chap 1: Glossary Terms Flashcards
Accurate
without any mistakes
Authentication:
confirming that the submitted assessment has been completed by the student
Beneficence
an ethical concept that involves taking positive action that maximises the benefits and minimises the risks or potential harms
Bias
an error that occurs when an investigation is not randomised, particularly if the investigator is affected by their expectations of the outcome.
Control Group
a group is an investigation that receives no treatment (independent variable) so a baseline value can be established
Controlled Variable
the variable that is kept constant during an investigation in order to determine the relationship between the independent and dependent variables
Dependent Variable
the variable that is being measured and whose value depends on the independent variable
Ethics
a system of moral principles that considers what is good and bad for society
Extraneous Variable
a variable, other than the independent variable, that can influence the dependent variable
Gradient
the slope of a graph
Hypothesis
tentative prediction, or explanation of an observation, based on an existing model or theory
Independent Variable:
the variable changed or manipulated by the scientist and assumed to have an effect on the dependent variable
Integrity
an ethical concept that means being honest about ones actions, in science it means fully reporting data and acknowledging all sources of information
Justice
a moral obligation to give fair consideration to competing claims, not place unfair burden on a particular group, and ensure fair access and distribution of benefits of an action
Logbook
a legal record of an experimental investigations kept by scientists performing the investigations
Method
the steps taken to carry out a scientific investigation
Methodology
the broader framework of approach taken in the investigation to test your research question
Model
a representation of a system or phenomenon that explains the system or phenomenon. May be mathematical equations, computer simulation, physical object, words or some other form
Non-Maleficence
an ethical concept that involves avoiding harm or ensuring that harm caused by action is proportionate to the benefit gained from the action
Observation
acquisition of information through your senses
Outlier
a data point that does not fit the pattern shown by the other measured data points
Personal Error
a mistake of miscalculation due to human error
Precise
how closely together measurements are to one another
Primary Data
data that you have measured or collected yourself
Qualitative Data
a measurement with descriptive or non-numerical results
Quantitative Data
a measurement with numerical values
Random Error
an unpredictable variation in measurement; can be improved by taking multiple measurements and calculating an average
References
list of all sources used for the write-up of an investigation
Reliable
highly likely to be a trustworthy source of information
Repeatable
an investigation that can be conducted again by the same investigator under the same conditions to generate similar results
Replicates
independent samples that allow you to take multiple measurements, increasing the reliability of your data
Reproducible
giving the same result within uncertainty limits; when repeated measurements are made by a different investigator
Research Question
A specific question that a particular investigation or investigator is attempting to answer
Respect
an ethical concept that considers the rights of an individual or group
Risk Assessment
a process of evaluating potential risks of an investigation
Secondary Data
data that has been measured and collected by someone other than you
Secondary Source
a source of information that has been obtained from another source
Systematic Error
a predictable deviation in data
Theory
a collection of models and concepts that explains specific systems or phenomena; scientific theories allow predictions to be made and hence are falsifiable
True Value
a value obtained in an ideal measurement
Uncertainty
a range of values that the true value falls within
Valid
describes results that are affected by only a single independent variable and hence are reproducible
Variable
something that can change or be changes, as distinct from a constant, which does not change
