exempt Certain studies may be low enough risk
not to require consent from individuals
expedited review A type of review by an insti-
tutional review board that can occur quickly; an
IRB may conduct an expedited review if there is
minimal risk to human subjects
experimental designs Designs involving ran-
dom assignment to groups and manipulation of
the independent variable
explanatory research Research concerned with
identifying relationships among phenomena
exploding Technique for searching subject
headings that identifies all records indexed to
that term
exploratory designs Nonexperimental de-
sign type used when little is known about a
phenomenon
ex post facto Research design in which research-
ers look back in time to determine possible caus-
ative factors; retrospective research design
exposure The contact with a disease or
disease-producing agent
external validity The degree to which the
results of the study can be generalized to other
subjects, settings, and times
extraneous variables Factors that interfere with
the relationship between the independent and de-
pendent variables; confounding variable; Z variable
face validity A test for content validity when
colleagues or subjects examine an instrument
and are asked whether it appears to measure the
concept
factor analysis A test for construct validity
that is a statistical approach to identify items that
group together
factorial designs Experimental designs allow-
ing researchers to manipulate more than one
intervention
false negative When a screening gives a negative
result despite the presence of the disease
false positive When a screening gives a positive
result even though the disease is not present
fieldwork The time researchers spend interact-
ing with participants through interviews, observa-
tions, and detailed records
flexibility to change Being open and positive
about change
focus groups A strategy to obtain data from a
small group of people using interview questions
follow-up A longitudinal design used to follow
subjects, selected for a specific characteristic or
condition, into the future
Forces of Magnetism Qualities that exhibit nurs-
ing excellence
full review A type of review by an institutional
review board that requires all members of the
board to participate; an IRB conducts a full review
if there is potential risk to human subjects
gatekeeper Person who facilitates or hinders the
entry of the researcher into a particular group or
setting
generalize Applying findings from a sample to a
wider population
GRADE Grades of recommendations,
assessment, development, and evaluation; an
international, universal system for evaluating
evidence
grey literature Unpublished reports, conference
papers, and grant proposals
grounded theory A type of qualitative research
that examines the process of a phenomenon and
culminates in the generation of a theory
Hawthorne effect Subjects’ behaviors may be
affected by personal values or desires to please the
experimenter; reactivity
health services research Research involving
phenomena, such as cost, political factors, and
culture, related to the delivery of health care
heterogeneous The degree to which elements are
diverse or not alike
historical A type of qualitative research used
to examine events or people to explain and
understand the past to guide the present and
futureGLOSSARY 519