Archives: Jargon

Data is the information collected through research. It can include written information, numbers, sounds and pictures. It is usually stored on computer, so that it can be analysed, interpreted and then communicated to others, for example in reports, graphs or diagrams.

The term consumer is used to refer collectively to:• people who use services• carers• organisations representing consumers’ interests• members of the public who are the potential recipients of services• groups asking for research to promote good health or because they believe they have been exposed to potentially harmful circumstances, products or services.

Consultation involves asking members of the public for their views about research, and then using those views to inform decision-making. This consultation can be about any aspect of the research process – from identifying topics for research, through to thinking about the implications of the research findings. Having a better understanding of people’s views should …

During a research project, the researchers must put data protection measures into place, to ensure that all of the information collected about the participants is kept confidential. This means that the researchers must get the participants’ written permission to look at their medical or social care records. It also means that any information that might …

A commissioning board is a group of people who oversee the commissioning process. It is made up of research funders, researchers, health and/or social care professionals and often includes people who use services and carers.

Commissioning usually involves:• identifying funding for a piece of research• preparing a research brief• advertising the research topic• selecting a shortlist of researchers who apply to undertake the research• arranging for proposals to be peer reviewed• making a decision about which researchers are going to be awarded the funding• agreeing a contract.  

A commissioner is the person (or organisation) who asks for a piece of research to be carried out.

Collaboration involves active, on-going partnership with members of the public in the research process. For example, members of the public might take part in an advisory group for a research project, or collaborate with researchers to design, undertake and/or disseminate the results of a research project.

Clinical trials are research studies involving people who use services, which compare a new or different type of treatment with the best treatment currently available. They test whether the new or different treatment is safe, effective and any better than what already exists. No matter how promising a new treatment may appear during tests in …

Clinical research aims to find out the causes of human illness and how it can be treated or prevented. This type of research is based on examining and observing people with different conditions and sometimes comparing them with healthy people. It can also involve research on samples of blood or other tissues, or tests such …

Basic research aims to improve knowledge and understanding, rather than finding a solution to a practical problem. It usually involves work in a laboratory – for example to find a gene linked to a disease or to understand how cancer cells grow. This kind of research can sometimes provide clues as to which avenues to …

An audit of health or social care involves carrying out a systematic assessment of how well that care is being delivered. Current policy and practice is compared with an agreed standard, so that any problem areas can be identified and improved. Later, the audit can be carried out again to check that the changes made …