Conceptual comparison of constructs as first step in data harmonization: Parental sensitivity, child temperament, and social support as illustrations
MethodsX, vol. 9, pp. 101889
Abstract
This article presents a strategy for the initial step of data harmonization in Individual Participant Data syntheses, i.e., making decisions as to which measures operationalize the constructs of interest - and which do not. This step is vital in the process of data harmonization, because a study can only be as good as its measures. If the construct validity of the measures is in question, study results are questionable as well. Our proposed strategy for data harmonization consists of three steps. First, a unitary construct is defined based on the existing literature, preferably on the theoretical framework surrounding the construct. Second, the various instruments used to measure the construct are evaluated as operationalizations of this construct, and retained or excluded based on this evaluation. Third, the scores of the included measures are recoded on the same metric. We illustrate the use of this method with three example constructs focal to the Collaboration on Attachment Transmission Synthesis (CATS) study: parental sensitivity, child temperament, and social support. This process description may aid researchers in their data pooling studies, filling a gap in the literature on the first step of data harmonization.•Data harmonization in studies using combined datasets is of vital importance for the validity of the study results.•We have developed and illustrated a strategy on how to define a unitary construct and evaluate whether instruments are operationalizations of this construct as the initial step in the harmonization process.•This strategy is a transferable and reproducible method to apply to the data harmonization process.
Authors 70
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Marije L. Verhage corresponding
Amsterdam Public Health · Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Affiliation as printed
Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Clinical Child and Family Studies, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Amsterdam Public Health · Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Affiliation as printed
Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Clinical Child and Family Studies, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Amsterdam Public Health · Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Affiliation as printed
Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Clinical Child and Family Studies, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Amsterdam Public Health · Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Affiliation as printed
Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Clinical Child and Family Studies, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Psychology, University of Montréal, Canada
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Affiliation as printed
Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia, USA
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University of Calgary · Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute
Affiliation as printed
Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Canada
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Affiliation as printed
Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, USA
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
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Affiliation as printed
Endicott College, Beverly, MA, USA
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University of Maryland, College Park
Affiliation as printed
University of Maryland , College Park , MD ; Gabrielle Coppola ,
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Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg · University of Pavia
Affiliation as printed
Lavinia Barone , University of Pavia , Italy;
University of Erlangen - Nuremberg , Germany;
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Affiliation as printed
University of Helsinki , Finland;
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Affiliation as printed
Université Laval , Quebec City , Canada;
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Affiliation as printed
University of Genoa , Italy;
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Affiliation as printed
University of Guelph , Canada;
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Deborah B. Jacobvitz Aachen
Affiliation as printed
Leiden University , The Netherlands ;
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Affiliation as printed
Soomkyung Women's University , Seoul , South Korea; Femmie Juffer ,
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Affiliation as printed
Soomkyung Women's University , Seoul , South Korea; Femmie Juffer ,
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