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Basic Research Terminology

This document defines key terminology used in basic research including: studies, subjects, researchers, variables, relationships between variables, data collection, and research control. It describes variables as concepts that can be categorical, attributes, or demographic characteristics and how they are classified as independent or dependent. Operational definitions specify how variables will be measured. The goal of research is to understand relationships between variables and how changing one variable impacts another.

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Danyal Khan
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1K views

Basic Research Terminology

This document defines key terminology used in basic research including: studies, subjects, researchers, variables, relationships between variables, data collection, and research control. It describes variables as concepts that can be categorical, attributes, or demographic characteristics and how they are classified as independent or dependent. Operational definitions specify how variables will be measured. The goal of research is to understand relationships between variables and how changing one variable impacts another.

Uploaded by

Danyal Khan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Basic Research Terminology

-A study, investigation, or a research project.


-Subjects (sometimes abbreviated as ss) or the
study participants: the people who are being
studied.

-Respondents or, sometimes, informants: when


the subjects provide information to the
researchers.
- Researcher ,investigator, or scientist :is the
person who undertakes the research.

- Principal investigator or project director; the


main person directing the investigation when a
study is under taken by a research team
Concepts:-

- Conceptualization refers to the process of


developing and refining abstract ideas.

Scientific res .Is almost always concerned


with abstract rather than tangible
phenomena.
Variables:-
-Within the context of a research
investigation, concepts are referred to as
variables.
- Is something that varies or differs from one
person to another.
- All research activity is aimed at trying to
understand how or why things vary and to
learn how differences in one variable are
related to differences in another.
-A variable, then, is any quality of
person, group or situation that varies or
takes on different values.

-Categorical variables: place individuals


into categorical ( as: pregnant / not
pregnant, male/ female, single/ married/
divorced/ widowed).
- Attribute variables: are often inherent
ch.ch. Such as age, blood type, health
beliefs.

 Heterogeneity: when an attribute is


extremely varied in the group under study,
the group is said to be heterogeneous with
respect to that variable
Homogeneity:

when the members of the group are highly


similar to one another with respect to that
variable, the group is described as
homogeneous.

Demographic variables:-

- Are ch. ch or attributes of the subject that


are collected to describe the sample.
Dependent variables and Independent
variables.

Independent variable Presumed cause.


Dependent variable presumed effect.

• Variability in the dependent variable is


presumed to depend on variability in the
independent variable.
The dependent variable is the variable the
researcher is interested in understanding
explaining, or predicating.

Dependent is the response, behaviors or


out come that the researcher wants to
predict or explain.
 The dependent variable is the “effect’’ or the
variable that is influenced by the researcher’s
manipulation (Control) of the independent
variable.

The designation of a variables as


independent or dependent is a function of
the role that the variable plays in a
particular investigation.
Operational Definitions:
 The researcher usually clarifies and define the
variable under investigation.

 The definition must specify how the variable will


be observed and measured in the actual research
situation.

 It is a specification of the operations that the


researcher must perform to collect the required
information.
This operational definition clearly indicated
to both the investigator and to the consumer
what is meant by the variable weight.

Precision in defining the terms has the


advantage of communicating exactly what
the terms mean.

-Data:- singular, datum)

Are the pieces of information obtained in the


course of the investigation
Relationship:-
• Refers to a bond or connection between
two variables or more.
Example:
Height: taller people will weigh more than
shorter people.
Metabolism: the lower a person’s metabolic rate,
the more he or she will weigh.
Caloric intake: people with higher caloric intake
will be heavier than those with lower caloric
intake.
Exercise: the greater the amount of exercise, the
lower the person’s weight.
•Variables can be related to one
another in different ways:
1. Cause – and – effect (or causal
relationships).( as natural phenomena) –
eating more calories causes weight gain.

2. Functional relationship

• Control

- Research control attempts to eliminate any


contaminating factors that might obscure the
relationship between the variables that are of
central interest.

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