Your Undergraduate Psychology Project - A Student Guide

Informationen zum Autor Mark Forshaw is Director of Endpoint Development and Outcomes Assessment at Adelphi Values, UK, having previously been a Principal Lecturer and Deputy Director of the Centre for Health Psychology at Staffordshire University. He is Chair of the BPS Membership Standards Board, and a Trustee of the BPS, and the winner of the BPS Division of Health Psychology Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Advancement of Health Psychology 2011. He is the author of many books, including Critical Thinking for Psychology: A Student Guide (Wiley, 2012) . Klappentext  ' This book provides an accessible and informative introduction which will be invaluable to undergraduate students carrying out their final year projects.  From finding a research topic, to planning, right the way through to writing up, the book offers practical advice on how to avoid common pitfalls and how to produce a project that not only succeeds in terms of good marks, but also facilitates the student in carrying out a worthwhile and original piece of research .'- Dr Julie Hulme , Discipline Lead for Psychology, The Higher Education Academy, UK Getting started on your final year psychology research project? Not sure where to look for extra help? Terrified at the prospect? Your Undergraduate Psychology Project: A Student Guide has been designed with the needs of the student in mind. Packed with hints and tips, and written in a simple, informal style, this 'second supervisor' is designed to ease you further into the world of research. The second edition has been completely revised and updated with new material on focus groups and ethics, and includes a new section entitled 'How to Lose Marks Instantly'. A host of special features allow you the best possible chance of success: Structured chronologically around planning a project, carrying it out, and then writing it up Gives practical advice on how to deal with day-to-day problems, such as software failures or uncommunicative interviewees Written in consultation with a number of experienced academics and students of psychology Zusammenfassung Your Undergraduate Psychology Project: A Student Guide has been designed with the needs of the student in mind. Packed with hints and tips, and written in a simple, informal style, this second supervisor is designed to ease students further into the world of research. Inhaltsverzeichnis Preface xi Acknowledgements xiii 1. Planning Research 1 Choosing a Research Topic 1 The textbook method 2 The television method 3 The pub chat or coffee bar method 4 The internet method 5 The lecturer method 5 Think again! 5 Self-interest 6 Replication versus Novelty 7 Pure versus Applied Research 8 Researching the Project: Finding Literature 9 Using internet search engines 10 Snowballing and searching via citations 10 Using electronic databases 12 Boolean operators 12 Narrowing searches 13 How many references? 15 Statistics on the internet 16 Choosing a Method 16 Single-case designs 17 Case studies 17 Choosing qualitative methods 18 Differences or relationships? 21 Primary or secondary data? 22 Observational methods 23 Protocol analysis 24 Multiple methods 25 Control Groups 25 Matching Methods to Analysis 26 Power Analysis 27 To Pilot or Not to Pilot 28 Developing Materials 29 Experimental stimuli 29 Questionnaires 31 Looking professional 35 Interviews 36 Cross-cultural studies and translation of materials 39 'Borrowing' Materials 40 The Internet as a Research Tool 40 Managing Time: Keeping on Track 42 Start early 42 <...

List of contents

Preface xi
 
Acknowledgements xiii
 
1. Planning Research 1
 
Choosing a Research Topic 1
 
The textbook method 2
 
The television method 3
 
The pub chat or coffee bar method 4
 
The internet method 5
 
The lecturer method 5
 
Think again! 5
 
Self-interest 6
 
Replication versus Novelty 7
 
Pure versus Applied Research 8
 
Researching the Project: Finding Literature 9
 
Using internet search engines 10
 
Snowballing and searching via citations 10
 
Using electronic databases 12
 
Boolean operators 12
 
Narrowing searches 13
 
How many references? 15
 
Statistics on the internet 16
 
Choosing a Method 16
 
Single-case designs 17
 
Case studies 17
 
Choosing qualitative methods 18
 
Differences or relationships? 21
 
Primary or secondary data? 22
 
Observational methods 23
 
Protocol analysis 24
 
Multiple methods 25
 
Control Groups 25
 
Matching Methods to Analysis 26
 
Power Analysis 27
 
To Pilot or Not to Pilot 28
 
Developing Materials 29
 
Experimental stimuli 29
 
Questionnaires 31
 
Looking professional 35
 
Interviews 36
 
Cross-cultural studies and translation of materials 39
 
'Borrowing' Materials 40
 
The Internet as a Research Tool 40
 
Managing Time: Keeping on Track 42
 

Start early 42
 
Match the project to the time available 42
 
Overplanning 43
 
Plan B 43
 
Response rates 45
 
Your supervisor's time 46
 
Project milestones 46
 
Tips on managing time 47
 
Writing a Proposal 51
 
Research Ethics 52
 
Informed consent 53
 
Undue pressure 55
 
Deception 55
 
Protection of participants from harm and 'acceptable' risk 55
 
Incentives 56
 
Withdrawal 56
 
Confidentiality 56
 
Debriefing 57
 
Personal safety 57
 
Obtaining Ethical Clearance 58
 
Getting Started 59
 
2. Doing Research: Collecting Data 61
 
Student-Supervisor Relations 62
 
Pilot Studies 65
 
Dealing with People 66
 
Being an ambassador 67
 
Working with participants 70
 
When participants don't understand or make mistakes 75
 
Conducting Interviews: The Practicalities 76
 
Focus Groups 77
 
Observational Studies 78
 
Relying on Equipment 81
 
Making Back-ups 81
 
Adjusting Your Project Milestones 82
 
Taking Part Yourself 82
 
Revisiting Data 83
 
Transcribing Interviews 84
 
The Paper Trail 85
 
Knowing When to Stop 86
 
Data Preparation 86
 
Conducting Statistical Analyses 87
 
3. Writing Up Research 91
 
An Overview 92
 
Notes on Style 93
 
A Note on Plagiarism 94
 
Section by Section 96
 
Title 96
 
Abstract 99
 

Introduction 100
 
Method 103
 
Replicability 112
 
Results 113
 
Discussion 120
 
Generalising your findings 123
 
References 124
 
Appendices 128
 
Qualitative Reports 129
 
The first person 129
 
Introduction 130
 
Methods 130
 
Results/Analysis/Discussion 131
 
First, Second and Third Drafts 132
 
Common Mistakes 133
 
Affect and effect 134
 
Data 134
 
Exper

Product details

• Authors: Forshaw, M Forshaw, Mark Forshaw, Mark (Director of Endpoint Development an Forshaw, Forshaw Mark
• Publisher: Wiley, John and Sons Ltd
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 19.04.2013
• EAN: 9780470669983
• ISBN: 978-0-470-66998-3
• No. of pages: 176
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Psychology; Non-fiction book > Psychology, esoterics, spirituality, anthroposophy > Psychology: general, reference works; Psychologie, Psychology, Psychologiestudium, Psychologische Methoden, Forschung u. Statistik, Psychological Methods, Research & Statistics