Concept
abstract idea in words
Variable
Categorical concept to measure
properties of people and things
Independent Variable
cause variable
Dependent Variable
effect variable
Deductive reasoning
Top-down, hypothesis
testing, theory driven approach
Inductive reasoning
Bottom-up, theory building,
data-driven approach
Operationalization
Variables defined to be
precisely measurable
Reliability
the variable is consistently measured (time,
researcher, place, etc.)
Validity
We measure what we intend to measure
(measures the intended concept)
Tri-Council Policy statement
guiding research ethics
policy for research involving humans
Survey
quantitative method using a questionnaire to
collect responses from respondents
Interview
Verbal question-and-answer technique
eliciting qualitative data
Ethnography
Immersive field work to gather
qualitative data in a natural setting
