What is Research
Psychological Research
Purpose of Research
Fields where Psychological Research can be Conducted
Psychological basic research
Clinical psychology
Counseling psychology
Educational psychology
Social psychology
Cognitive psychology
Neuropsychology
Personality psychology
Importance of Research
- Improves the understanding of human behavior
- Develops effective evidence-based therapeutic treatment method
- Identifies risk and protective factors related to mental health
- Emphasizes the importance of resilience and well-being in individuals
- Provides opportunities for professional development and career advancement in the field
Benefits of Research (Dos and Don’ts)
Dos:
Don’ts:
Types of Research
Basic research
Applied research
The goal of applied research is to find practical, implementable answers to pressing problems. Example: Studying vaccinations as a means of disease prevention.Archival research
Observational research
Case studies
Survey research
Correlational research
Experimental research
Cross-sectional research
Longitudinal research
Qualitative research
Example: a researcher might examine the traumatic experiences of different individuals.
Quantitative research
This research focuses on collecting and analyzing numerical data to draw conclusions.
Example, a researcher might use quantitative methods to investigate the relationship between exercise and stress levels.
Guidelines for Research
Select a research problem
The first step in conducting research is to identify a research problem or research question that needs to be answered. This can be done by reviewing existing literature, observing trends in a given field, or identifying a gap in knowledge.
Develop a research design
A Researcher designs an outline or research design that he will use to collect data and answer research questions.
Identify appropriate data collection methods
Depending on the research design, various data collection methods may be used, such as surveys, interviews, observations, or experiments.
Data analysis and interpretation
When researchers collect data, the next step is to analyze and interpret it to draw conclusions. Statistical approaches, qualitative analysis, and other methodologies may be used for this purpose.
Writing up and presenting the results
Ethics in research
Research Method
Research design
Qualitative research design
Quantitative research design
Mixed method research design
Software used in Research
SPSS: it is used for statistical analysis in social science research.
SAS: it is a data analysis and management tool used in research across various fields.
STATA: it is a statistical software package used for data management, analysis, and graphics.
Excel: it is a spreadsheet program used for data entry, analysis, and visualization.
NVivo: it is a qualitative data analysis software used for analyzing unstructured data like interview transcripts and survey responses.
MAXQDA: it is a software tool used for qualitative and mixed methods data analysis.
ArcGIS: it is a geographic information system (GIS) used for mapping and spatial analysis in research.
Tableau: it is a data visualization software used to create interactive and visually appealing dashboards and reports.
MATLAB: it is a programming language used for numerical computing and data visualization.
R: it is an open-source programming language and software environment used for statistical computing and graphics.
Citation
Citation in research refers to the process of acknowledging or referencing the sources of information used in a research paper, thesis/dissertation, or any other academic work. It is an important part of academic writing as it helps to:
- Give credit to the original authors or researchers whose work has been used.
- Enable readers to locate and verify the sources of information cited.
- Show the extent of research conducted by the author, highlighting the relevant literature on the topic.
- Provide a basis for future research and scholarly work.
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