@nursing_research

1. Basic Research Terminology
By- Ssalman khan
Lecturer

2. Abstract
• A clear, concise summary of a study that
communicates the essential information
about the study.
• In research journals, it is usually located at the
beginning of an article.

3. Data
• Units of information or any statistics, facts,
figures, general material, evidence or
knowledge collected during the course of the
study.

4. Variables
• Attributes or characteristics that can have
more than one value, such as height or
weight.
• In other words, variables are qualities,
quantities, properties or characteristics of
people, things, or situations that change or
vary.

5. Types of variables
Dependent variables
Independent variables
Research variables
Demographic variables
Extraneous variables

6. Dependent variables
• Variables that change as the independent
variable is manipulated by the researcher;
sometimes called the criterion variables.

7. Independent variables
• Variables that are purposely manipulated or
changed by the researcher; also called
manipulated variables.

8. Research Variables
• These are the qualities, properties or
characteristics that are observed or measured
in a natural setting without manipulating and
establishing cause and effect relationship.

9. Literature review
• A critical summary or research on atopic of
interest, generally prepared to put a research
problem in context or to identify gaps and
weakness in prior studies so as to justify a new
investigation.

10. Demographic relationships
• The characteristics and attributes of the study
are considered demographic variables.
• Ex- age, gender, educational status, religion,
social class, marital status, habitat,
occupation, income, medical diagnosis and so
on.

11. Extraneous variables
• Extraneous variables are the factors that are
not the part of the study but may affect the
measurement of the study variables.

12. Operational Definition
• The way by which a researcher clarifies and
defines the variables under investigation.
• In addition, the researcher must also specify
how the variables will be observed and
measured in the actual research situation.

13. Concept
• A word picture or mental idea of a
phenomenon.
• Concepts are the words or terms that
symbolize some aspects of reality.
• Ex- Stress, pain or love.
• Concepts are the building blocks of theory.

14. Construct
• A highly abstract, complex phenomenon (concept) is
denoted by a made up or construed term.
• A construct term is used to indicate a phenomenon
that cannot be directly observed but must be inferred
by certain concrete or less abstract indicators of the
phenomenon.
• Ex- Wellness, mental health, & self esteem are
constructs and they can only be measured through
indefinable and measurable concepts, like wellness can
only be assessed through laboratory data.

15. Conceptual framework
• Interrelated concepts or abstractions that are
assembled together in some rational scheme
by virtue of their relevance to a common
theme; sometimes referred to as a conceptual
theoretical framework if based on the
concepts of an existing theory or theories.

16. Hypothesis
• A statement of the predicted relationship
between two or more variables in a research
study; an educated or calculated guess by the
researcher.

17. Proposition
• A proposition is a statement or assertion of
the relationship between concepts.
• Ex- there is a relationship between level of
anxiety and performance, or virus causes
acute illness .
• Prepositions are drawn from theories or
empirical data.

18. Research setting
• The study setting is the location in which the
research is conducted it could be natural,
partially controlled, or highly controlled.
• Natural or field setting is an uncontrolled real
life situation.
• In a partially controlled situation environment
is partially modified to control extraneous
variables.

19. Pilot Study
• Study carried out at the end of the planning
phase of research in order to explore and test
the research elements to make relevant
modifications in research tools and
methodology.

20. Population
• The entire set of individuals or subjects having
some common characteristics selected for a
research study (eg. patients admitted to
intensive care units)

21. Sample
• A part or subset of population selected to
participate in research study.

22. Validity
• The degree to which an instrument measures
what is intended to measure.

23. Reliability
• The degree of consistency or accuracy with
which an instrument measures the attribute it
is designed to measure.