Key terms: Unit 4 enquires into current research

Research - a planned process where information is gathered systematically for a specific purpose in a context of existing knowledge and understanding, with the data obtained then analysed/evaluated to enable conclusions to be drawn.

Policy - rules that are made by an organisation to achieve aims and goals.

Double blind clinical trials - patients are allocated at random to 1 of 2 groups. 1 given a test drug and 1 a placebo - a medical prescription deliberately made to look like the test drug, administered identically, but with no medically active ingredients(patients/staff unaware).

Meta-analysis - statistical technique to pool comparable quantitative data from multiple, previously published reports that are re-analysed to demonstrate stronger links between health & lifestyle.

Action research - systematic small-scale study investigating the impact of a specific activity carried out in a normal work role in H&SC/education.

Quantitative data - numerical data using measurements, numerical surveys and statistics.Quantitative data cannot tell us why something happend, only how often, how much and other numerical data.

Qualitative data - descriptive data using surveys, open questions, interveiws and records experiences.Useful for recording an individuals experiences, beliefs and attitudes.

Primary data - is conducted by the researcher first hand.

Secondary data - previously conducted by someone else and used by the researcher.

Data - information that could…