Glossary of Key Terms

Glossary Quick Reference Index

This quick-reference index groups commonly used terms by topic, making it easier for readers to locate unfamiliar concepts before consulting the full alphabetical glossary below. Use this quick reference to locate common statistical, research design, and data visualization terms in the glossary.

Statistical Foundations

Alpha; Beta; Central Limit Theorem; Confidence Interval; Inference; Null Hypothesis; p-value; Parameter; Population; Sample; Sampling; Standard Error; Statistical Significance; Type I Error; Type II Error

Descriptive Statistics and Distribution

Boxplot; Distribution; Frequency; Histogram; Kurtosis; Mean; Median; Mode; Normal Distribution; Outlier; Quartile; Range; Skewness; Standard Deviation; Variance; z-Score

Research Design

Association; Causation; Cross-Sectional Study; Descriptive Design; Experimental Design; Explanatory Design; External Validity; Internal Validity; Non-Experimental Design; Predictive Design; Quasi-Experimental Design; Research Problem; Research Question; Retrospective Study

Sampling

Cluster Sampling; Convenience Sampling; Non-Probability Sampling; Probability Sampling; Purposive Sampling; Sampling Bias; Sampling Frame; Random Sampling; Snowball Sampling; Stratified Sampling

Measurement, Reliability, and Validity

Construct Validity; Cronbach’s Alpha; Internal Consistency; Measurement Error; Measurement Validity; Reliability; Validity

Group Comparison Tests

ANCOVA; ANOVA; Factorial ANOVA; Independent Samples t-Test; MANOVA; MANCOVA; One-Way ANOVA; Paired Samples t-Test; Post Hoc Test; Repeated Measures ANOVA; Repeated Measures Design

Nonparametric and Categorical Tests

Binomial Test; Chi-Square Goodness-of-Fit Test; Chi-Square Test of Independence; Dunn’s Post Hoc Test; Fisher’s Exact Test; Kruskal–Wallis Test; Mann–Whitney U Test; McNemar’s Test; Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test

Correlation and Regression

Correlation; Dummy Coding; Homoscedasticity; Interaction; Linearity; Logistic Regression; Model Fit; Multicollinearity; Multiple Linear Regression; Odds Ratio; Outcome Variable; Predictor Variable; Reference Group; Regression; Residual; Residual Plot; Scatterplot

Logistic Regression and Prediction

AIC; Area Under the Curve (AUC); Classification Accuracy; Classification Table; Cutoff Value; Deviance; Logistic Curve; Logit; Predicted Probability; Predictive Model; Pseudo R²; ROC Curve; Sensitivity; Specificity

Visualizations and Diagnostic Plots

Bar Chart; Boxplot; Histogram; Interaction Plot; Q–Q Plot; Residual Plot; Scatterplot