Conducting a Participatory Situation Analysis of.pdf - Global HIV ...

Coping mechanism: Internal or societal approach (e.g.,
reaching out to a trusted adult for comfort and emotional
support, sending an orphan to live with extended
family) used to deal with and attempt to overcome
problems and difficulties.
Continuous variable: Variable that does not contain
any gaps between observations, and that, therefore, can
include fractions and decimals (e.g., age and height).
Cross-tabulation: Way of presenting, in a table, two or
more variables (e.g., education level completed by outof-school
youth by gender).
Cumulative percentage taxonomy: Taxonomy in
which many quantitatively measured characters are
given equal weight in the determination of taxa and
the construction of diagrams indicating systematic
relationships.
Data: Facts in information collected for a special purpose.
Data analyst: One who analyzes data and helps identify
and interpret significant findings.
Data collection instruments/methods: Tools used to
collect information; process through which one collects
data or information.
Data collection site: Location of the population from
whom data are being collected.
Data collection tool: Instrument used to record the
information gathered through a particular method.
Data entry: Process of entering data into a computer
program prior to analysis.
Data entry staff: those who enter and secure data.
Data management plan: Thorough plan that informs
budgeting and includes specifics on entering, cleaning,
analyzing, disseminating, and ultimate use of data.
Data reduction: Analysis step that involves distilling
the information to make visible the most essential
concepts and relationships.
Demographic survey: Instrument that examines and
measures a population according to a variety of characteristics
(e.g., age, sex, birth and death rates, and
marital status).
Demographic variable: Variable whose value is a statistical
characteristic of human populations (e.g., sex,
age, residence, or orphan status).
Dependency Ratio (DR): Proportion of dependents
(i.e., number of children age 0 to 14 years + number
of elderly persons age 60 years and over) to the working
age population (i.e., number of persons ages 15 to
59 years) times 100. This formula is used in less developed
countries because the proportion of those age 65
and over is very small.
Dependent variable: Mathematical variable whose
value is determined by that of one or more other
variables in a function.
Descriptive analysis: Analysis of the general characteristics
of a set of data through the use of descriptive
statistics.
Descriptive statistics: Measures such as frequencies,
counts, averages, and percentages.
Diagram: Visual presentation or drawing that outlines a
process or shows the features of an object.
Direct observation: Observing a person or situation
directly as opposed to obtaining information about
that person or situation from a secondary source.
Displaying data: Analysis step that involves laying out
or taking an inventory of what is known related to a
theme.
Dissemination: Spreading or dispersing information.
Double orphan: Child under age 15 whose mother and
father have both died.
Economic coercion: When participants are coerced to
participate in an activity that they might not otherwise
consider because the offered incentive to do so is
too enticing.
Epidemic: Outbreak of a disease affecting or tending to
affect a disproportionately large number of individuals
within a population, community, or region at the
same time.
Essential services: Basic services that are necessary for
survival (e.g., food, clean water, basic health care).
Ethics: Legal, moral, and philosophical principles of
conduct governing an individual or group.
Evaluation: Process that measures whether program outcomes
were achieved and determines what impact the
program had on the target population.
Executive summary: Section, usually at the beginning,
of a report that presents a concise overview of the
most important and useful findings.
Extended family: Relatives who aºre not part of the
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