Glossary: Research

Baseline

A control measurement carried out before an experimental treatment. It serves as a point of reference to assess the performance or effectiveness of interventions, predictions, or models.

Behaviorism

School of psychological thought concerned with the observable behaviors and the environmental factors that influence them, while largely disregarding subjective thoughts and internal mental processes. Contemporary behaviorism emphasizes the study of mental states such as feelings and fantasies to the extent that they can be directly observed and measured.

Beliefs

An idea, value, mental attitude or conviction held by an individual regarding the truth, existence, or validity of something which are accepted as true often without absolute proof or evidence.

Bell curve

A bell curve is commonly used in statistics to illustrate the distribution of continuous data that follows a normal distribution pattern. Normal distribution is shaped like a bell, the curve being symmetrical around its peak, representing the mean (average) of the distribution.

Benchmarking

Systematically measuring and comparing the practices, processes, performance, or products/services against those of other organizations, industry standards, or best practices.

Bias

Systematic errors or inaccuracies introduced into the research process that distort the findings, conclusions, or interpretations of the study. Bias interferes with the extent to which results are valid and accurate, whether or not the research is reliable, and the potential for results to be representative of, or generalizable to, a wider population. Bias can arise in the identity of the researcher through assumptions and ideas related to his or her own culture that may influence data collection and analysis.