Geriatrics Research Methods Articles by Topic

The AGS Research Committee has compiled information on aging research methods and resources for researchers that are conducting research related to older adults. The information spans a wide range of topics from recruitment and retention of older adults, to methodological issues, useful statistical information, and much more.

Recruitment and Retention of Older Adults in Research

1. Recruitment and retention of older adults in aging research. 
2. Recruitment of African Americans and Asian Americans With Late-Life Depression and Mild Cognitive Impairment. 
3. An innovative approach to recruiting homebound older adults. 
4. Recruitment of older adults: an ongoing challenge. 
5. Enrolling older adults with cognitive impairment in research: lessons from a study of Tai Chi for osteoarthritis knee pain.
6. Difficulties in recruiting older people in clinical trials: an examination of barriers and solutions. 
7. Population reach and recruitment bias in a maintenance RCT in physically active older adults.
8. Sample bias in caregiving research. 
9. Issues and recommendations for the recruitment and retention of older ethnic minority adults into clinical research. 
10. A road map for the recruitment and retention of older adult participants for longitudinal studies. 

 Methodologic Issues

1. Methodologic issues in conducting research on hospitalized older people.
2. A comparison of two methods for identifying frail Medicare-aged persons.  

Statistical Issues for Researchers Focused on Aging

1. Investigating moderator hypotheses in aging research: statistical, methodological, and conceptual difficulties with comparing separate regressions.
2. Competing risk of death: an important consideration in studies of older adults.   
3. Evaluating health outcomes in the presence of competing risks: a review of statistical methods and clinical applications.
4. Missing Data: A Special Challenge in Aging Research.   

Research Instruments and Quality Indicators

1. Society of General Internal Medicine Research Dataset Compendium.  Lists, links, and descriptions of existing datasets designed to assist investigators, with a particular emphasis on health services research, clinical epidemiology, and research on medical education.  Provides information about their strengths and weaknesses, key references, and access information. 

1. Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research.  Data archive of more than 500,000 publicly available research files in the social sciences, including aging studies such as EPESE.
2. The Yale Geriatrics Research Instrument Library (GRIL) is a database of data collection instruments of interest to researchers in Geriatrics. They provide as much of the metadata allowed under copyright restrictions, including in many cases useable data collection forms in PDF format. At the minimum, basic descriptors, bibliographies and links to external websites are provided for each instrument. 
3. Gerontologic Research Algorithms and Statistical Programs (GRASP) is an online resource for statisticians and methodologists working in gerontological research. There are three main components to GRASP; an interactive page to help locate and display articles and programs, a wiki, and a discussion board.
4. The PEACE Project was a CMS contract review of aging research instruments and potential Quality Indicators, conducted at the Carolinas Center for Medical Excellence.  Search by domain and keyword for a list of instruments, their source, and review of reliability/validity.
5. Reference list of geriatric assessment tools from the Australian Department of Health and Aging.  

U13 Conference Proceedings: Aging Research Topics

1. Bedside-to-Bench Conference: Research Agenda for Idiopathic Fatigue and Aging.

Other Useful Links for Researchers Focused on Aging

1. American Federation for Aging Research 
2. National Institute on Aging Research Information
3. National Pepper Center Website (Claude D Pepper Older Americans Independence Centers (OAIC) Program)
4. Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Centers national home page
5. Hartford Foundation Bandwidth Online Communication Resource contains useful hints and tools to assist with messaging your research
6. Research Centers for Minority Aging Research
7. Guidelines for reporting research results:
   • MOOSE guidelines –systematic reviews of observational studies
   • STROBE guidelines –observational studies
   • CONSORT guidelines –randomized controlled trials
   • PRISMA guidelines –systematic reviews of randomized trials
   • Non-inferiority and equivalence trials
   • Cost-effectiveness analyses

AGS Researcher Liaisons

 AGS Research Committee Members who are willing to be contacted to facilitate connections with other aging researchers in their field