Research Designs and Study Types

Vocabulary flashcards summarizing key research designs, study types, and related terms discussed in the lecture notes.

Research

The systematic process of discovering new information and generating scientific evidence.

Research Design

The overall strategy or plan that outlines how a specific research study will be conducted.

Retrospective Research Design

A design that begins in the present and looks back in time, collecting past data (e.g., examining 1951 atom-bomb explosion aftereffects).

Prospective Research Design

A design that starts in the present and follows subjects into the future to observe outcomes (e.g., tracking pregnancy infections and birth results).

Cohort Study

A long-term group study used to link risk factors with health outcomes by following a defined cohort over time.

Case-Control Study

A study comparing people with a disease (cases) to similar people without it (controls) to identify factors linked to the illness (e.g., skin cancer in plastic factory workers).

Correlational Study

A design that measures relationships between variables—often via questionnaires—to see how one variable predicts another before offering interventions such as health education.

Experimental Study

A study involving deliberate manipulation of an independent variable, featuring experimental and control groups with pre- and post-tests.

Cross-Sectional Study

A study that collects data at one point in time (often as an add-on to ongoing research) to describe a population, such as measuring BMI in school children.

Clinical Trials

Research studies conducted with human participants to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of medical, surgical, or behavioral interventions.

Lineage (Research via Mediators)

A method of conducting research through intermediaries when direct access to participants or settings is difficult.