Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

The Mediverse 4.1 > Research Methods > Flashcards

Research Methods Flashcards

1
Q

Briefly explain Author Index?

A

Author index is simply a listing of authors names arranged alphabetically in a specific publication, journal or database.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Why is author indexing valuable?

A

This style of arrangement helps researchers to locate articles written by a specific author. It also helps in tracking an authors contribution to a field over time.

(It’s just like searching an artist on YouTube or Spotify to see all their works arranged in one place)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Where is author index found?

A

Author index is found in the back of books, in journal compilations, or digital libraries (e.g Pubmed or Google scholar)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is General subject index

A

General subject index refers to categorized alphabetical list of subjects covered in a book, journal or database with page references or links to related works.

(General subject index is just basically like searching Google for books on a particular topic, e.g; Psychology books, love books, and it given you different books relating to that topic.)

General subject index helps users to locate information on a specific topic quickly.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Explain Current Contents?

A

Current contents is a subscription based service or database providing the table of contents of the latest issues of academic journals.

(This style just works like subscribing to a YouTube channel, so you can get updated about newest contents.
Or like that Spotify playlist for new songs every Friday).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is the purpose for this indexing style?

A

Current contents helps with keeping researchers up-to-date on newest studies and trends on publications in their field.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Give an example of a Current contents indexing service provider?

A

Clarivate current contents connect

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is Index Medicus?

A

Index Medicus is a comprehensive bibliographic indeed of medical, scientific and healthcare related articles.

The index Medicus was published by the U.S national library of Medicine(NLM) from 1879 - 2004.

Index Medicus formed the basis for databases like Medline and Pubmed.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Here are some tips on the different indexing styles.

A

The different indexing patterns just basically sorts your information based on different parameters.

Author index, focuses on individuals
General subject index focuses on topics
Current contents focuses on recent publications.
Index Medicus focuses on similar recommendations

Author index = who wrote it?
General subject index= what is it about?
Current contents = what’s new
Index medicus = Medical research.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Talk about Chemical/Biological abstract?

A

A comprehensive database/service that summarises research articles, reports, and patents in the field of chemistry and biology.
CA/BA are basically research search engines for chemistry and biology

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Specifically, explain Chemical abstract (CA)?

A

Published by chemical abstract service(CAS), a division of the American Chemical Society (ACS).
It contains summaries of chemical research, including organic/inorganic chemistry, Pharmaceuticals, material science and environmental science.
It also contains details about chemical reactions, properties and compound structures.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is the purpose of Chemical Abstracts?

A

The essence of Chemical Abstracts is to provide researchers with witch access to precise, relevant studies without reading full articles.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is biological abstract(BA)

A

Published by Clarivate analytics.
It contains articles from journals, conferences and books particularly pertaining to life sciences (e.g micro biology, genetics and ecology).

It helps researchers fine summaries of biological research and trends.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is a Reprint request?

A

Reprint request is a formal request to the author of a published paper for a copy of their article.
Simply put, it is just a formal way to ask for a copy of a published research article from the author.

It is done via email or sent via a request form

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Explain personal communication?

A

Refers to unpublished data or insight shared between researchers often via emails, phone calls or physical meetings.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Explain Electronic Bibliographical Index

A

Electronic bibliographical index is a digital database that catalogs a vast collection of published works such as;
Books, journal articles and and conference papers. Making it easier for researchers to find and reference specific works.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Examples of Electronic Bibliographical Index

A

1.Pubmed
2. Scopus
3. Web of science
4. Google scholar

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Can you list the benefits of Electronic Bibliographical Index?

A
  1. It is comprehensive
  2. It helps researchers locate relevant information easily.
  3. It supports proper referencing by exporting citation details (APA, MLA, Chicago)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Mention the Components of an electronic Bibliographical Index?

A
  1. Search engine
  2. Citation data
  3. Abstracts
  4. Link to full texts
  5. Citation metrics (how many times an article has been cited)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Talk about Pubmed ?

A

Pubmed is an electronic Bibliographical Index Focusing on life sciences, medicine and biomedical research. It is owned by U.S National library of Medicine (NLM).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Talk about Scopus

A

is an electronic Bibliographical Index Focusing on multi disciplinary academic literature. It also analyses citations and tracks research impact.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Talk about Google scholar?

A

is an electronic Bibliographical Index Focusing on broad academic coverage. It provides free access to articles, tracking citations, and related works.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Talk about Web of science?

A

It is basically Peer - reviewed journals in sciences, arts and Humanities. It contains advanced vision analysis tools.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Talk about ERIC (Education Resources information centre)

A

It Focuses on education research and resources

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

Explain Data handling

A

Simply involves collecting, organising, analysing and presenting data to extract meaningful insights.

26
Q

Components of Data handling

A
  1. Data Collection: using experiments, surveys or other methods.
  2. Data Organisation: Structuring raw data into manageable formats (e.g tables or databases) data arrangement.
  3. Data Analysis: refers to the extraction of insights and testing of hypothesis.
  4. Data Presentation: refers to displaying results through visuals like charts or graphs for clarity.

Simply C-O-A-P

27
Q

Explain Summary Methods?

A

Summary Methods refers to simplifying large datasets into smaller understandable formats.

28
Q

Mention some common summary methods ;

A
  1. Descriptive statistics (including; mean, median, mode, range, standard deviation)
  2. Frequency distribution
  3. Percentage/ Ratios
  4. Grouped data summary(required when dealing with large data sets, dividing them in intervals)
29
Q

Explain illustration of Data?

A

Illustration of Data refers to visuals (images, designs, charts/graphs, tables, scatter plots, box plots.)

30
Q

What are some tips for Effective data illustration?

A
  1. Choose right format (e.g piechart for percentages, line graphs for trends.
  2. Label clearly
  3. Avoid overcrowded design, simplify your presentation(minimalist)
31
Q

What are Scientific papers?

A

Scientific papers report original research findings, they follow a structured format to ensure clarity and reproducibility.

32
Q

Enumerate the structure of a scientific paper

A
  1. Title
  2. Abstract
  3. Introduction
  4. Materials and methods
  5. Results
  6. Discussion
  7. Conclusion
  8. References
33
Q

List some tips for writing Scientific Papers.

A
  1. Use clear, concise and objective language
  2. Avoid jargon unless necessary
  3. Proof read for grammatical errors and consistency.
  4. Adhere to journal guidelines for formatting and submissions.
34
Q

What is a Research Proposal?

A

A Research Proposal outlines a planned study, and is often required for funding, approval or academic purposes.

35
Q

What are the components of a research proposal?

A
  1. Title page
  2. Abstract
  3. Introduction
  4. Methodology
  5. Literature review
  6. Expected results
  7. Budget
  8. Timeline
  9. References
36
Q

Briefly differentiate between a scientific paper and a research proposal?

A

A Scientific Paper reports completed research findings, while
A Research Proposal plans a study to be conducted.

37
Q

What is a Review?

A

A review summarises and critically analyses existing literature on a specific topic

38
Q

Explain any 3 types of reviews

A
  1. Narrative reviews: This type is a broad overview, without strict methodology.
    2.Systematic reviews: These ones are comprehensive, methodical synthesis of studies. It often even includes a meta analysis.
  2. Literature review: is found in theses or dissertations to establish research context.
39
Q

Briefly explain books.

A

Books provide comprehensive knowledge on a subject, often for educational purposes or advanced research.

40
Q

Mention some features of academic books?

A
  1. Monographs: means it focuses on a single topic in-depth
  2. Edited volumes: refer to collections of chapters by different authors on a related theme.
41
Q

What is a Journal?

A

Journal papers communicate original research findings to the scientific community.

42
Q

Mention some types of journal papers.

A
  1. Original research articles
  2. Case reports
  3. Review articles
  4. Short communications
43
Q

What are some common errors in Journal papers?

A
  1. Title being too vague or long
  2. Abstract missing essential details
  3. Overloading background information without defining objectives
  4. Lack of clarity in methodology
  5. Mixing results with interpretation
  6. Poor visual representation of data
44
Q

What are some common errors in text preparation

A
  1. The use of ambiguous language and poorly structured arguments.
  2. Overuse of technical jargon
  3. Grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement
  4. Inconsistent formatting (font, spacing)
  5. Poor sentence structure leading to redundancy or vagueness
  6. Unlabeled or poorly labelled visuals
  7. Overloading tables/graphs with excessive information
  8. Missing or incorrect citations
  9. Using non academic sources in football writing
  10. Sound review stage, leading to typographical errors.
  11. Failure to adhere to specific journal or publisher guidelines
45
Q

What are illustrations and how are they used?

A

Illustrations refer to visual representations, such as diagrams, charts, graphs and images that enhance the understanding of the text.

Illustrations are used to clarify complex information and highlight key results or concepts.
They also make the document visually appealing.

46
Q

Enumerate some key principles for illustration

A
  1. Relevance
  2. Clarity
  3. Consistency
  4. Captions
47
Q

Mention some types of illustrations?

A
  1. Graphs (line graphs, bar charts)
  2. Diagrams (flowcharts, anatomical diagrams)
  3. Tables
  4. Images
48
Q

What are references and why are they important?

A

References are citations to previously published work that support your argument or provide background information.

References are important because they acknowledge others work, and demonstrate the score of your research.

49
Q

Mention any 4 referencing styles

A
  1. APA
  2. MLA
  3. Chicago
  4. Vancouver
50
Q

APA style means?

A

American Psychological Association style

51
Q

Talk about APA style?

A

APA style is widely adopted in social sciences, including fields such as:
Social sciences, Psychology, sociology, and education.
In-text= (Author, Year)
References= Author (Year). Title. Publisher

52
Q

MLA means?

A

Modern Language Association

53
Q

Explain MLA style?

A

MLA style is primarily used in the humanities, particularly in writing about language and literature.
In-text= (Author. Page number)
References= Author. “Title”. Journal, Vol., no., Year, Pages.

54
Q

Talk about Chicago style (Notes and Bibliography) ?

A

The Chicago style favoured in disciplines such as; history, art history, and theology, offers 2 documentation systems
Notes and Bibliography
Author-date

55
Q

What are the properties of Vancouver style?

A

In-text: superscript numbers in brackets
References: Author(s). Title. Journal. Year; Volume(issue): page range

56
Q

Explain Units?

A

Units provide standard measurements for a given system.
The key standard is the use of International system of units (SI), e.g
1. Length - meters (m)
2. Mass - kilogram (kg)
3. Time - seconds (s)
4. Temperature - Kelvin (K) or Celsius (°c)

Consistency is important. If you’re using cm, use all through and do not mix with m

57
Q

What are symbols?

A

Symbols are shorthand representations of variables, constants or elements in scientific writing. Examples:
Δ = Change
Na = Sodium (for chemical quantities)

58
Q

What are Abbreviations?

A

Abbreviations shorten and simplify repeated terms and save space.

59
Q

What is Critical Analysis?

A

Critical Analysis, involves evaluating the strength, weaknesses and overall impact of the scientific publication.

60
Q

What are the steps for Critical Analysis?

A
  1. Understand the research context
  2. Evaluate the methodology
  3. Examine the results and discussion
  4. Assess the writing quality.
  5. Check for limitations.
61
Q

What are some qualities of a good Research?

A
  1. Clear purpose
  2. Systematic approach
  3. Originality and Innovation
  4. Relevance
  5. Reproducibility
  6. Critical thinking and objectivity
  7. Reliability and validity
  8. Peer reviewed, etc.
62
Q

What is Research?

A

Research is a systematic process of studying, collecting, organising and analysing data or a group of data in order to discover a new information

The Mediverse 4.1 (6 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions