Survey Tools and Research Terminology

Haphazard Sample

Group selected where all members do not have an equal chance of being included

Validity

Indicates whether an instrument or device measures what it is supposed to measure

Data

Information divided into four types: nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio

Biased Sample

Intentional or unintentional overselection of subjects from a given strata

Statistics

Numbers used to summarize a sample

Stratified Random Sample

Population divided into categories to ensure representation of all subgroups

Standard Deviation

A measure of variability in a group of measurements

Closed Questionnaire

A research tool that asks respondents to answer with specific data

Rating Scale

A research tool that measures opinions and behaviors quantitatively

Standardized, Normalized Distribution

A set of results with an identical number of scores falling on each side of the mean (Bell Curve)

Branching

A survey tool that allows respondents to skip ahead

Random Sample

All members have an equal chance of being included

Reliability

An indication of whether an instrument or device will show consistent results

Internal Validity

Changes in the independent variable account for changes in the dependent variable

Interval/Ratio Data

Data that can be compared to determine order and exact distances

Ordinal Data

Data that can be compared to determine rank order

Nominal Data

Data that can be given a name or category designation

Descriptive Research

Describes a population. Descriptive studies simply present characteristics of a sample with no attempt to show causal relationships among variables

External Validity

Research techniques and sample reflect the real world

Skewed Data

Results that are not symmetrical and may be biased

Sample Size

The number of subjects in a study