| The Initial Agony
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| | expected to modify it in some way -
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| The clock ticks away and still you
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| | indeed, if you are following these steps
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| haven't thought up a design or even a
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| | then of course you will. Previous studies
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| topic for your coursework - a
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| | may have used an experimental method, a
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| psychological investigation on an issue
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| | correlational study, a survey, a case
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| of your choice. Many students come to me
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| | study, or a naturalistic observation.
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| in the agony of not knowing what to study
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| | This is the junction at which you need to
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| for their investigation with its
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| | marry the research question with a
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| impending deadline. Some say things like,
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| | particular methodology. Some of these may
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| "Well, I want to do something on
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| | not appeal to you or may even be out of
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| eyewitness testimony but I don't know
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| | bounds. If you simply CANNOT or don't
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| exactly what." On further questioning it
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| | want to use the most obviously
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| appears not that they haven't spent hours
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| | appropriate research method then you need
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| thinking about it, but rather they
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| | to return to step 1 and try again.
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| haven't spent time asking themselves the
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| | Otherwise if you feel comfortable with
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| right sort of questions. So, if you are
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| | the method then continue to the next
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| in this position, listed below are a
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| | step.
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| number of steps that will turn your agony
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| | Step 7: The Participants and their Task
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| into ecstacy (well maybe not ecstacy but
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| | Having identified the method you need to
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| certainly a sense of achievment).
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| | think about who the participants should
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| Step 1: An Everyday Observation
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| | be. The easiest route is to choose fellow
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| The first step (which seems the easiest)
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| | students as they can be readily
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| is to make an observation of someone
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| | recruited. However, these may not be the
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| else's behaviour (or your own) in a
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| | most appropriate. If you need a specific
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| situation that holds some fascination or
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| | population (e.g., the elderly or
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| interest for you. This can be anything
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| | children) you must think about how you
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| from the behaviour of your cat, to the
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| | are going to obtain volunteers. The two
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| behaviour of your boyfriend, to the
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| | problems here are (1) it isn't always
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| accuracy of your own ability to remember
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| | easy to find such volunteers (2) there
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| something. Although, I said this seems to
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| | may be ethical reasons why it is best not
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| be the easiest step, it is not so easy to
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| | to use the population (especially
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| find an observation or issue that can be
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| | children as you will need ethical
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| readily studied. How do you know if your
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| | approval for your study from the school,
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| idea can be studied easily? The answer is
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| | the parents, and the kids themselves). If
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| to test it against the next few steps. If
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| | only one type of group of participants
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| it fails to satisfy one step then return
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| | are appropriate and you can't or dare not
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| to step 1 and try again. You'll soon be
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| | attempt to obtasin them then go back to
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| able to identify an idea worth pursuing.
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| | step 1. If you can then you should think
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| Step 2: Read an Article on the Issue
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| | about the task that you will set them. If
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| Having identified an issue or a
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| | this is an experiment then it should be
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| behavioural observation, the next step is
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| | desinged to test the hypothesis - and
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| to read up about it. Ideally, you should
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| | this should be derived directly from your
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| read a journal article - you can find
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| | research question. You can borrow a
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| many of these on the web and also in
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| | design from another study but you must
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| Ezine articles. Just type in your key
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| | modify it in some way so as to be
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| terms in a search engine and look for any
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| | original. If you are asking a new
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| research that has been done that is
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| | question about a particular explanation
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| related to your issue or observation.
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| | then it follows that your desing will
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| Note that you should read research
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| | also be original.
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| articles and not Joe Blogs's home page.
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| | Step 8: Evaluate Your Design
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| As intelligent as he may be, his
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| | Having thought about your design, take a
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| ramblings won't impress your examiner or
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| | break and come back to it later. Then
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| marker; however, a published article by a
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| | read through your outline and ask
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| reputable academic psychologist will,
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| | yourself whether the design would answer
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| even if he is dumber than Joe Blogs (so a
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| | the research question you thought up in
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| rule of thumb is to try to access genuine
| |
| | step 5. "Possibly" or "maybe" are not
|
| sites, such as a university's website or
| |
| | good enough. Your design should put a
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| a publisher's online database of
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| | theory to a stringent test, it should
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| articles).
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| | take no prisoners! So at this stage you
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| Step 3: Identify the Explanation
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| | may need to revise your design a little
|
| In reading the article what you are
| |
| | so that it could in principle directly
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| looking for is an explanation for the
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| | answer your research question.
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| behaviour you are thinking about as a
| |
| |
|
| result of step 1. The explanation will be
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| | Step 9: Your Analysis
|
| a theory of the hows and the whys of the
| |
| | Before you finally reach that moment of
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| behaviour (that is, what causes it).
| |
| | ecstacy, remember that you may have to
|
| Step 4: Read About the Problems with the
| |
| | collect and analsye data. You must think
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| Explanation
| |
| | about how to analsyse the data so that it
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| You may ask yourself why you are looking
| |
| | reveals whether the hypothesis will be
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| for an explanation for the behaviour you
| |
| | accepted or rejected. In other words, you
|
| are thinking about. After all, isn't your
| |
| | should always think about how you are
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| study suppoosed to do that and if there
| |
| | going to analyse the data before you
|
| is an explanation then why go on? Here's
| |
| | start testing or interviewing
|
| the rub: There is no explanation in
| |
| | participants. It is a common mistake for
|
| psychology that is (a) a perfect account
| |
| | a student to have a wheelbarrow full of
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| of the thing it's trying to explain, and
| |
| | data and no clear idea what to do with
|
| (b) universally accepted. It follows that
| |
| | it. This is a nightmare situation because
|
| explanations are themselves the targets
| |
| | you may discover that you have been
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| of further study. It is true that
| |
| | asking the wrong questions or giving the
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| theories provoke more research than the
| |
| | wrong task to your participants. If you
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| initial observations they attempt to
| |
| | can't see how you could possibly analyse
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| explain (well, at least in psychology it
| |
| | the data from the design you have created
|
| is so). So, try to read about the
| |
| | then rethink your design until you can.
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| problems with the theory or you could
| |
| | For example, if you thought about using a
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| even find its problems yourself if you
| |
| | t-test then you should gather data
|
| think carefully about it.
| |
| | appropriate for this test, no more, no
|
| Step 5: Does One Explanation Appeal to
| |
| | less.
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| you More than Another? Your Research
| |
| |
|
| Question
| |
| | Step 10: You May Begin
|
| Remember that in step 1 you thought of
| |
| | When you reach step 10 (without having
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| an issue that aroused your curiosity. Now
| |
| | returned to step 1 too many times, I
|
| ask yourself whether one or any of the
| |
| | hope) you can begin refining the design
|
| explanations you have read satisfies you.
| |
| | (e.g., prepearing the materials) and then
|
| Where are the gaps? What is there that
| |
| | start to test you participants. If you
|
| makes you feel uncomfortable about
| |
| | have followed the advice here then you
|
| accepting it? Are there any assumptions
| |
| | are in a much better position to get the
|
| in the explanation that you don't agree
| |
| | grade you really deserve than if you
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| with? Decide to address one of these
| |
| | began your investigation without giving
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| questions. This will be your research
| |
| | it much thought. Good luck!Prof. Eamon
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| question.
| |
| | Fulcher is currently a visiting professor
|
|
| |
| | at the University of Murcia, Spain. An
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| Step 6: Read About the Research Design
| |
| | experienced university lecturer,
|
| and Choose Yours
| |
| | e-learning consultant, and researcher, he
|
| In reading around the issue, you should
| |
| | has written several texts for psychology
|
| by now have an idea how it is studied.
| |
| | students, including 'A Guide to
|
| Usually the method of investigation is
| |
| | Coursework in Psychology'. You can visit
|
| one that has been used many times,
| |
| | his website at for some great online
|
| although with a slight variation each
| |
| | resources for learning psychology or if
|
| time. It is NOT wrong to borrow such a
| |
| | you just want to ask him a question.
|
| research design, but you will usually be
| |
| |
|
