Child Care and Early Education Research Connections

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The research glossary defines terms used in conducting social science and policy research, for example those describing methods, measurements, statistical procedures, and other aspects of research; the child care glossary defines terms used to describe aspects of child care and early education practice and policy.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Z
Survey Research
A research approach designed to systematically collect data about a group of individuals. Data are obtained through direct questioning, using a written questionnaire (e.g., mail and online surveys) or interview (e.g., phone and in-person interviews). Data can be collected at a single point in time (cross-sectional survey) or from the same participants at multiple time points (longitudinal survey). While survey research most often involves collecting data from a sample of the population, population surveys or census surveys use survey methods (e.g., questionnaires, interviews).
Systematic Bias
When the recorded data from a sample is systematically higher or lower than the true data values within the population. Systematic bias can occur as a result of sampling bias or measurement bias. Sampling bias is an error in sampling when some subgroup of the target population is unintentionally left out of the sampling process. Measurement bias is an error in data collection when some occurrence distorts the responses in the same way (e.g., a test is administered in a noisy classroom). Bias is a serious error in data collection and should be handled through a researcher's careful attention to sources of bias.
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