Science & Research

20 words

1. 1

   informed consentnoun phrase/ɪnˈfɔːmd kənˈsɛnt/

   a participant's agreement to take part in a study after being informed about its aims and risks.

   “Researchers must obtain informed consent before any interviews begin.”

2. 2

   statistical powernoun phrase/stəˈtɪstɪkəl ˈpaʊə/

   the probability that a study will detect an effect when there is one.

   “Small sample sizes reduce the statistical power of a study.”

3. 3

   conflict of interestnoun phrase/ˌkɒnflɪkt əv ˈɪntrəst/

   a situation in which personal or financial interests could unduly influence professional judgement or research

   “The author declared a potential conflict of interest related to industry funding.”

4. 4

   control variablenoun phrase/kənˈtrəʊl ˈveəriəbl/

   a variable that is kept constant to prevent it from affecting the outcome of an experiment.

   “Temperature was treated as a control variable during the experiment.”

5. 5

   baseline datanoun phrase/ˈbeɪslaɪn ˈdeɪtə/

   measurements collected before an intervention to serve as a reference point.

   “We collected baseline data on participants' health before the programme started.”

6. 6

   meta-analysisnoun/ˌmetəəˈnæləsɪs/

   a statistical method that combines results of several independent studies on the same question

   “A recent meta-analysis found a small but significant effect of the intervention.”

7. 7

   reproducibility crisisnoun phrase/riːprəˌdʌsɪˈbɪləti ˈkraɪsɪs/

   the situation where many scientific studies cannot be replicated or reproduced, undermining confidence in their results.

   “The reproducibility crisis has prompted calls for more transparent methods.”

8. 8

   data visualizationnoun phrase/ˈdeɪtə ˌvɪʒuəlaɪˈzeɪʃən/

   the presentation of data in graphical or pictorial form to reveal patterns or trends.

   “Good data visualization can make complex results easy to understand.”

9. 9

   sampling biasnoun phrase/ˈsæmplɪŋ ˈbaɪəs/

   a systematic error that occurs when the sample is not representative of the population being studied

   “The survey results showed sampling bias because respondents were only taken from one neighbourhood.”

10. 10

    confounding variablenoun phrase/kənˈfaʊndɪŋ ˈvɛəriəbl/

    a factor that distorts the apparent relationship between independent and dependent variables

    “When analysing the link between diet and illness, smoking can be a confounding variable.”

11. 11

    margin of errornoun phrase/ˈmɑːdʒɪn əv ˈɛrə/

    the range (usually ± percent) that indicates the expected sampling error in survey results

    “The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus three percent.”

12. 12

    research hypothesiscollocation/rɪˈsɜːtʃ haɪˈpɒθəsɪs/

    a clear, testable prediction that a researcher makes before collecting data

    “Our research hypothesis was that increased study time would improve exam scores.”

13. 13

    double-blind studynoun phrase/ˌdʌbəlˈblaɪnd ˈstʌdi/

    a trial in which neither participants nor researchers know who receives the real treatment, to prevent bias

    “The drug was tested in a double-blind study to ensure unbiased results.”

14. 14

    confidence intervalcollocation/ˈkɒnfɪdəns ˈɪntəvəl/

    a range of values, derived from sample data, that is likely to contain the true population parameter with a given probability

    “The 95% confidence interval for the mean weight was 2.3 to 3.7 kilograms.”

15. 15

    longitudinal studynoun phrase/ˌlɒŋɡɪˈtjuːdɪnəl ˈstʌdi/

    a study that follows the same people or subjects over a long period to observe changes over time

    “To see how students' attitudes change from age 10 to 18, the team ran a longitudinal study.”

16. 16

    theoretical frameworknoun phrase/ˌθiːəˈrɛtɪkəl ˈfreɪmwɜːk/

    a set of concepts and theories that guide a study and help interpret results

    “The theoretical framework for this thesis draws on social identity theory.”

17. 17

    cross-sectional studynoun phrase/ˌkrɒsˈsekʃənəl ˈstʌdi/

    a study that compares different groups at a single point in time

    “The researchers used a cross-sectional study to compare diet habits across age groups.”

18. 18

    operational definitionnoun phrase/ˌɒpəˈreɪʃənəl ˌdɛfəˈnɪʃən/

    a specific, measurable description of how a variable or concept is observed or measured in a study

    “The operational definition of 'attendance' was the number of lectures attended per semester.”

19. 19

    placebo effectnoun phrase/pləˈsiːbəʊ ɪˈfekt/

    the improvement in a patient’s condition resulting from the mere belief that they are receiving treatment

    “Participants in the control group showed a placebo effect, reporting less pain despite receiving a sugar pill.”

20. 20

    validated questionnairenoun phrase/ˈvælɪdeɪtɪd ˌkwes.tʃəˈneə/

    a survey instrument that has been tested and shown to be reliable and valid for measuring what it intends to measure

    “The study used a validated questionnaire to assess mental health symptoms.”