Technical Terms in Research

• Research


  An art of scientific investigation, a careful and detailed study into a specific problem, concern or issue using the scientific method, regarded as a systematic effort to gain new knowledge
• Research paper


  A piece of academic writing that provides analysis, interpretation and argument based on in-depth independent research
• Abstract


  A short summary of your completed research intended to describe your work without going into detail, should be self-contained and concise
• Introduction


  Leads the reader from a general subject area to a particular topic of inquiry, establishes the scope, context and significance of the research, summarizes current understanding and background information, states the purpose and research problem, explains the methodological approach, highlights potential outcomes, and outlines the structure of the paper
• Literature review


  Provides an overview of sources explored including books, scholarly articles and other relevant sources, demonstrates how the research fits within a larger field of study, and gives a clear picture of the state of knowledge on the subject
• Hypothesis


  A statement of expectation or prediction that will be tested by research, the researcher's intellectual guess about the possible result of the study
• Methodology


  The systematic method to resolve a research problem through data gathering using various techniques, providing an interpretation of data gathered and drawing conclusions about the research data
• Population


  The entire group that the researcher wants to draw conclusions about, can refer to anything the researcher wants to study such as objects, events, organizations, countries, species, organisms, etc.
• Sample


  A smaller part or subgroup of the population, the specific group within a population that the researcher will collect data from
• Types of research participants

  • Respondents
  • Participants
  • Subjects
• Variable


  Any factor, trait or condition that can be manipulated, controlled for, or measured in an experiment
• Independent variable


  The variable in an experiment that is changed or manipulated, assumed to have a direct effect on the dependent variable
• Dependent variable


  The variable that responds to the changes, the variable being tested and measured
• Research instrument


  Any tool used to collect or obtain data, measure data, and analyze data that is relevant to the subject of the research, such as questionnaires, surveys, interviews, checklists, or simple tests
• Questionnaire


  The main instrument for collecting data in survey research, a set of standardized questions often called items which follow a fixed scheme to collect individual data about one or more specific topics
• Data


  Any information that has been collected, observed, generated, or created to validate original research findings
• Results


  The section of a research paper where the authors provide the data collected during their study
• Discussion


  The section of a research paper whose purpose is to interpret and describe the significance of the findings in light of what was already known, and to explain any new understanding or insights that emerged
• Conclusion


  Intended to help the reader understand why the research should matter to them, a synthesis of key points that restate the research problem, summarize the overall arguments or findings, and suggest the key takeaways
• Reference


  The last page of a research paper that lists all the sources used in the study and gives credit to authors consulted for their ideas
• Appendix


  Serves as a space for materials that help clarify the research but do not belong in the main text, where the researcher can attach a copy of the research instrument such as interview transcripts, questionnaires, or surveys
• systematic due to the definite set of procedures and steps
• organized due to the structure and method
• finding answer is the end of all research
• questions are the central of research
• 4 reasons for sampling are necessity, practicality, cost-effectiveness, and manageability