Research Strategies and Data Visualization

Vocabulary flashcards covering fundamental research strategies, experimental designs, and data visualization formats based on the lecture material.

Research Strategy

The broad, high-level plan a researcher uses to answer a research question, specifying the general type of study without specifying exact procedures.

Research Design

The specific arrangement of variables, conditions, groups, and step-by-step procedures used to conduct a research study.

Descriptive Research Strategy

A research strategy that aims to provide a description of individual variables as they exist within a specific group, usually reported as averages or percentages.

Qualitative Research Strategy

A research strategy aimed at understanding the what, how, and why of an issue to uncover deeper meanings behind human experiences using open-ended methods such as case studies or ethnography.

Correlational Research Strategy

A research strategy that measures two variables for each individual to describe a relationship between them without attempting to explain cause and effect.

Linear Relationship

A relationship between two variables that can be visually described by a straight line on a graph.

Curvilinear Relationship

A relationship between two variables where the association is not constant and is represented visually by a curved line.

Positive Relationship

A relationship between two variables where both variables change in the same direction.

Negative Relationship

A relationship between two variables where they move in opposite directions.

Experimental Research Strategy

A strategy, also known as a 'true' experiment, that manipulates an independent variable and randomly assigns participants to conditions to establish a cause-and-effect relationship.

Quasi-Experimental Research Strategy

A strategy that tests the effect of an independent variable that is manipulated or varies systematically, but lacks random assignment of participants to conditions.

Between-Subjects Design

A research design where different groups of participants experience different conditions or treatment levels.

Within-Subjects Design

A research design where the same group of participants experiences all conditions or treatment levels over time.

Line Graph

A graphical representation that uses data points connected by line segments to show continuous progression or changes in value over time.

Scatter Plot

A graph that uses plotted dots to represent values for two continuous numerical variables for each individual, used to observe relationships between variables.

Bar Chart

A graph used to compare discrete categories of data, where each bar represents a distinct category and the bars do not touch.

Histogram

A graph that displays the distribution of continuous numerical data across range intervals called bins, where adjacent bars touch each other without gaps.

Box & Whisker Plot

A summary graphic that displays the distribution of a dataset using five key metrics: Minimum, First Quartile (Q1), Median (Q2), Third Quartile (Q3), and Maximum, along with identified outliers.

First Quartile (Q1)

The value in a box plot below which $25\%$ of the data fall.

Median (Q2)

The middle value in a dataset where $50\%$ of observations lie above and $50\%$ lie below.

Third Quartile (Q3)

The value in a box plot below which $75\%$ of the data fall.