How big is the elephant in the room?:Estimated and actual IT costs in an online behaviour change trial

McCambridge, Jim, O'Donnell, Orla, Godfrey, Christine, Khadjesari, Zarnie ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2958-9555, Linke, Stuart, Murray, Elizabeth and Wallace, Paul (2010) How big is the elephant in the room?:Estimated and actual IT costs in an online behaviour change trial. BMC Research Notes, 3. ISSN 1756-0500

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: The practical and methodological challenges inherent in online behaviour change studies are both novel and complex. We relate our experiences of estimating and managing information technology (IT) research and intervention costs in an ongoing internet trial in the hope that others will find this information useful.  FINDINGS: Actual IT costs were approximately twice those that had been originally estimated by external contractors. These original estimates for IT costs allowed little scope for the identification of new needs, which was intrinsic to the iterative nature of the research enterprise.  CONCLUSIONS: Making greater provision for the uncertain nature of these costs in future studies is a key practical lesson for the planning of future online behaviour change studies.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: information technology,main trial,great provision,research cost,manage information technology
Faculty \ School: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > School of Health Sciences
UEA Research Groups: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Health Promotion
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Lifespan Health
Depositing User: Pure Connector
Date Deposited: 09 Apr 2018 15:30
Last Modified: 19 Oct 2023 02:10
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/66706
DOI: 10.1186/1756-0500-3-172

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