Experimental Design & Data Collection

The group about which you wish to draw conclusions or make generalizations.

• Population

• Parameter

• Sample

• Statistic

The group of participants you obtain for your study and should be representative of the population.

• Population

• Parameter

• Sample

• Statistic

an investigation about the characteristics of a given population by means of collecting data from a sample of that population and estimating their characteristics through the systematic use of statistical methodology (like a questionnaire)

• Census

• Observational Study

• Survey

• Experiment

Where researchers introduce a treatment and study the effects and subjects are usually grouped by change.

• Census

• Observational study

• Survey

• Experiment

Where researchers observe the effect of a risk factor, diagnostic test, treatment or other intervention

• Census

• Observational study

• Survey

• Experiment

An official count or survey of an entire population, typically recording various details of individuals.

• Census

• Observational study

• Survey

• Experiment

The calculations from the sample that become our best guesses (estimates) of population parameters (“true scores”).

• Population

• Parameter

• Sample

• Statistic

A number that describes characteristics of the population and must be collected from an entire population.

• Population

• Parameter

• Sample

• Statistic