Understanding Research Methods: A Glossary of Terms, Quizzes of Communication

Download Understanding Research Methods: A Glossary of Terms and more Quizzes Communication in PDF only on Docsity! TERM 1 What way of knowing does communication research rely on? DEFINITION 1 Scientific method TERM 2 What type of reasoning is used to test theories? DEFINITION 2 Deductive TERM 3 Inductive reasoning DEFINITION 3 Central to theory building-the researcher begins to observe and collect evidence TERM 4 Deductive reasoning DEFINITION 4 to use a theory as the basis for reaching a conclusion about empirical data TERM 5 Quantitative analysis DEFINITION 5 The what-expressed with numbers TERM 6 Qualitative analysis DEFINITION 6 The why-expressed without numbers TERM 7 Understanding reality exists and can be known DEFINITION 7 Results are only valid if they can be replicated. Scientific knowledge is gathered over long periods of time, involving various methods and means, by different people in the scientific community. TERM 8 Mixed methodology DEFINITION 8 strategy for combining qualitative and quantitative methods TERM 9 What is ethics? DEFINITION 9 A set of socially acceptable rules that are generated from your surroundings TERM 10 Types of ethics DEFINITION 10 deontology, teleology, objective, ideological approach TERM 21 Annotative bibliography DEFINITION 21 A list or summary of each entry on a topic or subject area TERM 22 Materials for a literature review: DEFINITION 22 Standard textbooks, specialized bibliographies, journal indexes, online databases, theses and dissertations TERM 23 Conceptual to operational definition DEFINITION 23 Conceptual (abstract) -> operational (concrete)crime->exact components of crime TERM 24 Maximum performance DEFINITION 24 Involves right and wrong answers, assumes people will try to get as many right as they canEX: ACT TERM 25 Typical performance DEFINITION 25 Assesses opinions, attitudes, values, personality traits-has no right or wrong answerEX: Briggs Myers TERM 26 Test-retest Reliability DEFINITION 26 Measurements taken by a single person or instrument on the same item and under the same conditions. Coefficient of stability is the correlation of the two sets of test scores. Random fluctuation in test scores is attributable to time sampling factors. TERM 27 Split-half Reliability DEFINITION 27 Administering a test once to a single group of test examinees and splitting the test into equal halves, usually odd-even items. TERM 28 Cronbach's Alpha DEFINITION 28 A rate of responses on a scale. Cronbach's Alpha gives a score between 0 and 1, with 0.7 being the lowest number of reliability. Test takes into account number of questions asked, sample size, number of possible responses, and correlation between each individual response on each question to that of every other respondent TERM 29 Nominal data DEFINITION 29 The name of something, like eye color, race, or hometown. The measure of central tendency is the mode (value that occurs most frequently) TERM 30 Ordinal data DEFINITION 30 When you name something and rank it in scales that are relative to each other. Intervals between ranks aren't equal. The measure of central tendency is the median. TERM 31 Interval data DEFINITION 31 Steps from one level to the next are all the same, like Fahrenheit temperature. The measure of central tendency is the mean. TERM 32 2 types of sampling DEFINITION 32 Probability and non-probability OR random and nonrandom TERM 33 Simple random sampling DEFINITION 33 selection process is totally random, without a pattern TERM 34 Systematic random sampling DEFINITION 34 same as simple but with a list of a population-numbering every subject then mathematically selecting participants TERM 35 Stratified random sampling DEFINITION 35 population is divided into homogenous subgroups, from which several simple random samples are taken TERM 46 What does the normative distribution curve represent? DEFINITION 46 The responses of participants-the more samples taken from the population and placed on a grid, the more the grid will resemble a normal curve with most of the samples in the middle of the curve TERM 47 What is content analysis used to examine? DEFINITION 47 Quantitatively analyzing communication messages through texts, visuals, and sounds TERM 48 Codes DEFINITION 48 Correspond to a spreadsheet or form on which coders note thei coding decisions. units are numbered and mutually exclusive TERM 49 Codebooks DEFINITION 49 document formally written with instructions for the coders, includes a precise and detailed explication of the coding instructions and codes can help researchers to avoid subjective and biased coding TERM 50 Coder DEFINITION 50 Introduced to the specific characteristics of the content analysis process, from the material that will be content- analyzed to the codebook and the recording process TERM 51 What is the survey that describes current situations, opinions, or beliefs? DEFINITION 51 Descriptive survey TERM 52 Double barreled question DEFINITION 52 asking a participant to answer two questions with one answer TERM 53 Relationship between reliability and variance DEFINITION 53 X = T + EObtained score= true score + random error TERM 54 3 things that affect reliability DEFINITION 54 Problems with coders, codes, and sampling TERM 55 Descriptive survey DEFINITION 55 attempts to picture or documents currents conditions or attitudes, that is, to describe what exists at the moment TERM 56 Analytical survey DEFINITION 56 attempts to describe and explain why certain situations exist- in this approach two or more variables are usually examined to test research hypotheses-results allow researchers to examine the interrelationships among variables and to draw explanatory inferences