures will be updated. More granular information about the demographic and background characteristics of norming samples or research participants will be coded to inform the appropriate usage of measures with developmentally and culturally diverse populations for future research studies. In addition, the updated technical review procedures will include information about the accessibility of each measure for completion by individuals with a disability. The SABI library of reviews will be added to eTrove to allow researchers to not only locate appropriate measures for use in their studies, but to also compile several measures into an assessment battery seamlessly allowing for rapid deployment and completion by participants on a desktop or mobile device. Functionality will be added to eTrove to allow researchers to select and save measures to a list of favorites for compilation into an assessment battery. The front-end web design and enhanced software system functionality will be updated to be maximally useful to HIV/AIDS researchers and their research team members. Once the prototype of the integrated SABI eTrove has been developed and alpha tested, HIV/AIDS researchers (N = 5) will separately test the usability of the software in a One-to-One Evaluation Study. After any software errors or usability problems are addressed, a Feasibility and Acceptability Study will be conducted with a larger sample of HIV/AIDS researchers (n = 25) to pilot the full functionality of SABI eTrove. Finally, we will conduct key informant interviews with stakeholder consultants to establish site licensing procedures for the final product. Pending reaching benchmark outcomes in Phase 1, Phase 2 plans include programming additional measures into the SABI eTrove system; developing online training for use of SABI eTrove as well as for administration of complex measures to participants; adding advanced functionality to eTrove such as participant randomization protocols; enhanced reporting features on recruitment and participation rates for researchers; and fully evaluating the effectiveness of the SABI eTrove product for facilitating the selection and use of valid and reliable behavioral and social science research measures.NARRATIVE Many HIV/AIDS researchers lack access to psychometrically strong, developmentally and culturally appropriate, accessible tools for assessing social and behavioral functioning in their research. SABI provides a curated library of reviews of social-behavioral measures, and eTrove provides a software platform that includes search engine, survey creation, project management, and learning management functionality. The purpose of this project is to fully integrate SABI into eTrove, as well as to add to the content of SABI and functionality of eTrove to provide researchers with a state-of-the-art, seamless software system to manage the development and implementation of an HIV/AIDS-related research project.
