Glossary
Partial-word, boolean (AND, OR, NOT) and "exact phrase" searches are supported.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Proxy | Something that represents something else. A proxy data source is an indirect source of data that scientists use when direct measurements are not available. For example, annual tree rings are a proxy for precipitation data. Science General |
| Pseudoscience | Practices or beliefs that claim to be scientific but do not follow the scientific method, often characterized by unproven, unfalsifiable, or exaggerated claims. Science General |
| Pseudoscientific Language | The use of scientific-sounding words, jargon, and technobable to make unproven or false claims appear legitimate. Antiscience |
| Pseudosymmetry | One of three cognitive and media biases (leveling, pseudosymmetry, sharpening) eevaluated together in psychology and science literacy. (also known as "false balance") occurs when the media attempts to present two opposing viewpoints as equally valid or equally supported by evidence, even when they are not. Science Misinformation |
| Public health | The science and practice of protecting and improving the health of populations through prevention, education, and policy. Science General |
| Publication Bias | Publication bias is the tendency for research studies to be published or hidden based on the strength and direction of their results. This includes Positive-Results Bias, journals and researchers prefer studies with statistically significant findings, Negative Studies, studies showing no effect or negative results often go unpublished, and the File-Drawer Effect, unpublished studies are hidden away in researchers' file drawers, skewing the overall scientific record. Public Trust |
| Quackery | The promotion of medical treatments that are unproven, ineffective, or harmful, often for profit. Science Literacy |
| Qualitative Data | Descriptive, categorical information (e.g., color, behavior, texture). Science General |
| Quantitative Data | Numerical information that can be counted or measured (e.g., length, mass, time). Science General |
| Quantum | A quantum is the smallest indivisible unit of energy. Science General |