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