A - 

Abstract -- A single paragraph summary of the dissertation

Academic convention -- Building, supporting and challenging ideas

Academic literature base -- Topic relevant books, journal articles and expert reports which have usually been peer-reviewed.

Analytical techniques -- Approaches used to examine relationships between variables.

Analytical tools -- Software used to investigate data.

Anonymising -- The process of concealing the identity of participants in all documents resulting from the research.

Anonymity -- The situation in which someone’s name is not given or known

ANOVA -- Analysis of variance; a comparison of means between two or more groups.

APA -- Literally the American Psychological Association but the acronym is used to indicate the citation and referencing style that should be used.

Appendices -- Supplementary information.

Assumption -- An unexamined belief.

B -

Back-up -- A copy

Bar chart -- A graph drawn using rectangular bars to show how large each value is.

Branching questions -- Questions which create a customised pathway through a process.

Broad to narrow -- An overview leading to a focused view.

C - 

Categories of meaning -- Grouping items to make sense of the data.

Causal -- An effect that is the consequence of an action.

Central tendency -- The generic term for statistics that provide an impression of those values that are common, middling or average.

Chronological -- Arranged in time order.

Citing -- Attributing the source of ideas, words or expressions.

Closed questions -- Questions that elicit yes, no and don’t know answers.

Clustered sampling -- Classification of the population into intrinsic group followed by group selection by random sampling.

Code book -- A list where you set out the definition of each code.

Code of practice -- The regulations in which the standards of behaviour and practice are set-out.

Column charts -- Figure in which values are represented by vertical bars.

Conclusions -- A restatement of the problem, summary of the main topics, synthesis of key points, relevance and implications of the research.

Confidentiality -- The fact of private information (all data) being kept secret

Confirmability -- The extent to which biased perspectives may have influenced the interpretation of the data.

Conflict of interest -- A situation in which the concerns and aims of two different parties are incompatible

Credibility -- The authentic representation of research participants’ experiences.

Credible -- Conceivable.

Critical analysis -- Careful examination, synthesis and evaluation.

Critical discourse -- An approach that analyses written and spoken language.

Critical evaluation -- Considering the validity, reliability strengths, weakness and applicability of literature and drawing comparisons with other literature.

Cross-sectional study -- Data collection at one point in time.

D - 

Data assumptions -- Information expectations; the presumptions statistical tests are based on.

Data collection -- The process of assembling information from relevant sources.

Data protection -- Involves respect for individual & their rights around privacy & use of their information

Data visualisation -- Graphical representation of information and data.

Debate -- Presenting different sides of a discussion or argument.

Deductive -- Theory informs research into the problem, situation or issue of interest in situations when theory or theoretical perspective are already well established to explain the phenomena of interest.

Deductive quantitative -- Collecting measurable information for a theoretically informed research, that is, theory or theoretical  perspectives are already well established to explain the phenomena of interest.

Demographic -- Social statistics of a population.

Dependability -- The minimisation of over-personal or unjustified interpretations of the data.

Discussion -- Interpretation of your findings in relation to what was already known.

Dissertation -- Independent research project.

Distribution channel -- The chain of intermediaries used to reach your selected sample.

Double counting -- Submitting all or part of a work that has previously been submitted for assessment or publication.

Double-blind placebo controlled studies -- An experiment in which neither the participant nor the experimenter knows who received an active agent and who received a placebo.

Down the line -- in the future.

E - 

Empirical papers -- Literature from original research such as scientific experiments, surveys and observational studies.

Ethical approval -- Confirmation that the ethical standards are suitable and the research can proceed.

Ethical approval process -- The procedure of submitting the ethical approval forms.

Ethical concerns -- Areas of the planned research which are not aligned with the required conduct.

Ethical consequences -- The ethical implications of the planned research.

Ethical consideration -- Thinking about ethics in every aspect of the planned research.

Ethical integrity -- Choosing to comply with the external standards of behaviour.

Ethical issues -- Areas of the planned research which are not aligned with the required conduct.

Ethically responsible researcher -- A researcher who recognises and acts according to relevant principles.

Ethics -- The standards of behaviour that guides your conduct in relation to the rights of those who become the subject of your work or are affected by it.

Ethics form -- The document which confirms and details ethical considerations for planned research. This must receive approval prior to any data collection.

Exploratory -- Examination or investigation.

F -

Fear of reprisal -- Anxiety about acts of retaliation.

Findings -- The discoveries resulting from the research.

First hand -- The original source.

Focus group -- A facilitated group interview, composed of a small number of participants, in which the topic is clearly defined and  interactive discussion between the participants is recorded.

Follow-up questions -- Further questions to gain a more detailed insight into the answer.

Free text responses -- Unstructured writing.

G - 

Gatekeepers - The intermediary between the potential participants and the researcher.

Generalisability -- Findings based on a sample of the population that are applicable to a wider population.

Generalising -- Applying findings based on a sample of the population to the wider population.

Grounded theory -- Progressive identification and integration of categories of meaning from the data.

H -

Histogram -- Diagram for showing frequency distributions for a grouped continuous data variable in which the area of each bar represents the frequency of occurrence.

Hot topic -- A current point of discussion which is receiving intense attention.

Human research participants -- People who volunteer to take part in a research project.

Hypotheses -- A supposition based on facts which has not been evidenced; a testable predictions which will contributing to answering your research question.

I -

in a nutshell -- in brief summary

in-depth -- Semi-structured questions with the flexibility to explore points further and change direction.

inductive -- Research informs theory development when there is a lack of existing theory and no established explanations and so data

collected about this by the researcher can help to build new understanding. This is sometimes referred to as theory building.

inductive qualitative -- Information based on meanings expressed through words, language or images is collected for research to inform theory development when there is a lack of existing theory and no established explanations.

informed consent -- Permission granted in full knowledge of the possible consequences. Position achieved when intended participants are fully informed about the use of research to be undertaken and their role in it and where their consent to participate is freely given.

insider -- Researcher who wants to establish facts about their own area of work or place of employment.

interpretivism - A research approach that is concerned to understand how we as humans make sense of the world around us.

interpretivist -- The view that we all experience the world and make sense of it in unique contextualised ways.

interview -- A formal meeting where a researcher ask participants questions.

interview questions -- Questions designed to collect suitable data for the research study.

introduction -- A guide to what the research is about, the justification for it, the purpose and the scope.

iterative -- Repetitious.

K - 

keyword -- a word of term in the title, abstract, or text of a document.

L -

Likert scale -- A fixed choice response format for measuring attitudes to a series of statements that explore different dimensions of a topic. It was developed by Likert (1932).

limitations -- Influences that the researcher could not or did not control.

line charts -- Figure in which a series of data points are connected by a line.

linear sequence -- Completing tasks one after the other.

literature review -- Detailed and justified analysis of the merits and faults of the literature in a chosen area, which demonstrates familiarity with what is already known about the research topic. A search, evaluation, synthesis and summary of the current knowledge on a subject, which forms the foundation of a dissertation.

longitudinal study -- An initial data collection followed by a repeated data collection at a different point in time.

M -

matched sampling -- Non-probability sampling procedure in which two or more respondents’ data are linked.

means -- Central tendency measure.

measures of dispersion -- The spread of data within a data set. Two principle measures (the range and the standard deviation) express how the values for a variable are dispersed around the central tendency.

medians -- Central tendency measure.

methodological design -- A process used to develop the validity and reliability of instruments to measure constructs used as variables in research.

methodologies -- The principles, philosophy or rules underlying the research.

methodology -- The theory of how research should be undertaken; the philosophical framework within which research is conducted; the foundation upon which the research is based.

methods -- The procedures for the research.

methods section -- The techniques and procedures used to obtain and analyse research data.

Microsoft Excel -- Spreadsheet software with the filename extension .xls.

mind map -- A visual representation of ideas.

mixed methods research -- An approach to research that makes use of aspects of both positivism and interpretivism.

moral principles -- The values that guide conduct.

multi-method critical case study -- A variety of approaches to generate data for different elements of the research question.

N - 

Narrative -- Story.

Nominal scale data -- Arbitrary numbering for non-numeric data. 

Nvivo -- Software for organising, categorising and visualising qualitative and mixed-methods data. 

O - 

Observational study -- A study in which individuals are observed or certain outcomes are measured. No attempt is made to affect the outcome. 

Outsider -- Researcher who wants to establish facts and generalisable trends. 

P - 

Participant information sheet -- Sufficient information for a person to decide to give informed consent to join a study. 

Participant privacy -- The imperative that there will be no unauthorised disclosure of participants’ personal information or data. 

Peer reviewed -- Analysed and considered by experts on the topic for accuracy and quality before being published. 

Pie charts -- A circular statistical graphic, which is divided into slices to illustrate numerical proportion. 

Pilot -- Testing and practice prior to implementation. 

Pilot study -- A small scale preliminary study. 

Plagiarism -- When ideas, words or expressions are copied and presented as your own. 

Plain English -- Clear and concise English language, written with the reader in mind.

Plausible -- Possible.

Positivism -- An approach to research which usually attempts to establish cause and effect relationships. 

Positivist -- The view that the way to understand the real world is through its objective features; through what we can measure and calculate. 

Preliminary or initial codes -- Features of the data that appear interesting and meaningful. 

Primary -- Data you collect from original sources with your specific project in mind. 

Primary data -- Data you collect from original sources with your specific project in mind. 

Privacy -- The imperative that there will be no unauthorised disclosures. 

Probability sampling -- Each case in the population (individual or organization) has a known statistical chance of being selected for inclusion. 

Probability sampling strategy -- Using random selection techniques. 

Professional codes of conduct -- The required standards and behaviours for a situation. 

Proofreading service -- A service which charges for the process of reviewing the final draft of a piece of writing to ensure consistency and accuracy in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and formatting. 

Proposition -- A suggested link between concepts based on previous research. 

Q -

Qualitative -- A scientific method of gathering non-numerical data through observation and interviews. Information based on meanings expressed through words, language or images 

Qualitative data -- Information based on meanings expressed through words, language or images. 

Qualitative study -- Research using non-numerical methods. 

Quals -- An abbreviation for qualitative data. 

Quantitative -- Measurable.

Quantitative data -- Measurable information. 

Quantitative researcher -- A person conducting research using statistical, mathematical or computational methods. 

Questionnaire -- A set of standardised questions. 

R - 

Radar charts -- A chart presenting multivariate data by giving each variable an axis and plotting the data as a polygonal shape over all axes.

Random sampling -- Every person in the research population has the same opportunity to be selected. 

Range -- The difference between the highest and the lowest values for a variable. 

Ratio scale data -- Measurable attributes with a potential zero point. 

Recruit (noun) -- A new member.

Recruit (verb) -- To enrol new members.

Red thread -- The line of argument that runs through the dissertation and holds it together. 

References -- A list of the cited works. 

Regression analysis -- A procedure for estimating a relationship between a dependent variable and one or more independent variables. 

Reliability -- Consistent measurement if repeated. 

Reputational risks -- The potential for creating a negative public perception of an organisation or person. 

Research design -- The framework that guides decisions about the collection and analysis of data. 

Research ethics -- A particular way to understand the moral principles that guide the researchers’ behaviour. 

Research gaps -- The identification of unanswered questions. 

Research methods -- The tools and process used to answer your research questions. 

Research methods textbook -- See your reading list for research methods reading recommendations 

Research philosophy -- Overarching term relating to the development of knowledge and the nature of that knowledge in relation to research. 

Research population -- The individuals, objects or events that are the focus of the research.

Research question -- The main question the research is designed to answer. 

Research sample - qualitative -- A purposive sample of the research population. 

Research sample - quantitative -- A statistically representative sample of the research population. 

Respondent fatigue -- Participants becoming tired or bored. 

Response rate -- The percentage of participants surveyed who responded 

Results or findings -- The outcomes.

Rights of participants -- The entitlements of those taking part. 

Risk -- Exposure to the possibility of loss or danger. 

Robust research plan -- The strategy for successfully conducting each stage of the research 

S - 

Safety -- Freedom from risk. 

Sample -- A representative sub-set of the research population. 

Sampling strategy -- The plan used to achieve a representative selection from the research population. 

Scatter plots -- A data visualisation that uses dots to represent the values obtained for two different variables - one plotted along the x-axis and the other plotted along the y-axis. 

SCOPUS -- Scopus is Elsevier’s abstract and citation database. 

Search engines -- A programme indexes information in order that it can be identified and retrieved. 

Secondary -- Data collected by someone other than you and for other research purposes; existing information. 

Secondary data -- Information which was previously collected by someone other than you and for other research purposes. 

Seminal author -- An influential originator 

Seminal study -- Influential original research which is unique or pivotal. 

Semi-structured -- Themes and questions are worked out in advance but the flow and the order may change 

Semi-structured interviews -- Interviews for which the themes and questions are worked out in advance but the flow and the order may change. 

Sensitive topic -- Subjects which may be considered confidential, personal, private, intrusive, inappropriate, stressful, sacred or offensive, which may lead to an emotional response. 

Sheets -- Spreadsheets contained within a Microsoft Excel file. 

Skewed sets of participants -- The participants are not representative. 

SMEs -- Small and medium enterprises 

Snowball method -- Non-probability sampling procedure in which subsequent respondents are obtained from the information provided by initial respondents. 

Sources -- Literature used to inform research. 

Standard deviation -- The way in which values for a variable are dispersed around the central tendency. 

Statistical analysis -- The collection and investigation of data to uncover patterns and trends. 

Statistical techniques -- Methods of analysing numerical data. 

Stratified sampling -- Method in which sub-groups are formed based on common characteristics and random sampling takes places proportionally from each sub-group. 

Structured -- Themes and questions are worked out in advance and presented in a set order. 

Sufficient information -- Necessary information with adequate details to form a conclusion. 

Survey -- Questionnaire.

Survey instrument -- Questionnaire.

Systematic sampling -- A random starting point with fixed, periodic interval selection. 

T - 

Take part freely -- To volunteer without coercion. 

Target respondent -- A participant from the selected sample 

Thematic analysis -- Analytical method in which patterns of meaning are identified in a dataset. 

Theory -- A set of assumptions or propositions that attempts to provide a plausible or rational explanation of cause-and-effect (causal) relationships among a group of observed phenomenon which have been repeatedly confirmed through experiment or observation. A connected group of propositions with 4 basic criteria: conceptual definitions, domain limitations, relationship-building, and predictions. 

Thesis -- A dissertation embodying results of original research and especially substantiating a specific view. 

Topical -- Arranged by subject or themes. 

Transcribe -- Write-out.

Transcribing -- To make a written copy of spoken material. 

Transferability -- The fit of your research findings within contexts that are outside of the specific study situation. 

Triangulate -- Data validation through cross verification from more than two sources 

Trustworthy analysis -- Dependable scrutiny. 

T-test -- Comparison of means between two groups. 

Tweet -- A message of up to 280 characters posted on the Twitter social media platform. 

U -

Unstructured -- Open-ended questions on the topic of interest. 

V - 

Validity -- Measuring what is intended to be measured. 

Variables -- Measurable traits. 

Visual data -- Pictorial or graphic data. 

Visuals -- Graphical representation of data. 

Vivid compelling extract examples -- Strong, distinct and convincing or persuading passages from the data. 

Voluntary -- To take part freely without coercion. 

W -

Writing-up -- Reporting your research. 

Written consent form -- The document which a participant signs as evidence of their informed consent. 

Z -

Zoomed-in approach -- Detailed or closer perspective.