Glossary

A short summary explaining the key points of a research study. An abstract usually tells the reader why a study was done, how it was carried out, what results were found and what those results mean.  

The process by which results are examined and interpreted during a study in order to answer the study’s main question. This might mean looking at numbers or the words spoken in an interview to draw out patterns or key themes.   

Ensuring participants' identities are private, though this isn’t always possible. 

 As part of the research process, the researcher will have thought carefully about, and informed participants, as to whether their identities have been fully anonymised or whether any identifiable markers have been removed. This is not always practical or possible as it may be that the researcher is responsible for recruiting and collecting data from participants and will therefore be aware of their identities. 

A starting measurement, carried out before the study begins to see if there are any changes (positive or negative) over a period of time.  

When something affects the study which makes the results unfair. 

If there has been some sort of bias, the results of the study will not be accurate or reliable.   

The building blocks of health and wellbeing provide a strong foundation for a long and healthy life such as:   

• a good education and employment;    

• good quality, affordable housing;    

• access to healthy food;    

• safe spaces in which to play, exercise and socialise;   

• access to reliable and affordable transport;   

• strong social and community networks.    

When one or more of these blocks are missing, this impacts quality of life and can lead to poor health. For example, living in cold, damp housing can cause or worsen health conditions such as respiratory illnesses, heart disease and poor mental health. 

Often this term is used for NHS-based research and refers to the researcher who is responsible for the overall conduct of a research project across all research sites.  

This term is sometimes used interchangeably with Principal Investigator although there are differences in context (see Principal Investigator definition below).  

Someone who helps plan and manage a study alongside the lead researchers. 

A Co-applicant is involved in the development of a funding application and, if funded, has some responsibility for the management and/or delivery of the study. People including residents and service users are increasingly included as a co-applicant in funding applications.  

Co-creation is when other people such as residents or volunteers input their ideas to the research method being used. Co-creation is a good way to gather different points of view, shape the goals of the study and improve the effectiveness of the work.  

Co-design is the process of meaningful end –user engagement. It can involve people such as residents or service users throughout the research process, ideally during the design, planning and implementation stages.   

A co-investigator is someone who has a significant role in the research project, but who is not the Lead or Principal Investigator (PI).  

Co-production sees residents or service users as active contributors through the entire research process and explores how interactions with staff and services can best be supported. Co-production ensures an equal level of power and decision-making. It is based on the idea that everyone has something to contribute and that all input is valued equally.  

Communities are groups of people who have common characteristics or interests, defined by geographical location, race, ethnicity, age, occupation or another common bond. A community identity is not fixed and how a community identifies itself may change over time. People can be part of many different communities.  

Something used to compare and measure differences in a study. 

This could be evidence used to draw comparisons – by comparing information from similar contexts (e.g. comparing levels of pollution against an average reading). This allows judgements to be made. 

A summary given by the researcher which details the findings of the research project, along with recommendations for action.  

When a person involved in the study gives permission, knowing they have all the information necessary and are aware of the benefits and consequences of taking part. The participant must have been given sufficient information and have fully understood it, to make an informed decision about agreeing to take part.  Anyone participating in research should be asked to complete a consent form which is a document that outlines the terms and conditions for participating in the research or allows the use of personal information. 

Asking people involved in the study (also known as stakeholders) for their views to improve the study.  Having a better understanding of people’s views should lead to better decision making.  

Researchers use different approaches and methods from various disciplines and then combine those approaches to deliver an outcome. This can help form a broad and inclusive understanding of a topic.  Can also be referred to as interdisciplinary.  

This is a study that looks at a group at one point in time and provides a snapshot of its characteristics e.g. comparing GCSE results across schools in an area.    

Information collected during a study such as numbers or opinions that need to be understood to inform decisions. Data isn’t just numbers; it can be an opinion or an observation.   

The practice of working with data to find useful information, which can then be used to make informed decisions.  

Sharing the findings of a research study with a wide range of people who might find it useful. This can be done in lots of different ways e.g. writing about it, leaflets/posters, websites, social media/radio/TV, or by telling people about it at a conference.  

A set of rules about who can or cannot join a study.  These include inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria. For example, a study might only accept participants who are above or below certain ages.  

Moral principles that guide researchers during a study. Research ethics are a set of principles that are designed to govern behaviour to protect the safety, dignity, rights and well-being of those involved.  

This involves finding out whether an intervention (for example a service, project or programme) is achieving its aims. A project can be evaluated as it goes along or right at the end. It can explore how well the project is being carried out as well as its impact. The results of evaluations can help with decision-making and planning.  

A collection of all the research information currently available about a topic. This information is used by professionals to make decisions.  

Combining multiple sources of evidence on a topic to understand the findings. This is an assessment and evaluation of all the literature rather than a simple list. This can also be called a systematic review, literature review or rapid review.  

A set of rules about who cannot join a study. It is the opposite of inclusion criteria.    

People who meet one or more of the exclusion criteria must be disqualified. This means that they can’t participate in the study even if they meet the inclusion criteria. 

People with personal experience of a topic, such as health conditions or social issues. The range of experiences this can refer to is vast.  

Ensuring that everyone has fair and equal access to resources and opportunities to utilise their skills and talents in research. 

The NIHR principle for this is: 

“We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion in everything we do. Diverse people and communities shape our research, and we strive to make opportunities to participate in research an integral part of everyone's experience of health and social care services. We develop researchers from multiple disciplines, specialisms, geographies and backgrounds, and work to address barriers to career progression arising from characteristics such as sex, race or disability.” 

The main results or findings of a research study. This usually refers to the totality of outcomes, rather than the conclusions or recommendations drawn from them. In publications, can also be called results.  

Small discussion group(s) responsible for looking at and talking about specific topics or problems so that researchers can get a range of views, opinions and insights on a topic.   

Putting research findings into practice.

Researchers use different approaches and methods from various disciplines and then combine those approaches to deliver an outcome. This can help form a broad and inclusive understanding of a topic. Can also be referred to as cross-disciplinary.   

A set of rules about who can take part in a study. It is the opposite of exclusion criteria. 

People must meet the inclusion criteria to able to take part in the study. For example, a piece of research on homelessness might have ‘currently being or having ever been homeless’ as one of the inclusion criteria. Those who had never been homeless would be excluded from the study. 

A simple summary of a research study or a research application that has been written for members of the public, rather than for researchers or professionals. The best practice is to ensure the lay summary is reviewed by public members to ensure it can be understood by the public. 

The Lead investigator is the overall lead researcher for a research project. In addition to their responsibilities if they are members of a research team, lead investigators are responsible for the overall conduct of a research project. 

A longitudinal study studies a group of people over time.  

Having capacity in the context of mental health means you can make your own decisions. Someone lacking capacity, because of an illness or disability such as a mental health problem, dementia or a learning disability, would be unable to understand, retain and weigh up information given to them and then communicate their decision.  

Tools and techniques used for collecting and analysing information. The specific steps taken to carry out the study.  

How the research study is done. This is the approach taken to collecting data and how the useful information is extracted from it.   

Research that uses and integrates a combination of qualitative and quantitative techniques to collect and analyze data.  

Multidisciplinary research takes place when researchers from different disciplines work independently on a common problem or research question. In this approach, researchers share research goals and work on the same problem but look at it from their own discipline’s perspective. The findings from each discipline are supplementary to each other. This approach is less collaborative than interdisciplinary research.  

How a research study will achieve its aim; its purpose and expected use. Defining appropriate research objectives will form an important part of a proposal.  

The specific data that you need to collect to answer the research question. This could include physical measurements, (for example, a measurement of air quality), or psychological measurements (for example, measuring people’s sense of well-being).  

Someone who takes part in a study.

A Participant Information Sheet (PIS) is a document provided to potential research participants to help them decide whether or not to participate in a study. It outlines the study's purpose, what participation entails, potential risks and benefits, and how data will be handled. The PIS is crucial for ensuring informed consent, allowing individuals to make a voluntary and knowledgeable decision about their involvement.

This is where researchers and people who use services or live in the community are partners in a research study. The research addresses an issue of importance to service users/community residents, who are involved in the design and conduct of research, and the way findings are made available. This is not a research method; it is a research approach.  

A participatory research method in which people with lived experience of the issues being studied take part in directing and conducting the research. This may be that the researchers are the same age as those in the research study or are from the same community or have had the same experiences.  

The process in which the researcher submits a write-up of their work to other research experts for critical evaluation. The peer review process can also happen during funding reviews where a proposal outlining the project is submitted.   

The population refers to the entire group or set of individuals, objects, or events that possess specific characteristics that are of interest to the researcher.   

A research proposal is a description of a planned piece of research that serves to identify and make the case for the resources and support needed for a project.  It will generally contain a discussion of the problem or issue, a suggested research method, research design, sample suggestions, costs, timing and who will be involved.  

A research protocol is a full description of a research study that acts as a manual for the research team. It is a document that describes the objective(s), design, methodology, statistical considerations, and organisation of the research project.  

For research outside of the NHS, the term Principal Investigator is often used instead of Chief Investigator and refers to the researcher who is responsible for the overall conduct of the research.  

In NHS research terms, a Principal Investigator is the lead researcher for a project at an individual research site but may not be the overall lead for the conduct of the research across all sites.  

Asking members of the public for their views about research and then using those views to inform decision-making. Having a better understanding of people’s views should lead to better decisions.  

This is the active involvement of the public, community, service users or others in the research. Also known as Public Involvement and Engagement (PIE), Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) and Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE). 

Where information and knowledge about research is shared with the public/community.  

Where members of the public are actively involved in research projects and research organisations.  

Where members of the public take part in a research study.  

Research that uses beliefs, experiences, attitudes and behaviours to develop an understanding of a topic. It asks questions about how and why. Qualitative research uses non-numerical data.  

Research that collects, creates, organises and/or examines numerical (statistical, mathematical or computational) data that can be measured and analysed.  

The measure of how trustworthy and consistent information is. 

A clear, concise and well-formed question that the research aims to answer.  

Someone who conducts research activities.   

A person who is taking part in a research study.   

A research site is the location of a research activity, or the organisation with responsibility for the location of an activity (for example if an activity is happening at a local authority managed venue, the local authority would be seen as the research site).   

A retrospective study relies on data on exposures and/or outcomes that have already been collected (through records or as part of another study). Data used in this way may not be as reliable as data collected prospectively as it relies on the accuracy of records made at the time and on people’s recall of events in the past, which can be inaccurate (referred to as recall bias).  

Research that can generate a reliable outcome. 

A sample is the specific group that you will collect data from. A sample could be taken of data or people in a population.  

The number of participants or data points needed to answer the research question.   

The process of choosing the right number of observations or people from a larger group to use in a sample. This sample group will be used to represent the larger population.  

A secondary analysis is when researchers revisit data that was collected for a different reason and analyse it again to answer a new research question. This type of analysis is sometimes prone to errors.  

The process of designing or improving services based on user needs and applying this to different parts of the service such as infrastructure, people and communications.  

A service user is someone who uses or has used services.    

If the outcomes of a study have statistical significance, it means that they are not likely to have occurred by chance alone. In such cases, we can be more confident that we are observing a ‘true’ result.  

A framework or plan that guides the development of a research study.   

This is a collection of the research on a particular subject. It uses thorough methods to search for and include all or as much as possible of the research on a given topic. Only relevant studies, usually of a certain minimum quality, are included.  

A written record of the detailed content of an interview or group discussion, usually produced from an audio or video tape record of the event.  

Researchers integrate approaches and methods working across traditional disciplinary boundaries.  

Refers to the accuracy of the measurement and asks whether your tests are measuring what they are supposed to measure.  

Any characteristic or trait that can differ from one person to another (for example, race or gender) or for one person over time (for example, age or political beliefs).