Research Project Design Overview

The blueprint or recipe for your research project. It outlines the specific methods, tools, and steps you will take to answer your research question.

The specific group of individuals your study aims to investigate. It's a subset of the larger population.

The process of determining the appropriate number of participants needed to achieve reliable and meaningful results.

The methods and resources you use to gather information, such as interviews, surveys, experiments, or observational studies.

The specific criteria or outcomes that you will measure to evaluate the success of your research.

A specific method or strategy used to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention or treatment. They often involve comparisons with a control group.

A group that receives no intervention or receives a standard treatment, allowing researchers to compare results with the experimental group.

The conditions or factors that affect your study, such as time, location, participant characteristics, or any potential biases.

The extent to which the results of a study can be generalized to other populations, settings, and times.

The extent to which a study's results can be trusted to be accurate and reliable.

The openness and clarity of a study's methods and findings, allowing others to evaluate the study's rigor and validity.

The extent to which a study measures what it intends to measure.

The consistency and reproducibility of a study's results.

A research paradigm focusing on understanding the world as a social construction through interpretation and diverse perspectives.

A research paradigm that uses systematic procedures to test hypotheses and establish causal relationships.

A research approach that uses numerical data to test hypotheses and draw generalizations.

A research approach that explores the meaning-making processes and experiences of individuals and groups.

A research methodology that combines both qualitative and quantitative data to provide a comprehensive understanding of a topic.

A philosophical perspective emphasizing the practical consequences and outcomes of research.

A research paradigm where the researcher engages in the research process with the aim of promoting social change and empowering marginalized groups.

A philosophical perspective that suggests that reality is objective and exists independently of human perception.

A systematic review summarizes the findings of multiple studies on a specific topic to provide a comprehensive overview and draw conclusions.

A scoping review is a type of review that explores the breadth and depth of a specific research area, identifying key concepts, gaps, and emerging themes.

Power calculations are used to determine the minimum sample size needed to achieve statistically significant results with a predetermined level of confidence.

The variance represents the spread or variability of data points within a study.

Type I error occurs when you reject the null hypothesis (think of it as a false alarm) when it is actually true.

Type II error occurs when you fail to reject the null hypothesis (think of it as missing something important) when it is actually false.

The clinically significant difference refers to the minimum difference between groups or treatments that is considered meaningful in a practical sense.

The prevalence of an event of interest refers to the proportion of individuals in a population who experience that event at a given time.

A statistical analysis that includes all participants in a study, regardless of whether they completed the study or not. This method provides a more conservative and realistic estimate of the treatment effect.

Statistical methods used to describe and summarize data. Common examples include measures of central tendency (mean, median, mode) and dispersion (range, standard deviation).

Statistical methods used to infer or draw conclusions about a population based on a sample of data. It involves testing hypotheses and making predictions.

A clearly defined plan or protocol that outlines the specific intervention being tested in a study.

Measures used in a study to minimize or control the influence of extraneous variables that could affect the results. This could be done through blinding, randomization, or controlled environments.

A type of research study where data is collected prospectively (forward in time) to observe events and outcomes. This contrasts with retrospective studies, which look back at existing data.

The process of comparing data between different groups (e.g., treatment vs. control) to determine if there are significant differences. This is a key aspect of inferential statistics.

To test if there is a relationship between two or more variables in a study. Analyzing the strength and direction of the relationship helps researchers draw conclusions about the association.