Research Terms and Definitions in Nursing and Healthcare Practice

This assignment presents a detailed compilation of research terms and their definitions, focusing on their application within nursing and healthcare contexts. The assignment is structured around a series of presentations, each addressing specific research terms. Presentation 1 introduces terms such as 'affective measures,' 'baseline,' 'bias,' and 'case study.' Presentation 2 covers 'cohort analysis,' 'control group,' 'correlations,' and 'data mining.' Ethical considerations are discussed in Presentation 3, including 'external validity,' 'individualism,' 'insiderness,' and 'panel study.' Presentation 4 explores 'phenomenological,' 'reliability,' 'statistical significance,' and 'validity.' Presentation 5 defines 'dependent variable,' 'analysis of variance,' 'cluster sampling,' and 'cohort.' Presentation 6 delves into 'coding,' 'consistency,' 'aggregate,' and 'chi-square analysis.' Presentation 7 explains 'confidence level,' 'qualitative research,' 'special populations,' and 'population.' Finally, Presentation 8, provides additional research terms to complete the overview. The assignment is supported by a comprehensive list of references, providing context and further reading for each term. This assignment is designed to improve understanding of research methodology and terminology.

Part A: Research Knowledge (5 marks for each CPD activity = 40 marks)
Presentation 1 /5
Presentation details Date: 16/10/2017
Title: Research and Contemporary Nursing Practice
Presenter: Graham Wilkinson
Research term Definition
1 Affective Measures This refers to the device or tool used in research to obtain a quantified description of
an individual’s feelings, dispositions or emotional states. The term is common in
behavioural science studies (McKendree University, 2017).
2 Baseline It refers to the allowable control measurement developed even before the actual
experiment or research is initiated. It acts as a control experiment. It is common in
laboratory based experiments (Pascal, 2013).
3 Bias This refers to the loss of the balance and accuracy of the research methodology.
Biasness is commonly observed during sampling of the participants and the way data
is analysed (The Regents of the University of Michigan, 2016).
4 Case Study This refers to the collection and presentation of much detailed data concerning
particular group of participants. The data is particularly derived from the subjects
being studied (Miettinen, 2011).
Presentation 2 /5
Presentation details Date: 16/10/2017
Title: Findings and Reviewing the Evidence
Presenter: Roger Carter
Research term Definition
1 Cohort Analysis This is statistical analysis of data sharing common factors in each group. The cohort
analyses are common medical analysis and clinical trials (McKendree University,
2017).
2 Control Group The term refers to a group in an experimental analysis that does not receive any
treatment or receives different treatment from the experimental group. The control
group is usually used for comparison purpose (The Regents of the University of
Michigan, 2016).

3 Correlations It refers to the measure of degree of relationship between a given pairs of items or
variable sample. It also means the non-cause and effect relationship between two
variables (Pascal, 2013).
4 Data Mining The process of collecting and analysing data from different perspectives. The
obtained data is then summarized into useful forms that can easily be understood
(Miettinen, 2011).
Presentation 3 /5
Presentation details Date: 16/10/2017
Title: Ethical Practice in Human Research
Presenter: Greg Kiorgaard
Research term Definition
1External Validity It is used in research practice to illustrate the extent to research results can be
generalized or transferred (Pascal, 2013).
2 Individualism It refers to the policy or theory that primarily regards for the rights, liberty or
independent actions of the study participants (University of Southern California,
2017).
3Insiderness It refers to the measure of extent at which the researcher is allowed by the
participant to access and understand him or her (McKendree University, 2017).
4Panel Study It refers to the longitudinal study in which the given group of participants are
interviewed at an interval over a given period of time (The Regents of the University
of Michigan, 2016).
Presentation 4 /5
Presentation details Date: 17/10/2017
Title: Research in Practice
Presenter: Lauren Kearney
Research term Definition
1Phenoenological Is a qualitative research approach that is concerned with the understanding the
relationship between items from a given point of view (Pascal, 2013).
2Reliability This is ability of the study methodology used in the report to give consistent results

throughout. The reliability of the study Methodology is a prerequisite for the validity
(The Regents of the University of Michigan, 2016).
3Statistical
Significance
It refers to the probability that difference observed or calculated study outcomes
between the control and experimental control are great enough hence unlikely due
solely to chance (Miettinen, 2011).
4Validity The ability of the study to accurately reflects the specific concept that a researcher is
attempting to explain (University of Southern California, 2017).
Presentation 5 /5
Presentation details Date: 17/10/2017
Title: Research in Practice
Presenter: Marianne Wallis
Research term Definition
1Dependent Variable It refers to the variables that vary as a result of given factors that affect the results
outcomes (University of Southern California, 2017).
2Analysis of Variance
(ANOVA)
This refers to the statistical test that can determines whether the means of two or
more groups are significantly different (McKendree University, 2017).
3 Cluster Sampling It refers to the type of sample that can be used to target the population
geographically dispersed. In this kind of sampling technique, the study participants
are selected from the randomly selected participants from the population study (The
Regents of the University of Michigan, 2016).
4Cohort It refers to the group of people sharing common demographic characters or
experience as observed over a given period of time. Example includes individuals
suffering from similar medical conditions or individuals born in the same year or
individuals (Miettinen, 2011).
Presentation 6 /5
Presentation details Date: 17/10/2017
Title: Grounded Theory Research in Practice
Presenter: Patrea Anderson
Research term Definition
1Coding It refers to the process of assigning typical values to different levels of the variables

used in the study for the purpose of analysis and confidentiality (Miettinen, 2011).
2Consistency It refers to a process in survey studies in which the participants is required to
answer the subsequent questions in a similar way to which the previous questions
were answered (Pascal, 2013).
3Aggregate It determine the total calculated from a given smaller units in the population. Using
the analogue of a country population, the aggregate state population is sum of urban
and rural areas (University of Southern California, 2017).
4Chi-square Analysis It refers to the common non-parametric statistical tests. It is used in research studies
to compare the expected proportion to an actual proportion (McKendree University,
2017).
Presentation 7 /5
Presentation details Date: 17/10/2017
Title: Research in Practice
Presenter: Karen Ann Clark
Research term Definition
1Confidence Level It refers to the percentage of times that a calculated confidence interval will include
the true population value. For example if a researcher would decide to use a
confidence level of 0.95, it would mean that any sample chosen randomly from a
population of 100 , there are 95% chance that it falls under the study category
(Pascal, 2013).
2Qualitative Research It refers to a study that tries to verify or generate descriptive theory basing on the
data obtained from the investigation. It entails phenomenological perspective,
naturalistic setting and local groundedness (Miettinen, 2011).
3Special Populations It refers to vulnerable groups that should not be included in the study. They include
under age, terminally ill patients, pregnant subjects and the prisoners among others
(University of Southern California, 2017).
4Population It refers to the entire group or item that meets all the criteria set by the researcher to
be used in the study. The population can further be subdivided into subpopulation,
sample and convenience samples (Miettinen, 2011).

Presentation 8 /5
Presentation details Date: 17/10/2017
Title: Advice to Action; Uniting Cultural Practices and safe Sleep Environments
for Vulnerable Australian Infants
Presenter:
Research term Definition
1Control This is the process of ensuring that all the research conditions are made uniform or
constant throughout. This would make it possible to isolate the effects of
experimental conditions to end up with the most accurate results (Pascal, 2013).
2Cross-Sectional Data The term is used to refer to the data collected about individual at only one point in
time. It differs from longitudinal data which entails collecting data about an
individual at more than one point in time (McKendree University, 2017).
3Dispersion It explains how the variable values in the study are spread. It can be defined by
statistical terms such as range, variance, standard deviation and skewness (The
Regents of the University of Michigan, 2016).
4Focus Group This is a form of interview constructed to be conducted with a small group of people
at ago hence ability to explore the ideas on particular topics (Miettinen, 2011).
References
McKendree University. 2017. Research Terms and Definitions | McKendree University.
Retrieved from http://www.mckendree.edu/academics/research/irb/terms.php