vocabulary Flashcards
abductive reasoning
A type of reasoning that uses creative intuition as the basis for possible directions for inquiry.
brainstorming
To spontaneously think of ideas
case study design
A qualitative research design that examines time-sensitive activities that have explicit and tacit rules that affect human experience and interaction
causation
Establishing, through scientific inquiry, the reasons for specific effects occurring
comparative analysis
Examination of the component parts of subject or object for purposes of discussion.
comparative research
Examination of the constituent parts of a subject or object as a basis for ascertaining fact or drawing conclusions.
constructivist paradigm
A paradigm in which researchers view knowledge and reality as socially constructed, which places an emphasis on contextual factors.
content expert
The content expert is selected by the learner based on the specific area of interest in the dissertation. They provide valuable feedback on the proposal and dissertation.
convergent design
A mixed-method design that collects and analyzes both quantitative and qualitative data simultaneously, compares the two datasets, and then interprets combined findings.
correlation
Establishing, through scientific inquiry, the degree of association between variables.
critical thinking
An engaged examination of component characteristics of a problem or question, taking acquired knowledge and new knowledge in to account in order to develop an informed, coherent and clear position.
deductive reasoning
A type of reasoning that subtracts items no longer relevant because of new information.
dissertation chair
In charge of the dissertation committee. Chairs are selected because of their knowledge of GCU’s dissertation process, overall research experience, and skills in coordination. GCU provides each learner with a chair.
dissertation committee
Consists of a chair and a methodologist supplied by the University, and a content expert selected by the learner.
doctoral DNA
A high-level design concept that has been used in the development of all doctoral programs to ensure that research and dissertation skills are embedded through the program, proper support structures are in place, and the curriculum is scaffolded and effectively creates learners who can balance application and theory.
engaging doctoral learners
GCU uses the acronym “EDL” to refer to the specific development of curriculum, training of faculty, and buildup of support for learners in the first courses to promote a successful start to the program.
enrollment counselor
A college representative who initially assists learners in enrolling in the program and advises them through their first course.
epistomology
The study of how people go about obtaining facts and how people justify and, hence, provide warrant for their belief in such facts
ethnographic design
A qualitative research design focused primarily on describing culture and how individuals create and interact with the culture.
experimental design
A quantitative research design that uses control and intervention groups of participants to determine causal relationships between variables.
external validity
The degree to which the results of a scientific study are generalizable or can be applied to other populations outside of the sample used for inquiry.
grounded theory design
A qualitative research design that uses an inductive approach to build or discover theory from the ground up not by imposing theory on participants.
heuristics
Cognitive shortcuts that reduce the cognitive load necessary to come to conclusions, also called rules of thumb
hypothesis
A prediction made for the purpose of being tested by methods employed in scientific inquiry.
