1. The Vocabulary of Research

2. What is Credibility? A researcher’s ability to demonstrate that the study is accurate based on the way the study was conducted.

3. What is the Data? Recorded observations, usually in numeric or textual form.

4. What is a Focus Group? A research tool where a small group of people are interviewed as a group for data collection.

5. What is Generalizability? The extent to which research findings and conclusions from a study can be applied to the population at large.

6. What is a Hypothesis? A tentative explanation (educated guess) to predict an answer to research question.

7. What is an Interview? A research tool in which a researcher asks questions of participants; interview are often audio- or video- taped for later transcription and analysis.

8. What is a Likert scale? A scale used to assess attitude or opinion; subjects respond by indicating how strongly they agree or disagree with a statement provided.

9. What are Limitations? Natural conditions that restrict the scope of a study and may affect its outcome.

10. What are Mean, Median, and Mode? Mean- is the averaging of values. Median- is the center score in a distribution. Mode- The most frequent score in a distribution. All are basic forms of statistics.

11. What is Measurement? The operation that turns data into numbers.

12. What is the Population The target group under investigation.

13. What is a Problem? The topic being investigated once it has been refined.

14. What is a Range? The difference between the highest and the lowest scores in a distribution.

15. What is a Research Question? A sentence or paragraph that explains the purpose of a given investigation. The purpose of this research was to study ………….

16. What is Random Sampling? Process used in research to draw a sample of the population strictly by change to be participants in a research.

17. What is Reliability? An index of the consistency of data or test results; results should very nearly be the same, time after time.

18. What is a Sample? A group selected from a much larger population.

19. What is a Standard Deviation? A term used in statistical analysis. A measure of variation between the scores of a distribution and the mean.

20. What is a Survey? A research tool that includes questions. It’s goal is to gain specific information.

21. What is a Theory? A set of propositions that explain the data.

22. What is Validity? The degree to which a measurement instrument measures what it is intended to measure (instrument) The degree to which a research study has true and accurate findings (research)

23. What is Internal Validity? The degree to which the effects of extraneous variables have been controlled in a study.

24. What is External Validity? The extent to which findings of a particular study can be generalized elsewhere.

25. What is a Variable?.Observable characteristics that vary among individuals.

26. Summary of Vocabulary CredibilityProblem DataRange Focus GroupResearch Question GeneralizabilityRandom Sampling HypothesisReliability InterviewSample Likert ScaleStandard Deviation LimitationsSurvey Mean, Median, & ModeTheory MeasurementValidity PopulationVariable