RESEARCH TERMS

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RESEARCH TERMS
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• Abstract
• A clear, concise summary of the study that
  communicates the essential information about the
  study. In research journals, it is usually
  located at the beginning of an article.
• Data
• Units of information or any statistics, facts,
  figures, general material, evidence, or knowledge
  collected during the course of the study.

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• Variables
• Attributes or characteristics that can have
  more than one value, such as height or weight. In
  other words, variables are qualities, quantities,
  properties, or characteristics of people, things,
  or situations that change or vary.
• Dependent variables
• Variables that change as the independent
  variable is manipulated by the researcher
  sometimes called the criterion variables.

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• Independent variables
• Variables that are purposely manipulated or
  changed by the researcher also called
  manipulated variables.
• Research variables
• These are the qualities, properties, or
  characteristics which are observed or measured in
  a natural setting without manipulating
  establishing cause--effect relationship

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• Demographic variables
• The characteristics attributes of the study
  subjects are considered demographic variables,
  for example, age, gender, educational status,
  religion, social class, marital status, habitat,
  occupation, income, medical diagnosis, so on.
• Extraneous variables
• Extraneous variables are the factors that are
  not the part of the study but may affect the
  measurement of the study variables.

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• Operational definition
• The way by which a researcher clarifies
  defines the variables under investigation. In
  addition, the researcher must also specify how
  the variables will be observed measured in the
  actual research situation.
• Concept
• A word picture or mental idea of phenomenon.
  Concepts are words or terms that symbolize some
  aspects of reality. For example, stress, pain, or
  love. Concepts are the building blocks of theory.

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• Construct
• A highly abstract, complex phenomenon
  (concept) is denoted by a made-up or construed
  term. A construct term is used to indicate a
  phenomenon that cannot be directly observed but
  must be inferred by certain concrete or
  less-abstract indicators of the phenomenon. For
  example, wellness, mental health, self-esteem
  are constructed, they can only be measured
  through indefinable measurable concept for
  example, wellness can only be assessed through
  laboratory data

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• Proposition
• A proposition is a statement or assertion of
  the relationship between concepts. For example,
  there is relationship between level of anxiety
  performance or virus causes acute illness.
  Proposition are drawn from theories or empirical
  data.
• Conceptual framework
• Interrelated concepts or abstractions that
  are assembled together in some rational scheme by
  virtue of their relevance to a common theme
  sometimes referred to as a conceptual theoretical
  framework if based on the concepts of an existing
  theory or theories.

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• Assumption
• Basic principle that is accepted as being true
  on the basis of logic or reason, without proof or
  verification.
• Hypothesis
• A statement of the predicted relationship
  between two or more variable in a research study
  an educated or calculated guess by researcher.
• Literature review
• A critical summary or research on a topic of
  interest, generally prepared to put a research
  problem in context or to identify gaps
  weaknesses in prior studies so as to justify a
  new investigation.

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• Limitations
• Restrictions in a study that may decrease the
  credibility generalization of the research
  findings.
• Manipulation
• An intervention or treatment introduced by the
  researcher in an experimental or
  quasi-experimental study the researcher
  manipulates the independent variable to assess
  its impact on the dependent variable.

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• Population
• The entire set of individuals or objects
  having some common characteristics selected for a
  research study (eg patients admitted in
  intensive care units) sometimes referred to as
  the universe of the research study.
• Target population
• The entire population in which the researchers
  are interested to which they would like to
  generalize the research finding.
• Accessible population
• The aggregate of cases that conform to
  designated inclusion or exclusion criteria that
  are accessible as subject of the study.

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• Research study setting
• The study setting is the location in which
  the research is conducted it could be natural,
  partially controlled, or highly controlled.
  Natural or field setting is an uncontrolled
  real-life situation. In a partially controlled
  situation, environment is partially modified to
  control extraneous variables, while in highly
  controlled situations, study environment is fully
  controlled to combat the effect of extraneous
  variables.
• Sample
• A part or subset of population selected to
  participate in research study.

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• Representative sample
• A sample whose characteristics are highly
  similar to that of the population from which it
  is drawn.
• Sampling
• The process of selecting sample from the
  target population to represent the entire
  population.
• Probability sampling
• The selection of subjects or sampling units
  from a population using random procedure example
  include simple random sampling, stratified random
  sampling, systematic sampling.

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• Nonprobability sampling
• The selection of subjects or sampling units
  from a population using nonrandom procedures
  examples include convenient, purposive, quota
  sampling.
• Reliability
• The degree of consistency or accuracy with
  which an instrument measures the attribute it is
  designed to measure.
• Validity
• The degree to which an instrument measures
  what it is intended to measure.

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• Pilot study
• Study carried out at the end of the planning
  phase of research in order to explore test the
  research elements to make relevant to make
  modification in research tools methodology.
• Analysis
• Method of organizing, sorting, scrutinizing
  data in such a way that research question can be
  answered or meaningful inferences can be drawn.
  

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