Introduction to Research Methods in Psychology

Introduction to Research Methods in Psychology This text is accessible, practical and authoritative. It meets the needs of students doing research at all levels for the first time. The key theoretical and conceptual issues are discussed in detail alongside the practicalities of doing research. There are major chapters on searching the literature, ethics, and developing ideas for research projects. Quantitative and qualitative research are covered and the appropriate use of both explained. It is a complete and attractive book written to help psychology students throughout their course. Introduction to Research Methods in Psychology can be used to alone or to complement the authors' Introduction to Statistics in Psychology and Introduction to SPSS in Psychology also published by Prentice Hall. Key Features - Meets the needs of all students, a book that is well organised, well written, comprehensive and relevant- Explains the purpose and benefits of all types of research design- Sets research in the context of the general study of psychology- Discusses at length neglected topics such as the literature search and the process of originating ideas for research- Looks at writing research reports as a major aspect of planning and carrying out research- Includes expert guidance on both quantitative and qualitative research Dennis Howitt and Duncan Cramer are both Readers in Psychology at Loughborough University

Table of Contents:
Contents Preface Part 1 The basics of research 1 The role of research in psychology 2 Aims and hypotheses in research 3 The problems of generalisation: Chance findings and sample size 4 Research reports: The total picture 5 The literature search 6 Ethics in research Part 2 Quantitative research methods 7 The basic laboratory experiment 8 Advanced experimental design 9 Cross sectional or correlational research: Non-manipulation studies 10 Longitudinal studies 11 Sampling and population surveys Part3 Fundamentals of testing and measurement 12 Psychological tests: Their use and construction 13 Reliability and validity: Evaluating the value of tests and measures 14 Coding data Part 4 Qualitative research methods 15 Why qualitative research? 16 Qualitative data collection 17 Transcribing language data: The Jefferson system 18 Data analysis: Grounded theory 19 Discourse analysis 20 Conversation analysis 21 Evaluating qualitative research Part 5 Research for projects, dissertations and theses 22 Developing ideas for research References Index Contents Preface 000 Part 1 The basics of research 000 1 The role of research in psychology 000 Overview 000 1.1 Reading 000 1.2 Evaluating the evidence 000 1.3 Inferring causality 000 1.4 Types of research and the assessment of causality 000 1.5 Practice 000 1.6 Conclusion 000 Key points 000 Activities 000 2 Aims and hypotheses in research 000 Overview 000 2.1 Types of studies 000 2.2 Aims of research 000 2.3 Research hypotheses 000 2.4 Four types of hypotheses 2.5 Difficulties in formulating aims and hypotheses 2.6 Types of variables 2.7 Operationalising concepts or variables 2.8 Conclusion Key points Activities 3 The problems of generalisation: Chance findings and sample size Overview 3.1 Universalism 3.2 Sampling and generalisation 3.3 Statistics and generalisation 3.4 Directional and non-directional hypotheses again 3.5 More on the similarity between measures of effect (difference) and association 3.6 Conclusion Key points Activities 4 Research reports: The total picture Overview 4.1 Overall strategy of report writing 4.2 The sections of the research report in detail 4.3 Conclusion Key points Activities 5 The literature search Overview 5.1 Library classification systems 5.2 Electronic databases 5.3 Obtaining articles not in your library 5.4 Conclusion Key points Activities 6 Ethics in research Overview 6.1 APA ethics 6.2 Research ethics 6.3 Ethics and publication 6.4 Conclusions Key points Activities Part 2 Quantitative research methods 7 The basic laboratory experiment Overview 7.1 The characteristics of the true or randomised experiment 7.2 More advanced research designs 7.3 Conclusion Key points Activity 8 Advanced experimental design Overview 4.1 Multiple levels of an independent variable 4.2 Multiple dependent variables 4.3 Factorial designs 4.4 The psychology and social psychology of the laboratory experiment 4.5 Conclusion Key points Activities 9 Cross sectional or correlational research: Non-manipulation studies Overview 9.1 Cross-sectional designs 9.2 The case for non-manipulation studies 9.3 Key concepts in the analysis of cross-sectional studies 9.4 Conclusion Key points Activities 10 Longitudinal studies Overview 10.1 Panel designs 10.2 Different types of third variable 10.4 Analysis of non-experimental designs 10.5 Conclusions Key points Activities 11 Sampling and population surveys Overview 11.1 National surveys 11.2 Sample size and population surveys 11.3 Types of probability sampling 11.4 Non-probability sampling 11.5 Socio-demographic characteristics of samples 11.6 Conclusion Key points Activities Part3 Fundamentals of testing and measurement 12 Psychological tests: Their use and construction Overview 12.1 The concept of a scale 12.2 Scale construction 12.3 Item analysis or factor analysis? 12.4 Other considerations in test construction 12.5 Conclusion Key points Activities 13 Reliability and validity: Evaluating the value of tests and measures Overview 13.1 Reliability of measures 13.2 Validity 13.3 Types of validity 13.4 Conclusions Key points Activity 14 Coding data Overview 14.1 Types of coding 14.2 Reliability and validity 14.3 Qualitative coding 14.4 Conclusion Key points Activities Part 4: Qualitative research methods 15 Why qualitative research? Overview 15.1 What is qualitative research? 15.2 History of the qualitative/quantitative divide in psychology 15.3 The quantification-qualitative methods continuum 15.4 Evaluation of qualitative versus quantitative methods 15.5 Conclusion Key points Activity 16 Qualitative data collection Overview 16.1 Major qualitative data collection approaches 16.2 Conclusion Key points Activities 17 Transcribing language data: The Jefferson system Overview 17.1 Jefferson transcription 17.2 Advice for transcribers 17.3 Conclusion Key points Activities 18 Data analysis: Grounded theory Overview 18.1 Development of grounded theory 18.2 Data in grounded theory 18.3 How to do grounded theory analysis 18.4 Computer grounded theory analysis 18.5 Evaluation of grounded theory 18.6 Conclusion Key points Activity 19 Discourse analysis Overview 19.1 Important characteristics of discourse 19.2 The agenda of discourse analysis 19.3 Doing discourse analysis 19.4 Conclusions Key points Activities 20 Conversation analysis Overview 20.1 Precepts of conversation analysis 20.2 Stages in conversation analysis 20.3 Examples 20.4 Conclusion Key points Activities 21 Evaluating qualitative research Overview 21.1 Evaluating qualitative research 21.2 Validity 21.3 Criteria for novices 21.4 Conclusions Key points Activities Part 5 Research for projects, dissertations and theses 22 Developing ideas for research Overview 22.1 Why not a replication study? 22.2 Choosing a research topic 22.3 Sources of research ideas 22.4 Conclusion Key points Activity References Index

Review :
"Introduction to Research Methods and Statistics in Psychology "is the third volume in a trilogy. It covers quantitative and qualitative approaches, includes detailed treatment of professional issues such as ethics, and gives insights into detailed aspects of professional research awareness rarely discussed with students. This is a detailed, practical and modern book that is excellent value for money. In its own right, it is a book many should seriously consider as a core text, but it is even more impressive when seen as the final volume of a trilogy. John Hegarty, Head of Psychology, Keele University Times Higher Education Supplement, 2nd December 2005