COMMON TERMS USED IN RESEARCH

TERM DEFINITION
Abstract A concise overview of a research study
The research that is conducted to formulate knowledge with the
Applied research aim of improving a certain practice or method
Basic research The research that examines theories or concepts
Concepts The building blocks or important components of theories
The definition that tells the researcher what a concept means
Conceptual Definition in abstract or theoretical terms
Constitutive Definition The basic meaning found in dictionaries
Control group The one that does not undergo the treatment in experiments
A type of research design that shows the relationship between
Correlational study variables but not limited to cause-effect
Pieces of information; can be in the form of numbers or words;
Data plural of datum
The basis for quantitative research and is influenced by
Deductive Reasoning premises
The concept that the researcher is most interested or
Dependent variable concerned about; the quality he/she is observing
Descriptive study A research design that illustrates “what is”, e.g., a survey
A research design employed to determine “cause-effect”
Experiment relationships
Experimental group The one that undergoes the treatment in experiments
A type of validity that tells how generalizable the findings are
External validity even outside of the study since it concerns other populations
Extraneous A variable that may affect or contaminate the data
Heterogeneous A group whose members are very different or varied
Homogeneous A group whose members are very similar
A statement proposed by the researcher expressing the
Independent variable
relationship between or among the variables
The concept being studied that usually tells the researcher
Hypothesis about the influence or cause; the one that the researcher is
manipulating or controlling
Inductive reasoning The basis for qualitative research approach
A type of validity that tells the extent to which a study
Internal Validity
measures what is supposed to (accuracy within the study)
Measures of central
Averages (e.g. mean, median, mode)
tendency
Measures of variability Spread (e.g. standard deviation)
Mean The arithmetic average
The middle where half the scores fall above, half below;
Median
disregards the presence of outliers
Mode The score that occurs the most
Operational definition The definition that tells how a term is used in a certain study
Principal investigator The person who is responsible for the research
Population A group of items characterized by its similar interest
Random Something that happens by chance
Qualitative A research design that uses narrative data
A research design that uses data with
Quantitative
numerical representation or values
A sample wherein everybody has the same chance of being
Random sample
assigned to any group
Research A systematic, unbiased way to acquire facts
The game plan or method the researchers use to find out
Research design
what they want to know
Relationship The connection or bond between two variables
Sample A smaller group that characterizes a larger population
A measure of spread; Tells the researcher about the average
Standard deviation deviation of a group of scores from the mean
Statistical Significance An important finding that does not likely happen by chance
Mathematical tools used to evaluate data; must be compatible
Statistics with research designs
Subject The people who are being studied or observed in a study
A standard score on the normal curve where the mean is
T-score assigned "50" with deviations of "10"; commonly used to come
up with a simpler interpretation of student achievement
A parametric statistical tool that looks into the differences
T-test between the means of two groups; commonly used when
there is normal distribution and at least interval data
An abstract generalization that describes a systematic
Theory representation about relationships among phenomena
The accuracy or the extent to which a test or study evaluates
Validity what it is supposed to evaluate
Variable A quality of interest that can be controlled or observed