DISTINGUISHING TECHNICAL TERMS USED IN RESEARCH Flashcards
Research, according to Merriam-
Webster’s Dictionary, is a —- — or ——-.
studious inquiry,
examination
Research, in broad definition, is
the __________. It is a
_____ study to ______.
process of collecting and
analyzing data,
systematic,
generate
or discover knowledge
- an answerable inquiry into a
specific concern or issue - defines what problem or
opportunity you’re looking at and
what your research goals are
RESEARCH QUESTION
-any information that has been
collected, observed, generated or
created to validate original
research findings
RESEARCH DATA
-supposition or proposed
explanation made on the basis of
limited evidence as starting point
for further investigation
HYPOTHESIS
- refers to a person, place, thing,
or phenomenon that you are
trying to measure in some way
VARIABLE
-Variable that is changed
-is the cause
Ex. Amount of Water
INDEPENDENT VARIABLE
-Variable affected by the change
-is the effect
Ex. Size of plant,
Number of leaves,
Living or dead?
DEOEBDENT VARIABLE
- the individual that participates in
research
SUBJECT
- refers to a smaller version of a
larger group or subset of a larger
population
SAMPLE
- are potential weaknesses,
restrictions and constraints within
the research design that may
influence the outcomes and
conclusions of the research
Limitations of the Study
- a procedure for selecting sample
members from a population
Sampling Method
- a way, technique or process of
doing something
Method
- In research, —— are
procedures for collecting and
analyzing data. - Common ——- are surveys,
interviews, observation, Focus
Group Discussions (FGD), etc.
Methods
When planning your methods,
there are two things to consider:
(1)—–,
and (2) —-.
Your methods depend on what type
of data you need to answer your
research question.
how you will collect data,
how you will analyze
the data you have collected
Will your data take the form of
words or numbers?
Qualitative vs. Quantitative:
Will you collect original data
yourself, or will you use data
that has already been collected
by someone else?
Primary vs. Secondary:
-Focuses on testing theories and hypotheses
-is analyzed through math and statistical analysis
-Mainly exoressed in numbers, graphs, and tables
-Requires many respondents
-Closed (Multiple-choice) questions
-Key terms are: Testing,measurement, objectivity, replicability
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
-Focuses on exploring ideas and formulating a theory or hypothesis
-Is summarizes by analyzing, categorizing and interpreting.
-Mainly expressed in words
-Requires few respondents
-Open-ended questions
-Key terms are: understanding, context, complexity, and subjectivity
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
-These are original documents or research.
Ex. Diaries
Interviews
Speeches
Academic Research- often printed in scholarly journals
Fiction (Novels, poetry, short stories)
Primary Sources
-These are works that synthesize, summarize, and/or interpret primary sources
Ex. Encyclopedias
Histories
Reviews
Textbooks
Magazine Articles
Biographies
Secondary Sources
