Key Science Skills AOS2 SAC

  • Case study an intensive, in-depth investigation of some behaviour, event or problem of interest in a single individual, group, organisation or situation

  • confidentiality ethical guideline for research involving the privacy, protection and security of a participant’s personal iformation, including results

  • controlled experiment an experimental investigation of the relationship between an independent variable and a dependent variable, whilst controlling all other variables

  • debriefing ethical guideline requiring that at the end of the experiment, the participant leaves understanding the experimental aim, results and conclusions including wellbeing checks where appropriate

  • integrity in relation to research ethics, the commitment to searching for knowledge and understanding, the honest reporting of all sources of information and results, whether favourable or unfavourable, in ways that permit scrutiny and contribute to public knowledge and understanding

  • withdrawal right ethical guideline requiring a participant being able to discontinue their involvement in an experiment at any time during or after the conclusion of an experiment

  • non-maleficence in relation to research ethics, avoiding the causations of harm

  • justice in relation to research ethics, moral obligation to ensure that there is fair consideration of competing claims; that there is no unfair burden on a particular group from an action; and that there is fair distribution and access to the benefits of an action

  • controlled experiment an experimental investigation of the relationship between an independent variable and a dependent variable, whilst controlling all other variables

  • correlational study a research method used to investigate the relationship between variables without any control over the setting in which the relationship occurs or any manipulation by the researcher

  • simulation study reproducing situations of research interest in a realistic way to investigate the behaviour and/or mental processes of individuals in that environment

  • beneficence in relation to research ethics, the commitment to maximising benefits and minimising the risks and harms involved in taking a particular position or course of action

  • informed consent ethical guideline requiring that participants understand the nature and purpose of the experiment, including potential risks, before agreeing to participate

  • respect in relation to research ethics, consideration of, and due regard to, the extent to which living things have an intrinsic value and/or instrumental value

  • deception (in research) when a researcher deliberately conceals the true purpose of the experiment from participants by misleading or misinforming them

  • voluntary participation ethical guideline requiring that no coercion or pressure is put on the participant to partake in an experiment, and they freely choose to be involved

  • withdrawal right ethical guideline requiring a participant being able to discontinue their involvement in an experiment at any time during or after the conclusion of an experiment

  • within subjects experiment an experimental design in which each participant is in both the experimental and control groups or all the treatment conditions (if there is no control group)

  • between subjects an experimental design in which each participant is assigned to only one group or condition and provides only one score for data analysis; also called independent groups and between groups

  • biased sample a research sample that does not adequately represent the key characteristics of its population