| Population | All possible individuals making up a group of interest in a study. For example, all U.S. women constitute a population. A small proportion of the population is selected for inclusion in a study (see sample).
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| Sample | A relatively small number of individuals drawn from a population for inclusion in a study. See also population.
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| Generalization | Applying a finding beyond the limited situation in which it was observed.
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| Random sample | A sample drawn from the population such that every member of the population has an equal opportunity to be included in the sample.
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| Nonrandom sample | A specialized sample of subjects used in a study who are not randomly chosen from a population.
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| Institutional review board (IRB) | A committee that screens proposals for research using human participants for adherence to ethical standards.
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| Volunteer bias | Bias in a sample that results from using volunteer participants exclusively.
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| Deception | A research technique in which participants are misinformed about the true nature and purpose of a study. Deception is ethical if the researcher can demonstrate that important results cannot be obtained in any other way.
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| Role playing | Alternative to deceptive research that involves having participants act as though they had been exposed to a certain treatment.
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| Debriefing | A session, conducted after an experimental session, in which participants are informed of any deception used and the reasons for the deception.
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| Institutional animal care and use committee (IACUC) | A committee that screens proposals for research using animal subjects and monitors using institutional animal-care facilities to ensure compliance with all local, state, and federal laws governing animal care and use.
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