| A | B |
|---|
| validity | the instrument does what it claims it will do |
| reliability | when the instrument continues to get the same results each time it is used |
| mean | average of the scores |
| median | the middle salary |
| mode | the score most often gotten |
| hypothesis | statement of the direction of the relationship between two variables |
| independent variable | the variable that is manipulated |
| dependent variable | variable that is measured |
| measure of dispersion | standard diviation |
| juried journal | scholarly publication whose editorial board are academic specialists |
| on-line data bases | Proquest and First Search are examples of these |
| statistical tests | mathematical analyses of research data to compare results to chance occurrences |
| convenience sample | a non-random sample often used in mall surveys |
| random sample | when each member of the population has an equal chance of selection to the sample |
| stratified sample | a random sample which first sections the population into characteristics of interest |
| interval sampling technique | selecting the unit for the sample by choosing every nth unit |
| cluster sampling technique | generally used with maps and addresses for selection of more than one household at a time |
| quota sample | A non-random sample for which percentages of characteristics are decided a priori |
| open ended questions | respondents writes in space in own words |
| closed ended questions | respondents choose from items designed by researchers |
| Likert scale | Uses a five point scale of agreement-disagreement |
| anchor point | the designated end points in a scale response |
| a 10 point scale | a response scale which has no stated midpoint |
| a 5 point scale | a response scale which has a stated mid point |
| focus group size | five to 12 persons with some common attribute or characteristic |
| applied research | proprietary studies often dealing with product development or marketing; rarely published |
| theoretical research | academic research published in juried journals for all to see |
| methodological research | studies about the way research is carried out |
| basic research | another term for theoretical or academic research |
| case study | an example of qualitative research |
| focus group | an example of qualitative research |
| experimental study | an example of quantitative research |
| null hypothesis | the hypothesis of no difference |
