4 Principles of Research Design Free Online FlashCards

What is a research design?

A plan that connects a research problem to the evidence needed to answer it, including what is studied, who or what is included, how information is collected, and how findings are interpreted.

Why doesn’t an observed association alone establish causation?

An association shows that characteristics vary together; it does not by itself show that one causes the other. Causal conclusions require a design that addresses alternative explanations.

What does it mean to conceptualize a construct?

Conceptualizing a construct means stating precisely what it means in a particular study.

What distinguishes an independent variable from a dependent variable?

The independent variable is the proposed explanatory factor; the dependent variable is the outcome being examined.

How do a target population and a sample differ?

The target population is the larger group the study aims to draw conclusions about; the sample is the subset actually studied.

Why can a very large sample still misrepresent a population?

A very large but biased sample may still misrepresent the population; size does not correct unsound selection.

How do reliability and validity differ?

Reliability concerns consistency. Validity concerns whether a measure supports the intended interpretation; a consistent measure can still measure the wrong thing.

How do cross-sectional and longitudinal designs differ?

A cross-sectional design collects information at one time; a longitudinal design collects information at multiple times.

What does it mean to operationalize a construct?

Operationalizing a construct means specifying how it will be observed or measured, such as measuring sleep by nightly duration.

What is a confounder?

A confounder is associated with both the explanatory factor and the outcome, so it may distort their apparent relationship.

What is a sampling frame?

A sampling frame is the practical list or source from which a sample is selected.

What defines probability sampling?

Probability sampling uses a random process that gives members of a defined population a known chance of inclusion.