Understanding Research Methods

Part 1 Introduction to Research Methods

Term	Topic location	Other Topic locations
positionality	1.01
reflexivity	1.01
pseudoscience	1.01
bias	1.01
positivism	1.01
empirical approach	1.02
interpretive approach	1.02
heuristic	1.03
cognitive bias	1.03
theory	1.04
hypothesis	1.04
inductive approach	1.04
deductive approach	1.04
grounded theory	1.04
quantitative	1.05
qualitative	1.05
measures	1.05
scientific method	(figure) 1.01	1.04
Tuskegee Syphilis Study	1.07
Nuremberg code	1.07
Belmont Report	1.07
informed consent	1.08
debrief	1.08
IRB (Institutional Review Board)	1.08

Term	Topic location
literature review	2.01
academic literature/scholarly literature	2.01
peer reviewed (or refereed)	2.01
empirical study	2.01
annual review	2.01
systematic review	2.01
white paper	2.01
meta-analysis	2.01
replication, strict and modified	2.01
abstract	2.02
academic database	2.03
Boolean operators	2.03
reference manager (citation manager)	2.05
annotated bibliography	2.09
synthesis	2.09
citation	2.10
style guide	2.10
plagiarism	2.10

Term	Topic location	Other Topic locations
concept	3.01
variable	3.01
constant	3.01
operationalized/operational definition	3.01
measure/instrument	3.02
categorical variable	3.02
nominal variable	3.02
ordinal variable	3.02
continuous variable	3.02
interval variable/ scaled variable	3.02
ratio variable	3.02
independent/predictor/causal variable	3.02	3.03
dependent/criterion/outcome variable	3.02	3.03, 3.09
control variable	3.03
confounding variable	3.04
Hawthorne effect	3.04
John Henry effect	3.04
placebo effect	3.04
blind /double-blind study	3.04
demand characteristics	3.04
Likert scale	3.05
reverse scoring	3.05
performance measure	3.06
intelligence test	3.06
achievement test	3.06
aptitude test	3.06
norm-referenced test	3.07
criterion-referenced test	3.07
significance tests	3.08
(research) hypothesis	3.09
null hypothesis	3.09
alternative hypothesis	3.09
directional hypothesis	3.09
nondirectional hypothesis	3.09
research purpose	3.09

Term	Topic location
target population	4.01
unit of analysis	4.01
descriptive research	4.02
correlational research	4.02
causal-comparative research	4.02
demographics	4.02
cross-sectional research	4.03
longitudinal research	4.03
wave	4.03
trend study	4.03
panel study	4.03
cohort study	4.03
survey	4.04
mode of administration	4.04
social desirability bias	4.04
satisficing	4.04
acquiescence bias	4.04
pilot	4.04
response rate	4.04
prime/priming	4.05
context effect	4.05
de-identified data	4.06
secondary analysis	4.06
codebook	4.06
data cleaning	4.06
control group	4.07
experimental group	4.07
random assignment	4.07
blind assignment	4.07
double-blind assignment	4.07
quasi-experimental study	4.07
nonexperimental study	4.07
selection bias	4.08
pre-test sensitization	4.08
classic experimental designs	4.08
baseline	4.08

Term	Topic location
valid/validity	5.01
reliable/reliability	5.01
judgmental validity	5.02
face validity	5.02
content validity	5.02
empirical validity	5.03
criterion	5.03
predictive validity	5.03
validity coefficient	5.03
concurrent validity	5.03
concurrent validity coefficient	5.03
predictive validity coefficient	5.03
construct	5.04
construct validity	5.04
interobserver reliability	5.05
interrater reliability	5.05
reliability coefficient	5.05
test-retest reliability	5.05
parallel-forms reliability	5.05
practice effect	5.05
internal consistency	5.05
split-half reliability	5.06
Cronbach's alpha	5.06
internal validity	5.08
threats to internal validity	5.08
intact groups	5.08
external validity	5.09
threats to external validity	5.09
selection bias	5.09

Term	Topic location	Other Topic locations
statistics	7.01
parameter	7.01
sample	7.01
descriptive statistics	7.01
measures of central tendency	7.01
dispersion	7.01
univariate	7.01
bivariate	7.01
multivariate	7.01
summary statistics	7.01
mean	7.02
standard deviation	7.02
variability	7.02
median	7.03
range	7.03
interquartile range (IQR)	7.03
mode	7.04
frequency distribution	7.04
bar graph	7.04
relative distribution	7.04
pie chart	7.04
frequency polygon	7.04
bin	7.04
histogram	7.05
cross tabulation	7.05
marginal frequency	7.05
conditional mean	7.05
Pearson r	7.05
direct/positive correlation	7.05
negative correlation	7.05
scatterplot	7.05
coefficient of determination	7.05
inferential statistics	7.06	7.01
significance test	7.06
assumption of independence	7.06
parametric test	7.06
homoscedasticy	7.06
Chi-square test (χ2)	7.07
degrees of freedom (df)	7.07
one-way test	7.07
two-way test	7.07
t-test (t)	7.07
ANOVA (F)	7.07
main effect	7.07
interaction effect	7.07
regression analysis	7.08
multiple linear regression	7.08	7.06
control variables	7.08
normal distribution	7.09
central limit theorem	7.09
outliers	7.09
z-score	7.09
kurtosis	7.09
skewness	7.09
left skew/negative skew	7.09
right skew/positive skew	7.09
statistical significance	7.10	7.12
p-value	7.10
alpha	7.10
significance testing	7.10	7.06
confidence level	7.10	7.06
margin of error	7.10
Type I error	7.10
Type II error	7.10
effect size	7.11
Cramer's V	7.11
Cohen’s d	7.11
practical significance	7.10	7.12
cost-benefit analysis	7.12

Term	Topic location	Other Topic locations
thick description	8.01
thin description	8.01
positionality	8.01	8.12
etic/emic	8.01
reflexive	8.01
ethnography	8.01	8.12
triangulation	8.01
data triangulation	8.01	8.06
methodological triangulation	8.01	8.06
covert	8.03
gatekeeper	8.03
iterative	8.03	8.07
grounded theory	8.04
coding	8.04
theme	8.04
memo writing	8.04
open coding	8.05
in vivo coding	8.05
focused coding	8.05
axial coding	8.05
core category	8.05
CAQDAS/QDA programs	8.05
trustworthiness/rigor	8.06
transferability	8.06
consistency	8.06
researcher triangulation	8.06
transcription	8.06
interobserver agreement/interrater reliability	8.06
peer review	8.06
auditor	8.06
member checking	8.06
nonprobability sampling	8.07
purposive (or judgmental) sampling	8.07
maximum variation sampling	8.07
homogeneous sampling	8.07
extreme or deviant case sampling	8.07
theoretical sampling	8.07
saturation	8.07
snowball sampling	8.07
demographic informaiton	8.07
sample of convenience	8.07
interview	8.09
structured interview	8.09
interview protocol/interview guide	8.09
unstructured interview	8.09
life story interview	8.09
semi-structured interview	8.09
probe/probing	8.09
rapport	8.10
debrief	8.10
focus groups	8.11
facilitator	8.11
phenomenology/phenomenological approach	8.11
field research	8.12
nonparticipant observation	8.12
participant observation	8.12
case	8.13
idiographic	8.13
nomothetic	8.13
mixed methods	8.14
strand	8.14
simultaneous mixed methods study	8.14
sequential mixed methods study	8.14