Unit 4 AOS 3 Key Terms

Question 1

Define accurate

Answer 1

Without any mistakes

Question 2

Define authentification

Answer 2

confirming that the submitted assessment has been completed by the student

Question 3

Define beneficence

Answer 3

An ethical concept that involves taking positive action that maximises the benefit or ‘good’, and minimises the risks and potential harm

Question 4

Define bias

Answer 4

An error that occurs when and investigation is not randomised, particularly if the investigator is affected by their expectations of the outcome

Question 5

Define control group

Answer 5

A group in an investigation that receives no treatment (independent variable) so a baseline value can be established

Question 6

Define controlled variable

Answer 6

The variable that is kept constant during an investigation in oder to determine the relationship between the independent and dependent variables

Question 7

Define dependent variable

Answer 7

The variable that is measured and whose value depends on the independent variable

Question 8

Define ethics

Answer 8

A system of moral principles that considers what is good and bad for society

Question 9

Define extraneous variable

Answer 9

A variable, other than the independent variable, that can influence the dependent variable

Question 10

Define gradient

Answer 10

The slope of a graph

Question 11

Define hypothesis

Answer 11

A tentative prediction, or explanation of an observation, based on an existing model or theory

Question 12

Define independent variable

Answer 12

The variable changed or manipulated by the scientist and assumed to have an effect on the dependent variable

Question 13

Define integrity

Answer 13

An ethical concept that means being honest about ones actions; in science it means fully reporting data (even if it doesn’t fit your hypothesis) and acknowledging all souces of information

Question 14

Define justice

Answer 14

A moral obligation to give fair consideration to competing claims, not place unfair burden on a particular group, and ensure fair access and distribution of benefits of an action

Question 15

Define logbook

Answer 15

A record of experimental investigations kept by scientists performing the investigations; it is a legal record of the investigations and their results

Question 16

Define method

Answer 16

The steps taken to carry out a scientific investigation

Question 17

Define methodology

Answer 17

The broader framework of approach taken in the investigation to test your research question

Question 18

Define model

Answer 18

A representation of a system or phenomenom that explains the system or phenomenom; a model may be mathematical equations, a computer simulation, a physical object, word or some other form

Question 19

Define non-maleficence

Answer 19

An ethical concept that involves avoiding harm or ensuring that harm caused by action is proportionate to the benefit gained from the action

Question 20

Define observation

Answer 20

Acquisition of information through your senses

Question 21

Define outlier

Answer 21

A data point that doesn’t fit the pattern shown by other measured data points

Question 22

Define personal error

Answer 22

A mistake or miscalculation due to human error

Question 23

Define presice

Answer 23

How closely together the measurments are to one another

Question 24

Define primary data

Answer 24

Data that you have measured or collected yourself

Question 25

Define secondary source

Answer 25

An orginal source of information, created by the author and usually including primary data

Question 26

Define qualitative data

Answer 26

A measurement with descriptive or non-numerical data

Question 27

Define quantitative data

Answer 27

A measurement with numerical data

Question 28

Define random error

Answer 28

An unpredictable variation in data; can be improved by taking multiple measurements and calculating an average

Question 29

Define references

Answer 29

A list of all sources that have been used in the write-up of a scientific investigation

Question 30

Define reliable

Answer 30

Highly likely to be a trustworthy souce of information or reproducible data

Question 31

Define repeatable

Answer 31

An investigation that can be conducted again by the same investigator under the same conditions to generate similar results

Question 32

Define replicates

Answer 32

Independent samples that alloiw you to take multiple measurements, increasing the reliability of your data

Question 33

Define reproducible

Answer 33

Giving the same result within uncertainty limits; when repeated measurments are made by a different investigator

Question 34

Define research question

Answer 34

A specific question that a partiular investigation or investigator is attempting to answer

Question 35

Define respect

Answer 35

An ethical concept that considers the rights of an individual or a group, e.g respect for animals considers their welfare

Question 36

Define risk assesment

Answer 36

A process of evaluating potential risks of an investigation

Question 37

Define secondary data

Answer 37

Data that has been measured and collected by someone other than you

Question 38

Define sytematic error

Answer 38

A predictable deviation in data, e.g. as a result of the equiptment used

Question 39

Define theory

Answer 39

A collection of models and concepts that explains specific systems or pehmomena; scientific theories allow predicitons to be madeand hence are falsifiable

Question 40

Define true value

Answer 40

A value obtained in an ideal measurement

Question 41

Define uncertainty

Answer 41

A range of values that the true value falls within

Question 42

Define valid

Answer 42

Describes results that are affected by a single independent variable and hence are reproducible

Question 43

Define variable

Answer 43

Something that can change or be changed, as distinct from a constant, which does not change