This document defines key terminology used in basic research. It describes concepts like variables, hypotheses, sampling, reliability and validity. Research is defined as a systematic process to generate answers to questions and identify additional areas needing inquiry through objective investigation and analysis of data. The terminology section provides definitions of terms commonly used in research design and methodology.

1. BASIC RESEARCH
TERMINOLOGIES

2. RESEARCH
• Research is defined as a systematic
and scientific process to answer
questions about facts and
relationship between facts. It is an
activity involved in seeking answer to
unanswered questions.

3. • Research seeks to generate an
answer to the problems as well as
suggesting additional questions in
need of further inquiry.
• Research is a scientific,
systematic, controlled, orderly
and objective investigation to
develop, refine and expand body
of knowledge.

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

5. DATA
Units of information or any
statistics, facts, figures, general
material, evidence, or knowledge
collected during the course of the
study.

6. VARIABLES
Attributes or characteristics that
can have more than one value,
such as height or weight. Variables
are qualities or quantities,
properties or characteristics of
people, things, or situations that
change or vary.

7. INDEPENDENT VARIABLE
Variables that are purposely
manipulated or changed by the
researcher. It is also called as “
MANIPULATED VARIBLE”.

8. RESEARCH VARIABLE
Refers to Qualities, Properties or
Characteristics which are observed
or measured in a natural setting
without manipulating &
establishing cause & effect
Relationship.

9. DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES
The characteristics & attributes of
study subjects such as age, gender,
place of living, educational status,
religion, social class, marital status,
occupation, income are considered as
demographic variables.

10. EXTRANEOUS VARIABLES
Are factors that are not the
part of the study but may affect
the measurements of the study
variable.

11. OPERATIONAL DEFINITION
Refers to the way in which the
researcher defines the variables
under investigation. Operational
definition are stated in such way by
the investigator specifying how the
study variables will be measured in
the actual research situation.

12. CONCEPT
Refers to a mental idea of a
phenomenon. Concepts are words or
terms that symbolize some aspects
of
reality. E.g.. Love, pain.
CONSTRUCT
Is a highly abstract & complex
phenomenon ( concept) which is
denoted by a made up or
constructed term.

13. 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.
E.g. self esteem.

14. PROPOSITION
• A Proposition is a statement
or assertion of the relationship
between concepts. E.g., relationship
between anxiety and performance.

15. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
• Interrelated concepts or
abstractions that are assembled
together in some rational scheme
by virtue of their relevance to a
common theme. It is also referred
to as theoretical framework.

16. ASSUMPTION
• Basic principle that is being
true on the basis of logic or reason,
without proof or verification.
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. LITERATURE REVIEW
• A critical summary or research
on a topic of interest, generally
prepared to put a research problem
in context or to identify gaps and
weaknesses in prior studies so as to
justify a new investigation.

18. LIMITATIONS
• Restrictions in a study that may
decrease the credibility and
generalize ability of the research
findings.

19. MANIPULATION
• An intervention or treatment
introduced by the researcher in
an experimental or quasi
experimental study; the researcher
manipulates the independent variable
to assess its impact on the dependent
variable.

20. POPULATION
• The entire set of individuals or
objects having some common
characteristic(s) selected for a
research study is referred to as
population.

21. TARGET POPULATION
• The entire population in which
the researchers are interested
and to which they would like to
generalize the research findings.

22. ACCESSIBLE POPULATION
• The aggregate of cases that
conform to designated inclusion
or exclusion criteria and that are
accessible as subjects of the
study.

23. RESEARCH SETTING
• The study setting is the location
in which the research is
conducted. It could be natural,
partially controlled environment
or laboratories.

24. SAMPLE
• A part or subset of population
selected to participate in the
research study.
REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE
• A sample whose characteristics
are highly similar to that of the
population from which it is
drawn.

25. SAMPLING
• The process of selecting sample
from the target population to
represent the entire population.

26. PROBABILITY SAMPLING
• The selection of subjects or
sampling units from a population
using random procedure; E.g.,
Simple random Sampling,
Stratified random Sampling.

27. NON PROBABILITY SAMPLING
• The selection of subjects or
sampling units from a population
using non random procedure.
E.g., Convenient Sampling,
Purposive Sampling.

28. RELIABILITY
• The degree of consistency or
accuracy with which an instrument
measures the attributes it is designed
to measure.

29. VALIDITY
• The degree to which an
instrument what it is intended
to measure.
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 inresearch tools and
methodology.

30. ANALYSIS
• Method of organizing , sorting,
and scrutinizing data in such a
way that research question can
be answered or meaningful
inferences can be drawn.