research methods and bio ethics

Question 1

validity

Answer 1

a measurement is said to be valid if it measures what it is supposed to be measuring.
An experiment is said to be valid if it investigates what it sets out and/or claims to investigate.

Question 2

accuracy

Answer 2

the accuracy of a measurement relates to how close it is to the ‘true’ value of the
quantity being measured.

Question 3

true value

Answer 3

the value, or range of values, that would be found if the quantity could be
measured perfectly.

Question 4

precision

Answer 4

refers to how closely a set of measurement values agree with each other.
Precision gives no indication of how close the measurements are to the true value and is
therefore a separate consideration to accuracy.

Question 5

reproducibility

Answer 5

• under different conditions
  the closeness of the agreement between the results of measurements of the
  same quantity being measured, carried out under changed conditions of measurement. These
  different conditions include a different method of measurement, different observer, different
  measuring instrument, different location, different conditions of use, and different time.

Question 6

repeatability

Answer 6

• under same conditions
  the closeness of the agreement between the results of successive
  measurements of the same quantity being measured, carried out under the same conditions of
  measurement. These conditions include the same measurement procedure, the same
  observer, the same measuring instrument used under the same conditions, the same location,
  and repetition over a short period of time.

Question 7

consequence based

Answer 7

max pos outcome, min neg outcome

Question 8

duty / rules based

Answer 8

• persons duty to act a certain way
• ethical rules must be followed

Question 9

virtues based

Answer 9

• virtue/ moral obligation of person and the things they should do

Question 10

integrity

Answer 10

• commitment to knowledge and understanding
• honest report of sources and results open to scrutiny and for public knowledge

Question 11

justice

Answer 11

• moral obligation, fairness/fair consideration of competing claims
• fair distribution and access to benefits
• no group suffering more

Question 12

non malificience

Answer 12

• avoiding the causation of harm
• make sure harm isn’t disproportionate to the benefits

Question 13

beneficience

Answer 13

• minimising risks/harm and maximising benefit

Question 14

respect

Answer 14

• extent to which living things have value

Question 15

personal error

Answer 15

mistakes/miscalculations

Question 16

random error (precision)

Answer 16

present in all measurements
- unpredictable variation in measurements
- reduced by repeated measurements, calculating mean, refining measurement tecnique

Question 17

systematic error (accuracy)

Answer 17

• cause readings to differ from true value
• all readings shifted from true value
• improved by repeating

Question 18

uncertainty

Answer 18

• lack of knowledge of value of quantity