AnnaTruttier_u09a1_ResearchTerms

Identifying Research Terms and Concepts Chart Use this template to document your knowledge about basic research terms and concepts that counselors often encounter. This template will prove useful to consolidate your learning throughout the course, as you move forward in your master’s program, and when you study for your licensing exam. The more complete and correct you make your entries, the more useful the chart will be to you. This assignment is due in Week 9 but includes concepts from Weeks 3–9. It is recommended that you download a copy of this template to your computer and complete the columns as you learn the material throughout the course. Use the assigned readings and other outside resources to complete the chart. Be sure to document your sources so that you can revisit them in the future, if necessary. If you choose, you may add rows to include additional entries. Concept Description/Definition (Use the course text or outside resources) Example of Application: (Summarize or give an example of how you might see this term in a study) Basic Research Methodology Terms Research Methodology Is the systemic process used to gather information An example would be focus groups and interviews. Research Design A blueprint of a scientific study that includes methodologies, tools, and techniques to proceed with the research. The design will help answer the research question. Quantitative Research Experimental and statistical. The goal is to measure, test, predict, and describe. Experiments, surveys, questionnaires, large datasets, structured interviews, and observations are used. Descriptive, correlational, quasi- experimental, and experimental research are all examples of quantitative research. Qualitative Research Naturalistic and interpretive. The goal is for detailed descriptions of behaviors and realities. Methods used are field research, case studies, and open-ended interviews and observations. Qualitative research draws off the lived experiences of individuals of the phenomenon. The goal is to know the real-world life experiences. Mixed-Methods Research Qualitative and quantitative research combined to combine the strengths of both research methods. Purposively mixing of numerical and non-numerical data. Critical theory, transformative theory, and pragmatism. 1

Concept Description/Definition (Use the course text or outside resources) Example of Application: (Summarize or give an example of how you might see this term in a study) Experimental Design Carrying out research in an objective and controlled fashion so that precision is maximized, and specific conclusions can be drawn regarding a hypothesis statement. Developing a set of procedures to investigate a relationship between variables. Quasi-experimental Design Aim to evaluate interventions but that do not use randomization. Establishes cause and effect, between independent and dependent variables, control over the experiment. Non-experimental Design Non-experimental research does not manipulate an independent variable. They measure them as they occur organically in the real world or lab. Measure An item or set of items that are provided as an indication of the quantity of the phenomenon that is being studied. Variable A variable is research is the phenomenon that is being measured. Operationalization Researchers conduct quantitative research spell out precisely how a concept will be measured. Turning ideas and concepts in concepts that are measurable observations. Validity Is the question answerable, is the research methods are feasible, and study design has a clear focus and objective. Reliability How consistently a method measures something 2

Concept Description/Definition (Use the course text or outside resources) Example of Application: (Summarize or give an example of how you might see this term in a study) there is no relationship between two population parameters. Alternate Hypothesis The other answer to a research question. Usually, the same as the research hypothesis. It is the hope or the claim that you expect the hypothesis to be true. Descriptive Statistics Central Tendency Mean Median Mode Variability Range Standard Deviation Inferential Statistics Independent Variable Dependent Variable Statistical Significance Correlations Multiple regression Factor analysis Chi-square T-test T-test is used to compare the means between two groups ANOVA Is used to compare the means 4

Concept Description/Definition (Use the course text or outside resources) Example of Application: (Summarize or give an example of how you might see this term in a study) among three or more groups. Qualitative Research Terms Case Study Includes specific persons, groups, places, events, organizations, or phenomenon. It used to compare, evaluate, and understand the factors associated with a research problem The goal of the case study research goal is to gain new perspectives, challenges existing practices, assumptions, or theories, identify further need for research Ethnography In depth observational method that studies people in their natural environment. The goal is to understand cultures, challenges, motivations, and settings. It can also be time consuming. The main way that this data is collected is through observations and interviews which are used to draw conclusions about societies and individual function. Generic Qualitative Inquiry Generic qualitative inquiry is observations, interviews, and focus grous. Observations records what is seen, heard, or encountered in detail. Interviews personal asking people questions one-on-one. Focus groups are asking questions among a group of people. Grounded Theory The aim is to develop theory from data that is collected. This theory is appropriate when little is known about a phenomenon. The goal is to construct a theory to explain the phenomenon. Steps in grounded theory: 1. Data collection 2. Coding and tagging 3. Theoretical sampling 4. Theory building Phenomenology A study designed to understand participants, subjective, lived experiences, and perspectives. Main way that data is collected is interviews. This design is to understand the meaning and value in their lived experiences. Relies on researchers interviewing skills Trying to understand the lived experiences of people. An example would be understand the lived experiences of individuals with eating disorders and their use of Instagram and how it impacts their lives. 5