ch 2- recording and analysing data, drawing and communicating conclusions Flashcards
primary data
data collected through first hand research for an intended purpose
secondary data
data obtained second hand through research conducted by another person for another purpose
qualitative data
data that describes characteristics and qualities
quantitative data
data that includes measurable values and quantities and can be compared on a numerical scale
percentage
a part of a whole, a proportion out of 100
percentage change
a calculation of the degree of change in a value over time
measures of central tendency
category of statistics that describes the central value of a set of data
mean
a statistic that is the average value of a set of data
median
the middle value in an ordered set of data
mode
value that occurs most frequently within a set of data
measures of variability
category of statistics that describe the distribution of data
standard deviation
spread of the data around the mean
tables
a way to display data and or summarise statistics clearly
bar charts
a way to display data with discrete categories
line graph
a way to display numerical and continuous data
true value
the true value or range of values that would be found if the quantity could be measured perfectly
accuracy
how close a measurement is to the true value of the quantity being measured
precision
how close a set of measurement values agree with each other
repeatability
the closeness of the agreement between successive measurements of the same quantity, under the same conditions
reproducability
the closeness of the agreement between measurements of the same quantity, carried out under different conditions
validity
whether a measurement measures what is supposed to measure
internal validity
whether a study investigates what it sets out to or what it claims to investigate
external validity
whether the results of research can be applied to similar individuals in a different setting
personal errors
a mistake, miscalculation or observer error made when conducting research
measurement error
the difference between the measured and the true value
systematic error
an error that causes readings to differ from the true value by a consistent amount each time a measurement is made.
random error
an error that creates unpredictable variations in the measurement process and results in a spread of readings
uncertainty
a lack of exact knowledge of the value being measured
contradictory data
data that appears incorrect
incomplete data
data that has elements missing
outliers
a value that lies a long way from other results
opinion
a judgement that is not necessarily based on proof
anecdote
a short personal account of an event
evidence
a verified fact
conclusion
a statement about the findings of a study which addresses the aim and the hypothesis
limitations of conclusions
the faults or flaws in the design of an investigation design that may limit the conclusions of that investigation
implications
the impact a study might have on the population, relevant theory and future research
scientific report
report outlining why and how some research was conducted, with an analysis of the findings
abstract
a section of a scientific report that is a concise summary of the whole investigation
intro section
provides an overview of what the investigation is trying to achieve and why it is important
methodology
describes the participants, materials and procedures used in the study
results
outlines the evidence and findings of the study
discussion
analyses the findings and concludes the research
conclusion
