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Research: a glossary of some key terms

Research: a glossary of some key terms

The language of research can sometimes be a barrier to engaging with research.  Some key terms are explained below. 

If you are interested in developing a more comprehensive understanding of research terminology, particularly in relation to social care, several useful glossaries are available:

AccoRD 

Attributing the costs of health and social care Research and Development (AcoRD) is a framework for the NHS and its partners to identify, recover and attribute the costs of health and social care research and development.  See the AcoRD guidance.

Action Research  

Action research is used to bring about improvement or practical change. It is a participatory process in which a group of people who know about a problem work together to develop an idea about how it might be resolved. They test this idea, and those who take part in the testing provide feedback on their experiences. They may identify further actions that need to be researched and tested.  An educative and empowering cycle is repeated until the problem has been solved.

Allied Health Professionals 

Allied health professionals are the third largest clinical workforce in health and social care. They are mainly degree level professionals and are professionally autonomous practitioners. There are currently 14 registerable titles for AHPs covering 15 specific roles. [NHS England » About AHPs] 

Administrative Data 

Administrative data, which is sometimes referred to as routine data refers, is the data collected by organisations as part of their day to day work. The nature of this data will vary depending on the organisation collecting it.  In each case the data controller (the organisation legally responsible for the data) has to decide if the data should be made available, and under what terms.   

Basic research  

Basic research aims to improve knowledge and understanding, rather than find a solution to a specific applied problem. In a clinical context, it may involve work with patients e.g. a trial of a new intervention, or it may involve laboratory work e.g. to develop a new drug, that can lay the groundwork for developing new treatments 

Bias  

Bias can be the subject of research.  It can also affect research.  In the conduct and organisation of research bias is usually understood as a systematic error or deviation in results or inferences from the truth. The main types of bias in clinical studies arise from systematic differences in the groups that are compared (selection bias), the care that is provided, exposure to other factors apart from the intervention of interest (performance bias), withdrawals or exclusions of people entered into a study (attrition bias) or how outcomes are assessed (detection bias). Reviews of studies may also be affected by reporting bias, where a subset of all the relevant data is made available which reinforces existing biases.

[ Biases | Catalog of Bias ]

Commissioned call (cf. Funding Opportunity) 

NIHR makes funding available for social care research through a number of mechanisms.  A commissioned call is an invitation for funding applications on specific questions that have been identified and prioritised for their importance to the NHS, patients and social care.

Exclusion/Inclusion Criteria 

Inclusion criteria define the key characteristics (demographics, need, setting, geographical issues) a subject must have to participate in a study, ensuring the ‘target population’ is suitable. If the focus of the project is younger adults with disabilities living alone it is important to specify that this is the group targeted for recruitment.  

Exclusion criteria define characteristics that disqualify potential participants – even if they meet inclusion criteria – due to safety, ethical, or logistical reasons, such as comorbidities or inability to comply. A project may exclude people who fund their own care for example if older people who are funded by the local authority are the target group – the focus – of the research.    

Grey Literature  

Grey literature refers to research and information produced outside ‘traditional’  academic publishing. It encompasses reports, working papers, government documents, theses, and conference proceedings.   

Research  

The term ‘Research’ has many definitions but there is a consensus that it is a systematic process or line of inquiry aimed at discovering, interpreting, and reviewing facts and theories, and their practical application. It will normally follow the following process: 

  • Identifying a problem or question that requires investigation (or further understanding). 
  • Collecting data or evidence that will help the researcher explore the issue and extend understanding  
  • Analysing and interpreting the data – making sense of what the data is telling us. 
  • Drawing conclusions or generating new knowledge that influences future work. 

In both academic and professional contexts, research is used to expand understanding, inform day-to-day practice, and influence policy in specific areas of scientific, academic and practice improvements. It can be qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methodology, depending on the nature of the inquiry.  

Within adult social care “Research” can mean a number of different things, and it is therefore important to take a flexible approach in understanding it.  In essence it can be defined as any work that involves collecting information from or about individuals who may be people who draw on care and support, their friends or relatives, or employees. This includes: 

  • formal Academic Research undertaken with academic ethical oversight. 
  • surveys of staff or people who use services. 
  • focus groups 
  • evaluations of services or products. 
  • work related to “Test and Learn” Pilots 
  • student projects or projects that are undertaken as part of a qualification / apprenticeship. 

It is important to have the right oversight and assurance processes over any research proposed within adult social care.  The local authority must be confident that activity is legal; safe; ethical and justified for all participants.  

Research does not generally include the routine collection of management information or data which is collected as part of day-to-day organisational processes, though this administrative data may be used in secondary analysis e.g. used to generate information about patterns or profiles.  

[Adapted from work in Dorset Council] 

Research ethics 

Research ethics make sure that research is conducted according to the highest standards of ethical practice, and with the minimal risk of adverse or harmful outcomes or consequences for participants. 

Ethical approval needs to be sought for any research conducted with patients, service users and / or those who rely on care services.  Research with people who use adult social care services needs ethical approval from the Social Care Research Ethics Committee: https://www.hra.nhs.uk/about-us/committees-and-services/res-and-recs/search-research-ethics-committees/social-care-research-ethics-committee/ . 

All Universities (sponser) require staff to gain ethical approval internally for all projects (with human participants).   

Ethical approval:   

  • Supports research to be conducted honestly and with integrity 
  • Provides confidence to the public and funders   
  • Minimises potential risks to researchers and participants of research, protecting vulnerable people and ensuring their safety and wellbeing 
  • Promotes participant confidentiality 
  • Protects staff against unfair allegations of misconduct, whilst ensuring that genuine concerns are appropriately investigated  
  • Ensures conflicts of interest are identified and avoided 

A useful guide has been produced by RCOT, the Royal College of Occupational Therapists): ‘Research guide: governance and ethics’.

Secondary data/analysis   

Secondary data analysis is the research method of using existing data, collected by others, to answer new questions or explore patterns. It involves analysing data from sources like government surveys, previous studies, or archives. Both quantitative and qualitative data can be subject to secondary analysis.  

Systematic reviews  

A systematic review is a high-level, structured research method that identifies, appraises, and synthesises all available empirical evidence to answer a specific research question. Using rigorous, transparent, and reproducible methods, it minimises bias to produce reliable findings that inform evidence-based practice and policy.