dendogram

a diagram ('tree digram') showing relative closeness across a range of entities – as used in biology to show how species are related

(e.g., see: The repertory grid technique)

theoretical perspective

a way of thinking about a topic, usually used when choosing a particular viewpoint for making sense of a research focus and for analysing data collected

When researching complex phenomena there may be multiple relevant perspectives, and one may be selected according to the purpose and priorities of a study.

Visit page: Theoretical perspectives

discovery research

is research that is not informed by an specify hypothesis and is intended to be open to whatever may be found to be important in the research context

Discovery (or exploratory) research is seen as a 'paradigmatic' position.

It is often contrasted with confirmatory research.

Visit web-page: Paradigms

fieldnotes

notes (descriptions, sketches, etc.) taken by a researcher observing in a research context (whilst doing 'fieldwork') such as in lecture hall, or school staffroom, or playground, etcetera, as data to support the answering of research questions

traditionally notes were taken down in a notebook, but digital alternatives are often used.

triangulation

originally triangulation applied to locating something by taking bearing from different sites (plotting the direction of the object from different directions should lead to lines crossing at one point)

in research the term is used metaphorically to mean using multiple sources of data to help answer a research question

often the term refers to the use of different kind of data (methodological triangulation), but it could be the same types of data collected at different times, or from different informers

See: Triangulation

mixed methods

Strictly the term refers to studies that draw upon very different paradigmatic assumptions and so employs a mix of data collection and analysis techniques that are based on very different (ontological and/or epistemological) commitments.

However, sometimes the term is used is a more trivial sense for any study using multiple techniques or any study collecting both qualitative and quantitative data.

Visit web-page: Mixed methods