NURSING RESEARCH ASSIGNMENT: Basic Research Terms

1. Quantitative Research:
Quantitative research are researches designed to collect numerical data
which are statistically analyzed to study research questions or
hypothesis. It is objective.

2. Qualitative research:
Qualitative research are researches designed to collect, analyze and
interpret qualitative (not numerical) data by observing what people do
or say. It is subjective.

3. Variables:
Quantities or qualities, properties or characteristics of people, things or
situations that change or varies.

4. Independent variables:
Variables that are purposely manipulated or changed by the researcher.
It is also called as “manipulated variable”.

5. Dependent variables:
Refers to qualities, properties or characteristics which are observed or
measured in a natural setting without manipulating and establishing
cause and effect relationship.

6. Operational definitions:
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.

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

8. Assumptions:
Basic principle that is being true on the basis of logic or reason, without
proof or verification
9. Hypothesis:
A statement of the predicted relationship between two or more
variables in a research study; an educated or calculated guess by the
researcher.

10. Null hypothesis:

States that there is no relationship (or difference) between variables and
that any relationship found will be a chance relationship, the result of
sampling error, not a true one.

11. Research hypothesis:

A statement of the expected relationship or difference between two
variables.

12. Target population:

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

13. Accessible population:

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

14. Sample:
A part or subset of population that are selected to participate in the
research study.

15. Sampling:
The process of selecting sample from the target population to represent
the entire population.

16. Manipulation:
An intervention or treatment introduced by the researcher in an
experimental or quasi experimental study; the researcher manipulates
the independent variables to assess its impact on the dependent
variable.
17. Randomization:
The process by which allocation of subjects to groups is done by chance,
without the ability to predict who is in what group.

18. Control:
Efforts on the part of the researcher to remove the influence of any
variable other than the independent variable that may affect
performance on the dependent variable.

19. Probability:
The selection of subjects or sampling units from a population using
random procedure.

20. Non-probability:
The selection of subjects or sampling units using a non-random
procedure.

21. Validity:
The degree to which an instrument measures what it is intended to
measure.

22. Reliability:
The degree of consistency or accuracy with which an instrument
measures the attributes. It is designed to measure.

Submitted by,
Amy Lalringhluani
1st yr Msc Nursing (Child Health Nursing)
SRIHER
Dt: 18th November 2020