Answer engine optimisation (AEO)
Structuring content so search engines and AI assistants can lift a clear, direct answer from it, using question headings, short answers and supporting detail.
Related: Digital marketing
Brand voice
The personality and tone of a brand’s writing, for example warm, expert or playful.
Related: Social media branding
Chi-square test
A test that checks whether two categorical variables are associated, for example by comparing counts across groups.
Related: Data analysis support
Computer vision
A field of artificial intelligence that lets computers interpret images and video, for example by detecting objects.
Related: Projects
Content pillar
A core theme a brand returns to regularly, such as education or customer stories, so posts stay consistent and easy to plan.
Related: Social media branding
CRM (customer relationship management)
Software that stores customer records, tracks leads and follow-ups, and reports on customer relationships.
Related: Custom CRM
Dashboard
A visual display of key figures and charts, usually interactive, that lets people monitor performance at a glance.
Related: Data analytics & AI
Data analytics
Examining data to find patterns, explain what happened and support decisions, using summaries, charts and statistical methods.
Related: Data analytics & AI
Descriptive statistics
Summaries such as the mean, median and spread that describe what a dataset looks like.
Related: Data analysis support
Editorial plan
A schedule of topics, formats, owners and publishing dates that keeps content consistent instead of ad hoc.
Related: Digital marketing
Generative engine optimisation (GEO)
Making content easy for AI assistants to understand, trust and cite: clear facts, consistent details about who you are, fresh dates and mentions on other trusted sites.
Related: Digital marketing
Harvard and APA referencing
Two author-date citation styles. Always use the exact style and edition your university or journal requires.
Related: Academic research support
Hypothesis test
A procedure for judging whether a pattern in a sample is likely to reflect something real rather than chance.
Related: Data analysis support
Input sanitisation
Cleaning or rejecting what users type into forms so malicious or malformed data cannot harm a system.
Related: Web development
Literature review
A critical summary of existing research on a topic that shows what is known, what is debated and where the gap is.
Related: Dissertation support
Machine learning
Building models that learn patterns from data so they can predict or classify new cases.
Related: Data analytics & AI
Regression
A method for estimating how an outcome relates to one or more other factors.
Related: Data analysis support
Reliability (Cronbach’s alpha)
How consistently a questionnaire scale measures what it should. Cronbach’s alpha is a common statistic for checking it.
Related: Data analysis support
Research methodology
The plan and justification for how research is carried out: the design, sample, data collection and analysis.
Related: Dissertation support
Responsive design
Page layouts that adapt to the screen size so a site works on phones, tablets and desktop monitors.
Related: Web development
Role-based access control
Giving users permissions according to their role, so people can see and do only what their job requires.
Related: Web development
Search intent
The goal behind a search: to learn something, find a specific site, compare options or take an action. Content performs best when it matches the intent.
Related: Digital marketing
SEO content
Pages and articles written to answer what people search for, using a clear structure, relevant terms and accurate information.
Related: Digital marketing
SPSS
IBM SPSS Statistics is software widely used in the social sciences to manage data and run statistical tests.
Related: Data analysis support
t-test
A hypothesis test that compares the averages of two groups.
Related: Data analysis support
Technical content writing
Writing that explains specialised subjects such as software, data, engineering or research accurately for a defined audience.
Related: Technical writing
Technical documentation
Written material that explains how a product, system or process works or how to use it, such as user guides, how-to articles and reference pages.
Related: Technical writing
Time series and forecasting
A time series is data recorded over time. Forecasting uses past patterns to estimate future values, and ARIMA is a classic statistical model for it.
Related: Data analytics & AI
Web application
A site people use to do things, such as signing in, submitting forms or managing records, rather than only reading pages.
Related: Web development