Glossary
AND (Boolean Operator)
A Boolean operator used to narrow a search by requiring all specified terms to be present in the search results.
Example:
Searching 'teenagers AND social media AND anxiety' will only return articles that discuss all three concepts.
Bibliography
A list of all sources consulted or cited in a research paper, often found at the end of academic works.
Example:
When you find a great research paper, checking its bibliography can lead you to many other relevant studies on the same topic.
Boolean Operators
Words like AND, OR, and NOT used to combine or exclude keywords in search queries to refine results in databases.
Example:
Using Boolean operators like 'climate change AND policy' helps narrow down search results to highly relevant articles.
EBSCO
A widely used online database providing access to a vast collection of academic journals, magazines, and other research materials.
Example:
An AP Research student can use their free EBSCO subscription to find peer-reviewed articles for their literature review.
Ethical Approval
Formal permission obtained from an institutional review board (IRB) or ethics committee to ensure a research study adheres to ethical guidelines and protects participants' rights.
Example:
Before surveying students about sensitive topics, a researcher must secure ethical approval to ensure participant confidentiality and informed consent.
Hypothesis
A testable prediction or educated guess about the relationship between two or more variables, often formulated before conducting research.
Example:
A researcher might propose the hypothesis that 'increased screen time among adolescents leads to higher levels of reported anxiety.'
Literature Review
A comprehensive survey of scholarly articles, books, and other sources relevant to a particular area of research, providing a foundation for a new study.
Example:
Before designing their own experiment, a student conducts a thorough literature review to understand existing research, identify gaps, and inform their methodology.
NOT (Boolean Operator)
A Boolean operator used to exclude specific terms from search results, thereby refining the focus of the search.
Example:
Searching 'artificial intelligence NOT robotics' will show articles about AI but exclude those primarily focused on robotics.
OR (Boolean Operator)
A Boolean operator used to broaden a search by finding results that contain any of the specified terms.
Example:
Searching 'happiness OR well-being' will return articles that mention either 'happiness' or 'well-being' or both.
Primary Sources
Direct evidence from the time period or event being studied, offering firsthand accounts or original data.
Example:
A historian studying the American Civil War might analyze a soldier's diary entry from 1863 to understand daily life during the conflict.
Purdue OWL
An online writing lab from Purdue University that provides comprehensive resources for citation styles (like MLA and APA), grammar, and writing.
Example:
To ensure your research paper's citations are perfectly formatted, always consult Purdue OWL for the correct guidelines.
Research Design
The overall plan or strategy for conducting a research study, including the methods for data collection, analysis, and ethical considerations.
Example:
When planning a study on the effectiveness of a new teaching method, a strong research design would involve randomly assigning students to a control group and an experimental group.
Secondary Sources
Interpretations, analyses, or summaries of primary sources, created after the event or time period.
Example:
A student researching the impact of the Industrial Revolution might read a history textbook that synthesizes information from various original documents and reports.