Child Care and Early Education Research Connections

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The research glossary defines terms used in conducting social science and policy research, for example those describing methods, measurements, statistical procedures, and other aspects of research; the child care glossary defines terms used to describe aspects of child care and early education practice and policy.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Z
Validity
The degree to which data and results are accurate reflections of reality. Validity refers to the concepts that are investigated, the people or objects that are studied; the methods by which data are collected; and the findings that are produced.
Variable
A measurable attribute or characteristics of a person, group or object that varies within the sample under investigation (e.g. age, weight, IQ, child care type). In research, variables are typically classified as dependent, independent, intervening, moderating, or as control variables (See definitions elsewhere in glossary).
Variance
A commonly used measure of dispersion for variables. The variance is calculated by squaring the standard deviation. The variance is based on the square of the difference between the values for each observation and the mean value.
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