Key Terms for Chapter 5 : The Ethics of Communication Research

1. IRB (Institutional review board)

Definition: The university group responsible for approving any research with humans
with respect to ethical conduct.

Example: The IRB of Sydney University is responsible in approving a research about

transsexuals living in Australia.

2. Voluntary participation

Definition: A participant’s informed and prior consent to be involved in a research

study.

Example: Abu is aware that he is a participant in a research conducted by researcher

from Universiti Malaya.

3. Informed consent

Definition: Written permission by study participants prior to involvement in a study.

Usually required by IRB to ensure voluntary participation by study participant.

Example: A letter of permission given by participant before he/she is involved in a

research.

4. Anonymity

Definition: A condition in which the researcher does not know the identity of a given
participant.

Example: The researcher from Universiti Sains Malaysia does not know the
participant involved in the study.

5. Confidentiality

Definition: A condition in which only the researcher knows the identity of given study
participants.
 Example: The participant of a research does not know the researchers doing the
study.

6. Debriefing

Definition: A procedure in which study participants are informed after a study’s

completion on the details of the study.

Example: Sara is briefed on the progress of the research.

7. Plagiarism

Definition: Using someone’s ideas or words without appropriate citation.

Example: A researcher using another researcher’s work without citing it.

Key Terms for Chapter 7: The Logic of Sampling

1. Nonprobability sampling

Definition: A sample selected in some fashion other than suggested by probability

theory.

Example: A sampling taken by using other way of collecting data.

2. Probability sampling

Definition: The general term for a sample selected in accord with probability theory,
typically involving some random-selection mechanism.

Example: A survey is a probability sampling.

3. Purposive (judgemental) sampling

Definition: A kind of nonprobability sampling common in qualitative research.

 Example: A researcher took a purposive sampling when he interviews the selected
participants.

4. Snowball sampling

Definition: A nonprobability sampling method often employed in field research. Each

person interviewed may be asked to suggest additional people for interviewing.

Example: Luqmanul was suggested to interview 5 more people to help in his

research by the current interviewee.

5. Quota sampling

Definition: A type of nonprobability sample in which units are selected into the sample
on the basis of prespecified characteristics so that the total sample will have the
same distribution of characteristics assumed to exist in the population being studied.

Example: Out of 1000 people, 300 people are selected to be the participant of a
research.

6. Convenience sampling

Definition: A form of nonprobability-based sampling in which the researcher samples

participants or other sampling units based on their easy availability.

Example: Participant living in Melawati is interviewed as they are easier to find.

7. Representativeness

Definition: The quality of a sample of having the same distribution if characteristics as

the population from which it was selected. By implication, descriptions and
explanations derived from an analysis of the sample may be assumed to represent
similar ones in the population. Representativeness is enhanced by the probability
sampling and provides for generalizability and the use of inferential statistics.

Example: The amount of participants involved in the research is enough to represent

the characteristics of residents in Setiawangsa.
8. EPSEM samples

Definition: Equal probability of selection method. A sample design in which each

member of a population had the same chance of being selected into the sample.

Example: One in three participant of a research have a chance to be interviewed.

9. Sampling error

Definition: A number that refers to how much the characteristics of a sample probably
differ from the characteristics of the population as a whole.

Example: 100 out of 1000 samples are labelled as error.

10. Simple random sampling

Definition: A type of probability sampling in which the units composing a population

are assigned numbers. A set of random numbers is then generated, and the units
having those numbers are included in the sample.

Example: 50 people are labelled with even and odd numbers. Those with odd
numbers are selected to be included in the research.

11. Systemic sampling

Definition: A type of probability sample in which every kth unit in a list is selected for
inclusion in the sample.

Example: 200 samples are chosen with every 8th sample included in the sample

12. Stratification

Definition: The grouping of units composing a population into homogeneous groups

(or strata) before sampling. This procedure improves the representativeness of a
sample.
 Example: A research grouped girls into age difference.

13. Cluster sampling

Definition: A multistage sample in which natural groups (clusters) are sampled

initially, with the members of each selected groups being subsampled afterward.

Example: Popular kids and unpopular kids are chosen to be sampled with only 15 in
each group are chosen to be in the research.

14. Probability proportionate to size (PPS)

Definition: A type of multistage cluster sample in which clusters are selected not with
equal probabilities but with probabilities proportionate to their sizes- as measured by
the number of units to be subsampled.

Example: The amount of participant involved in a research has a proportionate

probability to the amount of participant in a group.
UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA (UiTM), MALACCA

FACULTY of COMMUNICATION & MEDIA STUDIES

DIPLOMA in COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA

COM 361

INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNICATION RESEARCH

ASSIGNMENT TITLE:

KEY TERMS

PREPARED BY:

NURUL ‘IZZAH BINTI MOHD KHALIL 2008245628

GROUP:

DMC 5C

PREPARED FOR:

MR. MOHD SHAHNAWI BIN MUHMAD PIRUS