TERMINOLOGIES USED IN NURSING RESEARCH

1. RESEARCH: Research is a problem solving process, a systematic, intensive study

directed towards full scientific knowledge of the subject studies.
2. NURSING RESEARCH: Nursing research is a way to identify new knowledge, improve
professional education and practices and use of resources effectively
3. RESEARCH METHODS: Research methods are the techniques use to structure a study
and to gather and analyze information relevant to the research question.
4. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH: Qualitative research is the process of collecting,
analyzing, and interpreting non-numerical data, such as language.
5. QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH: Quantitative research is referred to as the process of
collecting as well as analyzing numerical data.
6. EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE: It is the con-scientious integration of current best
evidence with clinical expertise and patient preferences in making clinical decisions.
7. ABSTRACT: A clear, concise summary of a study that communicates the essential
information about the study. In research study it is usually located at the beginning of the
article.
8. DATA: Units of information or any statistics, facts, figures, general material, evidence,
or knowledge collected during the course of the study.
9. 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 can change or vary.
i. Dependent Variables: Variables that change as the independent variable is
manipulated by the researcher; sometimes called the criterion variables.
ii. Independent Variables: Variables that are purposely manipulated or changed by the
researcher: also called manipulated variables.
iii. 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.
iv. Demographic Variables: The characteristics and attributes of the study subjects are
considered demographic variables; for example, age, gender, educational status,
religion, social class, marital status, habitat, occupation, income, medical diagnosis,
and so on.
v. Extraneous Variables: Extraneous variables are the factors that are not part of the
study but many affect the measurement of the study variables.
10. THEORY: A theory is a systematic, abstract explanation of some aspect of reality
11. RESEARCH UTILIZATION: It is the use of findings from a study or set of studies in a
practical application that is unrelated to the original research.
12. SYSTEMIC REVIEWS: They are rigorous integrations of research evidence from
multiple studies on a topic.
13. 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.
14. CONCEPT: A word picture or mental idea of a phenomenon. Concepts are the words or
terms that symbolize some aspects of reality. For example, stress, pain, or love. Concepts
are the building blocks of theory.
15. CONSTRUCT: 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. For example, wellness, mental health, and self esteem are constructs and
they can only be measured through indefinable and measurable concepts; for example,
wellness can only be assessed through laboratory data.
16. PROPOSITION: A proposition is a statement or assertion of the relationship between
concepts. For example, there is a relationship between level of anxiety and performance;
or virus causes acute illness. Propositions are drawn from theories or empirical data.
17. FRAMEWORK: A framework is the overall conceptual underpinnings of a study.
18. 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.
19. ASSUMPTION: Basic principle that is accepted as being true on the basis of logic or
reason, without proof or verification.
20. HYPOTHESIS: A statement of the predicted relationship between two or more variables
in a research study: an educated or calculated guess by the researcher.
21. NULL HYPOTHESIS: It states that there is no relationship between the dependent and
independent variables.
22. STATISTICAL TESTS: They are procedures for testing research hypotheses and
evaluating the believability of the findings.
23. PROBLEM STATEMENT: A statement that indicates the specific purpose of the
research, the variables of interest to the researcher, and any specific relationship between
those variables that is to be, or was, investigated; includes description of background and
rationale (justification) for the study.
24. 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 weakness in prior
studies so as to justify a new investigation.
25. PRIMARY SOURCE: It is the original description of a study prepared by the researcher
who conducted it.
26. SECONDARY SOURCE: It is a description of the study by a person unconnected with it.
27. RESEARCH CRITIQUE: It is a careful appraisal of a study’s strengths and weakness.
28. BIAS: A bias is an influence that distorts study results. Systematic bias results when a
bias operates in a consistent direction.
29. REFLEXIVITY: The process of reflecting critically on the self and scrutinizing personal
values that could affect interpretation.
30. QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: It is a type of experimental design in which the
researcher does not use random assignment of subject to groups.
31. LIMITATIONS: Restrictions in a study that may decrease the credibility and
generalizability of the research findings.
32. 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.
33. POPULATION: The entire set of individuals or objects having some common
characteristics selected for a research study.
i. Target Population: the entire population in which the researchers are interested
and to which they would like to generalize the research findings.
ii. Accessible Population: the aggregate of cases that conform to designated
inclusion or exclusion criteria and that are accessible as subjects of the study.
34. RESEARCH STUDY 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.
35. SAMPLE; A part or subset of population selected to participate in research study.
36. REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE: A sample whose characteristics are highly similar to that
of the population from which it is drawn.
37. SAMPLING: The process of selecting sample from the target population to represent the
entire population.
38. PROBABILITY SAMPLING: The selection of subjects or sampling units from a
population using random procedure.
39. NON-PROBABILITY SAMPLING: The selection of subjects or sampling units from a
population using non-random procedure.
40. CONVENIENCE SAMPLING: Convenience Sampling A sampling strategy that uses the
most easily accessible people (or objects) to participate in a study. This is not a random
sample, and the results cannot be generalized to individuals who did not participate in the
research.
41. QUOTA SAMPLING: Quota sampling is defined as a non-probability method in which
researchers create a sample involving individuals that represent a population.
42. CONSECUTIVE SAMPLING: Consecutive sampling is the process of conducting
research including all the people who meet the inclusion criteria and are conveniently
available, as part of the sample.
43. CLUSTER SAMPLING: Cluster sampling is sampling plan used when mutually
homogeneous yet internally heterogeneous groupings are evident in a statistical
population.
44. SYSTEMATIC SAMPLING: Systematic sampling is a statistical method involving the
selection of elements from an ordered sampling frame.
45. ELEMENT: An element is the most basic population unit about which information is
collected-usually humans in nursing research.
46. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: They are used to establish the population characteristics and
to determine who can participate in a study.
47. CONTROL: A duplicate setup, sample or observation treated identically to the rest of an
experiment except for the variable being tested. And the control variable is meant to
represent what’s normal or unchanged. For instance, if one wanted to see the effect of
adding fertilizer to a plant’s soil, the control would be the growth of a plant with no
fertilizer
48. CONTROL GROUP: The group in an experimental design that receives either no
treatment or a different treatment from the experimental group. This group can thus be
compared to the experimental group.
49. RELIABILITY: The degree of consistency or accuracy with which an instrument
measures the attribute it is designed to measure.
50. VALIDITY: The degree to which an instrument measures what it is intended to measure.
51. 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.
52. ANALYSIS: Method of organizing, sorting, and scrutinizing data in such a way that
research question can be answered or meaningful inferences can be drawn.
 ASSAM DOWNTOWN UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF NURSING
ASSIGNMENT

ON

TERMINOLOGIES USED IN RESEARCH

SUBJECT – NURSING RESEARCH AND STATISTUCS

SUBMITTED TO: SUBMITTED BY:

MS. LAKHIMI GOGOI AMANDA KHARSAMAI

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR 1ST YR. M.Sc. NURSING

FACULTY OF NURSING ROLL NO- 02

ASSAM DOWNTOWN UIVERSITY ASSAM DOWNTOWN UNIVERSITY

 ASSAM DOWNTOWN UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF NURSING
ASSIGNMENT

ON

TERMINOLOGIES USED IN RESEARCH

SUBJECT – NURSING RESEARCH AND STATISTUCS

SUBMITTED TO: SUBMITTED BY:

MS. LAKHIMI GOGOI PDIANGHUN M KHARKONGOR

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR 1ST YR. M.Sc. NURSING

FACULTY OF NURSING ROLL NO- 02

ASSAM DOWNTOWN UIVERSITY ASSAM DOWNTOWN UNIVERSITY