Texas A&M University, 4225 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-4225, USA.
Center for Autism and Behavioral Education Research, The University of Georgia, 509 Aderhold Hall, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
Res Dev Disabil. 2018 Aug;79:3-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2018.03.003. Epub 2018 Apr 12.
Single-case experimental designs (SCEDs), or small-n experimental research, are frequently implemented to assess approaches to improving outcomes for people with disabilities, particularly those with low-incidence disabilities, such as some developmental disabilities. SCED has become increasingly accepted as a research design. As this literature base is needed to determine what interventions are evidence-based practices, the acceptance of SCED has resulted in increased critiques with regard to methodological quality. Recent trends include recommendations from a number of expert scholars and institutions. The purpose of this article is to summarize the recent history of methodological quality considerations, synthesize the recommendations found in the SCED literature, and provide recommendations to researchers designing SCEDs with regard to essential and aspirational standards for methodological quality. Conclusions include imploring SCED to increase the quality of their experiments, with particular consideration regarding the applied nature of SCED research to be published in Research in Developmental Disabilities and beyond.
单病例实验设计（SCED）或小样本实验研究经常被用于评估改善残疾人士，特别是那些患有低发生率残疾人士，如某些发育障碍人士的结果的方法。SCED 已越来越被接受为一种研究设计。由于需要这个文献基础来确定哪些干预措施是基于证据的实践，因此 SCED 的接受导致了对方法质量的更多批评。最近的趋势包括一些专家学者和机构的建议。本文的目的是总结方法质量考虑因素的最新历史，综合 SCED 文献中发现的建议，并为设计 SCED 的研究人员提供有关方法质量的基本和理想标准的建议。结论包括呼吁 SCED 提高其实验的质量，特别是考虑到 SCED 研究在《发育障碍研究》及其他领域的应用性质。
