ccj cram

Association

X & Y are related

Temporal Order

Cause (X) happens before effect (Y)

Non-Spuriousness

No 3rd variable (Z) causing both X and Y

Mechanism

Process linking cause and effect

Contextual Effect

Conditions under which cause works

Probabilistic Causality

X increases probability of Y (not guaranteed)

True Experiment

Has random assignment, control group, posttest

Field Experiment

Real-world setting experiment

Quasi-Experiment

No random assignment

Non-equivalent Control Group Design

Quasi-experiment with no randomization but comparison group

Before-and-after Design

Pretest and posttest measurements without control group

History (threat to validity)

Outside events influencing results

Maturation (threat)

Natural changes in subjects over time

Testing (threat)

Practice effects from repeated testing

Instrumentation (threat)

Changes in measurement tool

Regression to the Mean

Extreme scores naturally move closer to average

Selection Bias

Differences between groups before treatment

Attrition

Dropping out of study over time

Contamination

Groups influencing each other

Omnibus Survey

Survey covering multiple topics (e.g., GSS)

Open-ended Question

Free response answer

Closed-ended Question

Fixed response options

Double-barreled Question

Asks two things at once

Loaded Question

Uses emotionally charged language

Ambiguous Question

Unclear or vague wording

Fence Sitting

Choosing neutral response to avoid taking sides

Floaters

Answering without sufficient knowledge

Mailed Surveys

Anonymous; no interviewer bias

Telephone Surveys

Risk interviewer bias

Evaluation Research

Assesses programs or policies

Needs Assessment

Determines if program is needed

Process Evaluation

Evaluates how program is implemented

Impact Evaluation

Assesses if program worked

Efficiency Analysis

Compares program cost to benefits

Cost-benefit Analysis

Financial comparison of program costs vs. benefits

Evaluability Assessment

Determines if program can be evaluated

Policy Research

Links research to policy decisions

Systematic Review

Summarizes findings from multiple studies

Meta-analysis

Statistically combines results from multiple studies

Participant Observation

Researcher joins group being studied

Ethnography

Long-term observation in natural setting

Intensive Interview

In-depth individual interview seeking saturation

Focus Group

Small group discussion for data collection

Grounded Theory

Builds theory from data collected

Open Coding

Initial stage of categorizing data

Theoretical Sampling

Adds participants as new themes emerge

Mixed Methods

Combines qualitative and quantitative methods

Secondary Data

Existing data collected by others (e.g., NACJD)

Content Analysis

Analyzes text/media for themes and patterns

Conceptual Analysis

Counts frequency of concepts or terms

Reporting Ethics

Accurately presenting research findings

Internal Validity

Confidence that X caused Y

External Validity

Generalizability of findings

Black-Box Evaluation

Only outcome measured; process unknown

Stakeholder Orientation

Involving affected parties in evaluation

Temporal Order (Fill-in)

X must occur before Y

Internal Validity (Fill-in)

Threatened when subjects drop out

Omnibus Survey (Fill-in)

Survey covering many topics

Cost-benefit Analysis (Fill-in)

Compares program costs to benefits

Open Coding (Fill-in)

First step of grounded theory analysis

Mixed Methods (Fill-in)

Combines qualitative and quantitative data

Fence Sitting (Fill-in)

Neutral responses to avoid choosing sides

Evaluability Assessment (Fill-in)

Assesses if evaluation is feasible

Secondary Data (Fill-in)

Existing data used for research

Conceptual Analysis (Fill-in)

Counts word frequency in content analysis