Page 64 - S. Ličen, I. Karnjuš, & M. Prosen (Eds.). (2019). Women, migrations and health: Ensuring transcultural healthcare. Koper, University of Primorska Press.
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vanni Delli Zotti
choice in supplying information, and informed consent regarding the
nature and implications of the data required.
– Useful: the indicator acts as a marker of progress toward improved re-
productive health status or as a measure of progress toward specified
process goals.
– Scientifically robust: the indicator should be a valid, specific, sensitive,
and reliable reflection of what it purports to measure.
– Representative: the indicator must adequately encompass all the issues
or population groups it is expected to cover.
– Understandable: the indicator should be simple to define and its value
easy to interpret.
– Accessible: it uses data that are already available or are relatively easy
to acquire by feasible methods that have been validated in field trials.
In addition, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) (1996)
recommends that good indicators have the following characteristics:
– Participatory: the indicator has been developed in a participatory fash-
ion.
– Relevant: the indicator has been formulated at a level the user can un-
derstand and is relevant to the users’ needs.
– Sex-disaggregated: data are collected so that analysis can be conducted
separately for males and females, if appropriate.
– Qualitative or quantitative: data are either quantitative or qualitative, as
appropriate to the objectives of the project.
Noting that these are the characteristics authoritatively identified, a re-
searcher intending to collect original data is responsible for operating in
a way to satisfy them; intending instead to use pre-existing data, he can
only ascertain the existence of these characteristics. Finding any shortcom-
ing, he may look for alternative sources and/or recommend enhancing ac-
curacy in collecting the data. This is the case of the INTEGRA Project, since
researchers have the opportunity to suggest improvements, having also the
task of proposing guidelines.
Micro and Macro Level Indicators
When dealing with indicators and indexes, the level of measurement is an-
other aspect that must be carefully considered: it is a matter of deciding
whether indicators will be measured and/or used at an individual (micro)
62
choice in supplying information, and informed consent regarding the
nature and implications of the data required.
– Useful: the indicator acts as a marker of progress toward improved re-
productive health status or as a measure of progress toward specified
process goals.
– Scientifically robust: the indicator should be a valid, specific, sensitive,
and reliable reflection of what it purports to measure.
– Representative: the indicator must adequately encompass all the issues
or population groups it is expected to cover.
– Understandable: the indicator should be simple to define and its value
easy to interpret.
– Accessible: it uses data that are already available or are relatively easy
to acquire by feasible methods that have been validated in field trials.
In addition, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) (1996)
recommends that good indicators have the following characteristics:
– Participatory: the indicator has been developed in a participatory fash-
ion.
– Relevant: the indicator has been formulated at a level the user can un-
derstand and is relevant to the users’ needs.
– Sex-disaggregated: data are collected so that analysis can be conducted
separately for males and females, if appropriate.
– Qualitative or quantitative: data are either quantitative or qualitative, as
appropriate to the objectives of the project.
Noting that these are the characteristics authoritatively identified, a re-
searcher intending to collect original data is responsible for operating in
a way to satisfy them; intending instead to use pre-existing data, he can
only ascertain the existence of these characteristics. Finding any shortcom-
ing, he may look for alternative sources and/or recommend enhancing ac-
curacy in collecting the data. This is the case of the INTEGRA Project, since
researchers have the opportunity to suggest improvements, having also the
task of proposing guidelines.
Micro and Macro Level Indicators
When dealing with indicators and indexes, the level of measurement is an-
other aspect that must be carefully considered: it is a matter of deciding
whether indicators will be measured and/or used at an individual (micro)
62
