# Ecig Research



## PsychStudent

Not sure how this works but I've got an online survey running and need about 350 participants.
The research is being conducted as part of my academic year so I REALLY need as many responses as possible for the results to be significant! Participants need to be current e-cig users living in SA. I don't need names and it's really quick and simple. Please show some support guys and follow the link below. Spread it to fellow SA vapers as well please  thanks

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ecigresearchstudysa


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## DoubleD

You need a few 'none' options on a few questions. like #24 for instance


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## Kuhlkatz

Done. Agree with DoubleD. 0 is also less than 10, but so is 9, and most of us definitely don't smoke 9 a day any more. Instead, I go through about 9ml of 6mg juice though.
Cutting down vaping can mean vaping less frequent or reducing nicotine content. Most vapers tend to do automatically reduce the nicotine content of their e-liquids as they acquire newer and more effective gear, but the joose consumption then increases due to the thirstier equipment.


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## Nick

Done .. but .. if i may suggest as the others have a change to Q25 and have a zero rating. . Well done for doing this.. there must be a huge opportunity for research in this area..


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## zadiac

I will do the survey after it's been changed/corrected. A lot of those questions I cannot answer because my answer is not there.


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## hands

23 and 24 have no options for me to pick. i have and i am sure most on the forum have completely given up and have no need or want to smoke again. 27 also do not have options for me and i think you should separate smoking and vaping to get better results.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## PsychStudent

Thanks for the feedback. The reasons for the questions being the way that they are is because there are currently no official measures to actually apply to vaping because vaping research is still very fresh. I understand though because I myself am a vaper. But I cannot change the questions I have used willy nilly because I need to first prove reliability and validity. I have to unfortunately follow the rules in order for the results to be significant. But thanks for participating and subsequently adding to vaping research. Future research will probably be more sophisticated but these are still the baby steps to get to that level

Reactions: Like 2


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## ET

PsychStudent said:


> Thanks for the feedback. The reasons for the questions being the way that they are is because there are currently no official measures to actually apply to vaping because vaping research is still very fresh. I understand though because I myself am a vaper. But I cannot change the questions I have used willy nilly because I need to first prove reliability and validity. I have to unfortunately follow the rules in order for the results to be significant. But thanks for participating and subsequently adding to vaping research. Future research will probably be more sophisticated but these are still the baby steps to get to that level



Well I in good conscience cannot and will not complete a survey that has a question like #24. As you yourself said, you are a vaper and including a question like that flies in the face of what most of us here have accomplished or hope to accomplish and that is completely quitting tobacco cigarettes. 
Completing the survey enters into public record that you still smoke tobacco cigarettes. I urge anyone and everyone to not fill in this survey until it has been properly rectified

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Andre

ET said:


> Well I in good conscience cannot and will not complete a survey that has a question like #24. As you yourself said, you are a vaper and including a question like that flies in the face of what most of us here have accomplished or hope to accomplish and that is completely quitting tobacco cigarettes.
> Completing the survey enters into public record that you still smoke tobacco cigarettes. I urge anyone and everyone to not fill in this survey until it has been properly rectified


Agree, we on this forum have completed many an international survey and are more than happy to do so, but not under those circumstances.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Noddy

I tried to complete the survey, but can't complete because I dont smoke cigarettes anymore.

You are saying I have to lie, which will give your survey false results.

Your survey can already be discredited because Im sure some participants completed falsely just for the sake of completing it.


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## Eequinox

can't do this question 23 on-wards does not relate to me in any way the results would be bogus and they make no sense why would the survey asked if i have stopped stinkies for a certain time then later asked how many i smoke this survey is all wrong and an insult !

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## Noddy

Looks more like the results will prove that vaping does NOT help to stop smoking...


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## Eequinox

Noddy said:


> Looks more like the results will prove that vaping does NOT help to stop smoking...


i get the same idea the questions are way to one sided


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## DoubleD

Wish I didnt complete it now....

I totally agree with @ET and @Andre


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## Eequinox

i


DoubleD said:


> Wish I didnt complete it now....
> 
> I totally agree with @ET and @Andre[/QUOTEi would like to complete it as well but the questions are all wrong and have not been thought through


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## PsychStudent

I understand your point and I think perhaps we share the same frustration because I do not smoke cigarettes anymore either. However, questions 21-26 are from an official measure used to elicit information regarding nicotine dependence. This measure has not been adapted to vaping. As I've said, vaping research is still in its very early phases. I cannot change the questions as this would affect the reliability and validity of the measure. And essentially your nicotine dependence is what is being measured not your tobacco intake. Tobacco intake is asked in a previous question. Questions 21-26 simply assess your level of nicotine dependence...and yes this is done assuming that tobacco is your nicotine delivery system but it will not be used to draw inferences about tobacco intake. I personally cannot change an internationally used measure as I see fit. And currently there are no nicotine dependence assessments that assume vaping is the delivery system, which have been proven reliable and valid. This is what we are working toward. Research like this is often used to show discrepancies and flaws so that assessments can be adapted or developed to make research more accurate. And yes, international research may be ahead of us but we first need to put SA research on the map before anything else. Whatever the results, I will have to discuss them and make appropriate suggestions. Believe me, as a vaper I understand but this is academic research and there are protocols to follow. I can't simply change things as I please but your feedback is most welcome as it will inform how I proceed with discussing the results....either way I need participants to get results in order to make any kind of conclusion (whether it's to show that these kinds of measures cannot be applied to vaping in the way it is to tobacco or to show that vaping significantly decreases tobacco intake in South Africans).

Reactions: Like 1


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## PsychStudent

And also...the results so far are looking quite positive actually


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## Yusuf Cape Vaper

I understand the sentiment of psychstudent, and he is more than right. We need to look at the survey at a global and educational level. Well done on the survey bud, setup very well. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Andre

PsychStudent said:


> I understand your point and I think perhaps we share the same frustration because I do not smoke cigarettes anymore either. However, questions 21-26 are from an official measure used to elicit information regarding nicotine dependence. This measure has not been adapted to vaping. As I've said, vaping research is still in its very early phases. I cannot change the questions as this would affect the reliability and validity of the measure. And essentially your nicotine dependence is what is being measured not your tobacco intake. Tobacco intake is asked in a previous question. Questions 21-26 simply assess your level of nicotine dependence...and yes this is done assuming that tobacco is your nicotine delivery system but it will not be used to draw inferences about tobacco intake. I personally cannot change an internationally used measure as I see fit. And currently there are no nicotine dependence assessments that assume vaping is the delivery system, which have been proven reliable and valid. This is what we are working toward. Research like this is often used to show discrepancies and flaws so that assessments can be adapted or developed to make research more accurate. And yes, international research may be ahead of us but we first need to put SA research on the map before anything else. Whatever the results, I will have to discuss them and make appropriate suggestions. Believe me, as a vaper I understand but this is academic research and there are protocols to follow. I can't simply change things as I please but your feedback is most welcome as it will inform how I proceed with discussing the results....either way I need participants to get results in order to make any kind of conclusion (whether it's to show that these kinds of measures cannot be applied to vaping in the way it is to tobacco or to show that vaping significantly decreases tobacco intake in South Africans).


Sorry, all these learned words do not convince me at all. It is ok to be wrong because we are SA and needs to be put on the map with questions, which clearly are nonsensical!

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Nick

I wonder if they use the same premise that doctors use when they ask you how many cigarettes you smoke a day.. if you say 20 they put down 30 they assume that you would not be honest about something that you know doctors object to... by quoting a lower number you do not feel as bad .. I read some psych report about this year's ago...so the assumption being if you need nicotine you would get it from both sources...this is incorrect for many of us.. I only vape now..

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Alex

In my view the questions seem intentionally designed to potentially skew the results, regardless of the outcome. 

There are many on-line examples of good surveys available for reference in future studies.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## PsychStudent

Thing is I can't just take any old survey example because it has to be standardised to a South African population, it needs reliability and validity scores. This is why I have chosen these measures to obtain the information I need. This is quantitative research so I still need to statistically analyse the data. At the end of this I'm not going to say "okay cool...50 people said they smoke less than 10 cigarettes so ya that's what I found". The measures I have used obtain specific data which I am then going to analyse to find correlations. The questions (measures) have been used in international vaping studies and pilot vaping studies, that's where they have been taken from. I have not made up the questions. That's not how research works. I personally want nothing more than positive results because I know ecigs helped me to stop smoking, so I wouldn't set up my research for failure and disappointment, if I were to set it up how I want to. I cannot mould the questions to elicit positive results either. Questions 21-26 is a measure called the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence...Each of the questions are scored to give an overall score which categorises your level of nicotine dependence. I did not develop this measure. It has been used extensively in smoking research all over the world. This measure has not been adapted to vaping and there isn't a similar well known measure that has been standardised with reliability and validity scores. There is a lack of tools and measures in vaping research but that's one of the many points I'm trying to prove with this research which will help to inform future research

Reactions: Informative 1


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## Andre

PsychStudent said:


> Thing is I can't just take any old survey example because it has to be standardised to a South African population, it needs reliability and validity scores. This is why I have chosen these measures to obtain the information I need. This is quantitative research so I still need to statistically analyse the data. At the end of this I'm not going to say "okay cool...50 people said they smoke less than 10 cigarettes so ya that's what I found". The measures I have used obtain specific data which I am then going to analyse to find correlations. The questions (measures) have been used in international vaping studies and pilot vaping studies, that's where they have been taken from. I have not made up the questions. That's not how research works. I personally want nothing more than positive results because I know ecigs helped me to stop smoking, so I wouldn't set up my research for failure and disappointment, if I were to set it up how I want to. I cannot mould the questions to elicit positive results either. Questions 21-26 is a measure called the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence...Each of the questions are scored to give an overall score which categorises your level of nicotine dependence. I did not develop this measure. It has been used extensively in smoking research all over the world. This measure has not been adapted to vaping and there isn't a similar well known measure that has been standardised with reliability and validity scores. There is a lack of tools and measures in vaping research but that's one of the many points I'm trying to prove with this research which will help to inform future research


I have done many vaping surveys in which the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence was adapted to include vapers no longer smoking. A simple Google search will confirm thus. I attach just one in which it was done.

Reactions: Like 4 | Winner 1


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## PsychStudent

I am well acquainted with that particular survey as it was the main inspiration for the design of my survey. I am actually literally using the questions from their survey hence why I cannot change it. A careful read through however will show you that they refer to the questionnaire as Fagerstrom Test for Cigarette Dependence. The questionnaire they use is not actually adapted for vaping. The very first question they ask refers to cigarettes and not e-cigarettes. And also they use a split sample...ex-smokers vs current smokers. Their statistical procedures are completely different to mine although I am using their question format. Their study is slightly more complex but I do not have a big enough window period to conduct such an in depth study


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## Andre

PsychStudent said:


> I am well acquainted with that particular survey as it was the main inspiration for the design of my survey. I am actually literally using the questions from their survey hence why I cannot change it. A careful read through however will show you that they refer to the questionnaire as Fagerstrom Test for Cigarette Dependence. The questionnaire they use is not actually adapted for vaping. The very first question they ask refers to cigarettes and not e-cigarettes. And also they use a split sample...ex-smokers vs current smokers. Their statistical procedures are completely different to mine although I am using their question format. Their study is slightly more complex but I do not have a big enough window period to conduct such an in depth study


"...not adapted for vaping.". Really, it is a vaping questionnaire - the Fagerstrom Test was adapted. I am afraid your logic is beyond me, but thank you for trying to answer our queries. I, for one, shall not partake in your survey. Good luck with it.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## PsychStudent

Where was it adapted? In what published research? Dawkins did not adapt it for vaping. In their survey the Fagerstrom is adapted to past tense because it was used on the ex smokers sample. It was used to assess nicotine dependence in people who previously smoked tobacco. The questions still ask about cigarette use not vaping. If they had adapted it I would have used it since I'm using their other questions but it wasn't adapted so I didn't. Please don't question my logic if you cannot read an article properly. I've had to do a literature review and I've had to write up a proposal for this research to be approved by people who probably know alot more about academic research than you and I. I've had to justify all my decisions to those people. I haven't simply put some random questions up on the internet hoping to make some horrible claims about vaping. Research is a technical and systematic process so I'm following the rules set out by people who know better. This survey has been extensively discussed with research fundis and I'm sorry if you don't understand exactly what it is that I'm trying to do. I have tried to explain but I can't force people to understand. I respect your decision to decline participation...that is your right. And like I said your feedback is most welcome because it will help to inform my argument at the end when I discuss the strengths and limitations, and make suggestions for future research. And again I understand your frustration because I am a vaper myself but I have explained why I cannot bend the rules of research

Reactions: Like 1


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## PsychStudent

A screenshot of the methods section of Dawkins article. Read point C carefully. Clearly discusses what they did with the Fagerstrom


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## Andre

Yes, I did read that carefully the first time. Adapted for vapers who are ex-smokers, which the vast majority of the audience here are. The simple point is your survey does not give that option and forces the participant to say he/she still smokes. And none of the reasons you have submitted to try and explain this makes any sense to me, bearing in mind that many other surveys do make this distinction.

Reactions: Agree 3


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## PsychStudent

Yes their survey has two samples. They distinguish between ex smokers and current smokers. I do not have the time window to conduct such an in depth study to have separate sample groups so I have tried to obtain the info from one sample. Question 21 allows you the option to select that you no longer smoke cigarettes so there isn't actually a need to fiddle with question 24. I can see who has selected that they no longer smoke. But I have tweaked the questions so that now you can tell me twice that you don't smoke anymore. Please feel free to try the survey now that I have tweaked it and let me know if you still are not happy

Reactions: Like 3 | Winner 1


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## Andre

Thank you, that is all we asked. Have now completed your survey with pleasure.


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## Noddy

I also completed it now. Thanks

Reactions: Like 1


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## BumbleBee

Done

Reactions: Like 1


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## Silver

Well done @Andre for giving that feedback
And well done @PsychStudent for tweaking your survey slightly.
Wish you well with it

Hope you will share some of the insights that came from it when you are ready

Reactions: Like 2


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## Stroodlepuff

Done


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