With thanks to the STEM Club for Girls and Catherine Nadeau for submitting this glossary of scientific terms adapted from this resource.
- Abstract: A short summary of the essential components of a research article, thesis, or academic paper, including its purpose, methodology, results, and conclusions.
- Analysis: An interpretation of research data to find patterns, relationships, and trends that can lead to meaningful conclusions.
- Bias: A loss of accuracy and objectivity in research methodology, commonly due to sampling errors, measurement inaccuracies, and/or researcher subjectivity.
- Blinding: A prevention of participant and researcher awareness of which treatment or intervention is administered, thus reducing bias by avoiding the influence of expectations or on outcomes. Single-blind studies conceal information from participants; double-blind studies conceal information from researchers as well.
- Case Study: An investigation that delves deeply into a single, specific subject, i.e., an individual, event, or situation.
- Control Group: A research group in which experimental or intervention is withheld and from which outcomes are considered a comparison benchmark to remove inaccuracies introduced by the placebo effect or other factors aside from what is specifically being studied.
- Descriptive Statistics: Methods for summarizing and simplifying data, i.e., percentages, frequencies, and averages.
- Data Collection: Gathering information for research through surveys, interviews, observations, or experiments.
- Dependent Variable: An experimental variable expected to change as another variable is intentionally altered.
- Ethics: Guiding principles for the conduct of research that emphasize integrity, respect for participants, and minimizing harm.
- External Validity: The extent to which a study’s results can be applied to other populations or settings.
- Hypothesis: A statement about the relationship between variables testable through scientific research.
- Independent Variable: An experimental variable that is manipulated or controlled by researchers.
- Literature Review: A written survey and analysis of published research relevant to a specific topic to identify gaps, trends, and areas that merit further investigation.
- Meta-Analysis: An analysis of results from multiple studies addressing the same research question.
- Peer Review: An evaluation by a group of experts that assesses the quality, validity, and significance of a research article or proposal to ensure the integrity and reliability of scientific knowledge.
- Pilot Study: A small-scale preliminary study that tests the methodology and its feasibility before a larger study is conducted.
- Qualitative Research: Research to provide rich insights into complex human experiences using methods such as interviews, focus groups, and/or content analyses to develop detailed descriptions, observations, and interpretations.
- Quantitative Research: Research that involves collecting and analyzing numerical data using approaches such as surveys, experiments, and observational studies.