Nursing 240 Chapter 9

Front 1

clinical trials

Back 1

a study that tests the effectiveness of a clinical treatment; some researchers would say that clinical trial must be a true experiment

Front 2

comparison group

Back 2

a group of subjects that differs on a major independent variable from the study group, allowing comparison of the subjects in the two groups in terms of a dependent variable

Front 3

control group

Back 3

a randomly assigned group of subjects that is not exposed to the independent variable of interest to be able to compare that group to a group that is exposed to the independent variable;hallmark of an experimental design

Front 4

correlational studies

Back 4

studies that describe interrelationships among variables as accurately as possible

Front 5

cross sectional

Back 5

a research design that includes the collection of all data at one point in time

Front 6

descriptive design

Back 6

research design that functions to portray as accurately as possible some phenomenon of interest

Front 7

ethnography

Back 7

qualitative research methods used to participate or immerse oneself in culture in order to describe it

Front 8

experimental design

Back 8

quantitative research designs that include manipulation of an independent variable, a control group, and a random assignment to groups

Front 9

experimenter effects

Back 9

a threat to external validity that occurs when some characteristic of the researchers or data collectors themselves influences the results of the study

Front 10

external validity

Back 10

the extent to which the results of a study can be applied to other groups or situations; how accurate the study is in providing knowledge that can be applied outside of or external to the study itself

Front 11

grounded theory

Back 11

a qualitative research method that is used to study interactions to understand and recognize linkages between ideas and concepts, or to put in different words, to develop theory; grounded refers to the idea that the theory that is developed is based on or grounded in participants reality

Front 12

hawthorne effect

Back 12

a threat to external validity that occurs when subjects in a study change simply because they are being studied; no matter what intervention is applied; reactivity is the same concept as this idea

Front 13

historical research method

Back 13

a qualitative research method used to answer questions about linkages in the past to understand the present or plan the future

Front 14

history

Back 14

a threat to internal validity that occurs because of some factor outside those examined in a study, affecting the study outcome or dependent variable

Front 15

instrumentation

Back 15

a threat to internal validity that refers to the changing of the measures used in a study from one time point to another

Front 16

internal validity

Back 16

the extent to which we can be sure of the accuracy or correctness of the findings of a study; how accurate the results are within the study itself or internally

Front 17

longitudinal

Back 17

a research design that includes the collection of data over time

Front 18

maturation

Back 18

a threat to internal validity that refers to changes that occur in the dependent variable simply because of the passage of time, rather than because of some independent variable

Front 19

measurement effects

Back 19

a threat to external validity because various procedures used to collect data in the study changed the results of that study

Front 20

mixed methods

Back 20

some combination of research methods that differ in relation to the function of the design, the use of time in the design or the control included in the design

Front 21

model

Back 21

symbolic framework for a theory or a part of a theory

Front 22

mortality

Back 22

a threat to internal validity that refers to the loss of subjects from a study due to a consistent factor that is related to the dependent variable

Front 23

multifactorial

Back 23

a study that has a number of independent variables that are manipulated

Front 24

novelty effects

Back 24

a threat to the external validity that occurs when the knowledge that what is being done is new and under study somehow affects the outcome, either favorably or unfavorably

Front 25

quasi-experimental designs

Back 25

a research design that includes manipulation of an independent variable but will lack either a control group or random assignment

Front 26

phenomenology

Back 26

a qualitative method used to increase understanding of experiences as perceived by those living the experiences; assumes that lived experience can be interpreted or understood by distilling the essence of that experience

Front 27

pretest-posttest

Back 27

a research design that includes an observation both before and after the intervention

Front 28

prospective

Back 28

a research design that collects data about events or variables moving forward in time

Front 29

reactivity effects

Back 29

threats in external validity that refer to subjects' responses to being studied

Front 30

repeated measures

Back 30

designs that repeat the same measurements at several points in time

Front 31

research design

Back 31

the overall plan for acquiring new knowledge or confirming existing knowledge; the plan for systematic collection of information in a manner that assures the answer found will be as meaningful and accurate as possible

Front 32

retrospective

Back 32

quantitative designs that collect data about events or factors going back in time

Front 33

selection bias

Back 33

when subjects have unique characteristics that in some manner relate to the dependent variable, raising a question as to whether the findings from the study were due to the independent variable or to the unique characteristics of the sample

Front 34

testing

Back 34

a threat to internal validity where there is a change in dependent variable simply because it is being measured or due to the measure itself.