The Research Experience: Planning, Conducting, and Reporting Research

The Research Experience: Planning, Conducting, and Reporting Research presents a process-oriented approach to research for students in the behavioral sciences. In-depth, practical advice for conducting each step of the research process includes coverage of the most common research methods and current technologies—including Qualtrics, Google Scholar, and Amazon Mechanical Turk—as well as techniques for finding participants and collecting data in a variety of settings. With robust pedagogy and six helpful appendices, this text will further readers’ ability to produce well-executed projects and critically evaluate information in both their personal and professional lives.

Table of Contents:
Preface About the Author Introduction Chapter 1 Research, Biases in Thinking, and the Role of Theories Why Research Matters The Research Process: Humans Make Predictions Heuristics and the Work of Kahneman and Tversky Other Problems in Thinking Doing Science as Tradition and Innovation Research and the Value of Common Sense Flexibility in Thinking Theories: What They Are and Why They Matter Making a Connection Between a Theory and a Good Research Question Summary Chapter 2 Generating and Shaping Ideas: Tradition and Innovation Overview Ideas: Information Services, aka The Library Ideas: Searching Effectively in the Library Electronic Resources and Keywords Keywords: The “Key” to Success PsycINFO Other Databases and Indexes in the Social Sciences The Web and Peer Review Particular Kinds of Articles How Journals Differ: Issues Related to Quality Open Access and Predatory Publishers Publication Practices of Journals Journal Articles Versus Book Chapters Physically Obtaining an Article: A Closer Look at Databases Summary of the Article Locator Search Process Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Systems and World Catalog (WorldCat) What to Do With Your Articles (Read More Than the Abstract!) The Introduction The Method Section The Results Section The Discussion Section: Conflicts and Gaps Keeping Track: ILL, Mendeley, and RefWorks Reasonable Questions and the Problem of Third Variables: Closing the Research Gap Time Pressure and Timelines Academic Fraud Summary Chapter 3 Research Design Approaches and Issues: An Overview Overview Research Quality Affects Research Answers What Research Can Tell You: The Continuum of Certainty Correlation Versus Causation Why Conduct Correlational Research? The Language of Correlation and Causation Correlational Research Approaches: Correlational and Quasi-experimental Hallmarks of True Experimental Approaches Differentiation of Independent and Dependent Variables Reframing a Research Idea Type I Versus Type II Error Type II Errors: Sample Size, Power, and Effect Size Internal Validity Behavior of the Experimenter and Demand Characteristics Behavior of the Participant: Role Attitude Single- and Double-Blind Approaches to Research Cover Stories Pilot Tests and Manipulation Checks Summary of Additional Threats to Internal Validity External Validity and Ecological Validity Where Research Takes Place Where Qualitative Research Takes Place Summary Chapter 4 Ethics and the Institutional Review Board (IRB) Process Overview What Is the IRB, and Why Does It Exist? History of Ethical Oversight The APA Code of Ethics What Is Research? What Are Human Subjects? IRB Membership and Duties Levels of IRB Review Components of the IRB Proposal Informed Consent Debriefing Children as a Vulnerable Population: Implications for Research Research With Children: Secondary Data Analysis Deception and Its Alternatives Ethics and Student Participation in Research: Alternatives to the Subject Pool Offering Incentives in Research: Are Incentives Coercive? Preparing an IRB Proposal The IRB Training Modules Summary Chapter 5 Measures and Survey Research Tools Overview The Concept of Measurement: Ideal Versus Real The Purpose of Measures Measurement Scale Types Sensitivity of a Scale and Anchor Values The Process of Identifying Measures: The Literature Databases of Tests (PsycTESTS and HaPI) Books of Measures Department Resources and Professors Catalogs of Measures and Fees Charged Qualities of Measures: Reliability and Validity The Importance of Computing Your Own Cronbach’s Alpha Qualities of Measures: Validity Length and Difficulty of Measures Instructions for Scoring Names of Measures and Social Desirability Concerns Qualifications for Use Developing Your Own Instrument Scale Types and Flexibility in Answering Research Questions The Order of Questions in a Survey Online Survey Software Tools Features of Online Survey Software Programs Program Features Google Docs Forms Downloading Online Surveys into SPSS Survey Appearance Summary Chapter 6 Correlational and Qualitative Research Overview Correlational Research: General Characteristics Questions Posed About the Sample Drawbacks to Correlational Approaches Correlational Design: Quasi-experimental Design (i.e., Questions About Groups) Statistics Used in Correlational Designs Qualitative Research Qualitative Research and the Concept of Reflexivity Acceptance of Qualitative Methodology in the Social and Behavioral Sciences Qualitative Approaches to Research How to Capture Behavior: Behavioral Categories How Often and How Long to Observe Calculation of Inter-rater Reliability (IRR) Acceptable Values for Inter-rater Agreement Participant and Nonparticipant Observation and Overt/Covert Observation Ethnography: Extended Observation Issues in Ethnography: Gaining Access Initial Ethnographic Tours Preserving Information Grounded Theory Phenomenology Focus Groups Interviews: Degrees of Structure Recording or Not Case Studies and Case Histories Where Qualitative Meets Quantitative: Content Analysis Summary of Steps in a Content Analysis Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software (CAQDAS) Qualitative Research and the Emotional Self: A Final Consideration Summary Chapter 7 Experimental Approaches: Between Subjects Designs Overview Between Subjects Designs: What Are They? Characteristics of Between Subjects Designs: Advantages and Disadvantages Sensitivity of IV More on Power, Sample Size, and Power Calculations Number of IVs and Interaction Effects Evaluating an Interaction by Hand Common Types of Between Subjects Design Matched Groups Design Multiple Comparisons Handling Error Variance Summary of Between Subjects Design Considerations Finding and Creating IVs (Scenarios; Visual Images; Movie Clips; Auditory Clips) Existing Literature: Method Section Visual Images: Manipulating an Image Multiple Dependent Variables (DVs) in a Research Design Factor Analysis: An Overview Summary Chapter 8 Within, Mixed, Pre–Post Experimental, and Specialized Correlational Designs Overview Characteristics of Within Subjects Design: Advantages and Disadvantages Types of Research Questions More Commonly Asked in Within Subjects Designs Counterbalancing Simple and Complex Within Subjects Designs Adding Complexity to Within Subjects Designs Mixed Designs Pre–Post Designs: Characteristics Types of Pre–Post Designs Specialized Correlational Designs Time-Series and Interrupted Time-Series Design Strengths and Weaknesses of This Approach When Is This Approach Used? Real-World Challenges: Postoccupancy Evaluation (POE) Longitudinal and Cross-Sectional Designs Advantages and Disadvantages of the Longitudinal Approach Advantages and Disadvantages of the Cross-Sectional Approach Cohort-Sequential Design Advantages of Using Multiple Methods Summary Chapter 9 Recruiting Participants Overview Who Participates in Research: An Overview The Subject Pool: The Workhorse of Social Science Research The Drawbacks to Subject Pools: Concerns About Internal Validity Limits on the Number of Participants Available From Unpaid Subject Pools Keeping Track of Participants: Online Participant Management Systems Practical Issues in Communicating About Recruiting Research on Sensitive Topics and the Role of the IRB Recruiting Off Campus Using Your Personal Connections Using Your Institution’s Connections Bureaucracy Vulnerable Populations in the Community Physical Security Issues in Conducting Research off Campus Service Learning Courses and Recruiting Participants: Opportunities and Complications Conflicts of Interest and Multiple Relationships Dustin’s Dozen: Tips for Collecting Data in the Field Identifying Information Other Sources of Participants: The Online Approach Online Use of Adverts (Advertisements) Versus Snowball Samples Ethical Issues in Online Environments: The Facebook Emotional Contagion Study Sampling Nonresponse Bias and Threats to Internal Validity Nonresponse and Nonresponse Bias Response Rates and Reporting Them Incentives: Practical Issues Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTURK): The World Awaits Questions of Validity in Using Amazon MTURK Online Paid Panels Summary Chapter 10 Organizing Data and Analyzing Results Overview Paper and Online Surveys: An Overview The Importance of Labeling Labeling in a Data File and Deciding on a Coding System Other Labeling Recommendations Labeling Issues in Online Survey Software Entering Individual Items Versus Item Totals Backing Up Data Dealing With Missing Data: Differing Points of View Replacing Missing Data Through Single Value Imputation Some Recommendations for Missing Data Identifying Missing Data Handling Out-of-Range Values Handling Outliers Going Fishing and Other Data Dredging Practices Ethics, Cleaning Up, and Reporting Your Data: Final Comments Preliminary Analyses Significance Levels and p Values: What Are They? Transforming and Selecting Data: Useful Commands in SPSS Summary of Data Organization Steps Evaluating Your Hypotheses: Where to Begin Making Use of Free Response Items Additional Aids: Online Calculators and Word Clouds Other Statistical Software Summary Chapter 11 Writing and Presenting Your Research Overview Writing: One Section at a Time Writing: Avoiding Plagiarism The Writing Itself: Clear and Simple The “Shape” of Your Paper The Title of the Paper and Its Importance The Abstract The Introduction: Content The Method Section Writing About Results Discussion Nonsignificant Results: What Can You Say? Statistical Versus Practical Significance General Formatting Issues: Mastering APA Style Presenting Numbers: The Short Story Common Grammatical Mistakes Creating Conference Presentations Summary Highly Recommended Papers Appendices Appendix A: Decision Tree for Statistical Analysis Appendix B: Sample Informed Consent Document Appendix C: Sample Debriefing Statement Appendix D: Resource Guide to Commonly Used Measures Appendix E: Commonly Used Analyze Functions in SPSS Appendix F: Scale Types and Associated Statistical Analyses for Common Research Approaches Glossary References Name Index Subject Index

About the Author :
Dr. Devlin is a published author with more than three decades of academic and research experience. During her more than 35 years as a faculty member at Connecticut College, she has taught courses in research methods, environmental psychology, cognitive psychology, industrial and organizational psychology, and a host of related seminars. She also established and frequently serves as chair or member of the Connecticut College Human Subjects Institutional Review Board (IRB). In those roles, she has reviewed more than 800 student research proposals as well as those of faculty and staff. With this experience, she is familiar with a wide range of research topics and research designs. Dr. Devlin has published four books, the most recent of which is Transforming the Doctor’s Office: Principles from Evidence-based Design (2015). Her third book, What Americans Build and Why: Psychological Perspectives (2010) focused on five facility types: residential, educational, medical, retail, and office. In addition, she has published numerous research articles in such journals as Environment and Behavior (SAGE), Journal of Environmental Psychology, Journal of Applied Social Psychology, Professional Psychology: Research & Practice, and Journal of Counseling Psychology.  

Review :
“While most research methods textbooks use little citation which suggests that much of the content is the author’s original thought, this author uses, in a masterful way, a variety of sources to teach each characteristic of the research process,” “The text does a great job of touching upon all relevant areas of applied research while presenting the information in a manner that is understandable to students first exposed to the research process.”  “[Key strengths of the text are] many good examples, interesting questions interspersed in each chapter, helpful guides to successful writing, interesting ideas to ponder, and up-to-date content on online subject pools.” “The text walks students through the logistics of actually running a study or experiment. It also deals with technology and the advantages and disadvantages of the technologies that students most rely on.”