UNIT 8 - RESEARCH DESIGN ETHICS PROPOSAL AND REPORTS PDF

Title UNIT 8 - RESEARCH DESIGN ETHICS PROPOSAL AND REPORTS
Course Research Methods and Analysis in Psychology
Institution University of Derby
Pages 6
File Size 292.7 KB
File Type PDF
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Summary

• Developing a research question
• ethical considerations and BPS guidelines
• The structure of a research proposal
• The similarities and differences between a research proposal and a report...


Description

Research methods & Analysis UNIT 8: RESEARCH DESIGN ETHICS PROPOSAL AND REPORTS Now that you have a good understanding of the foundations of quantitative research methods and both descriptive and inferential statistical analyses, it is now time to think about how you can use this knowledge to prepare a quantitative research proposal.

In this unit, we have covered:

   

Developing a research question ethical considerations and BPS guidelines The structure of a research proposal The similarities and differences between a research proposal and a report

Developing a research question As you have discovered in the preceding units, the development of a research project using quantitative methods largely depends on the potential statistical analyses to be used – do we want to explore a relationship between variables or a difference? The generation of an appropriate research question and of the title of the proposed project reflects this.

Examples 1. Exploring sex differences in diurnal eating patterns 2. is there a relationship between the level of trait narcissism and the time spent on social media networks? 3. investigating differences in five-year-olds performing Theory of Mind (ToM) tasks: A cross-cultural study 4. does well-being rely on subjective perceptions of relationships? 5. the effects of auditory stress on motor skills, memory and performance in a psi task

Narrowing down the topic

Research methods & Analysis UNIT 8: RESEARCH DESIGN ETHICS PROPOSAL AND REPORTS

The five main ethical considerations

Ethical guidelines are there not only to protect the rights of participants but also those of researchers. There are five main aspects to consider when developing a research proposal and design: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Informed consent Confidentiality Right to withdraw Protection from harm Debriefing

Research methods & Analysis UNIT 8: RESEARCH DESIGN ETHICS PROPOSAL AND REPORTS

Informed consent ethical principles In simple terms, participants need to know what they are getting themselves into! Normally, prior to the actual study session, a consent form is provided, which participants are required to read and sign. Details such as the nature of the study, what participants are required to do during the study (such as the research tasks) and other ethical aspects (such as the right to withdraw and retaining confidentiality) should also be included. If informed consent cannot be obtained from the participant directly (e.g. if they are vulnerable or a child), consent should be obtained from their appropriate representative.

Confidentiality ethical principles Participants must have their identities protected throughout the research process. Personal details that have been gained throughout this process that could identify an individual should be kept confidential. In order to establish this confidentiality, participants are usually given a unique identifier code created by the researcher. This eliminates the use of personal details being obtained, but it would still enable the researcher to identify the individual data if the participant wished to withdraw from the study. In addition, the data collected during the research must be retained securely. Paper documentation must be stored in a locked file, and electronic data must be stored within a password-protected computer program.

Right to withdraw ethical principles Participants also have the right to withdraw at any time during the research process. This includes when they arrive for an experimental session, after they have signed the consent form, during the experimental session, immediately afterwards and even weeks or even months after their data has been collected.

Research methods & Analysis UNIT 8: RESEARCH DESIGN ETHICS PROPOSAL AND REPORTS Most importantly, they do not have to give a reason to the researcher for doing so. They do not have to justify why they want to leave – they just can!

If analysis has already been conducted with the data collected and the results written up for submission (be it a thesis or for publication), it is too late for the participants to ask for their data to be withdrawn. It is useful to provide a specific date on debriefing forms so that the participants are aware.

Protection from harm ethical principles Psychologists have a responsibility to protect their clients or participants from both psychological and physiological harm. Within psychological research, the possibility of causing psychological, emotional or physiological upset is very real, as the perception of a situation is subjective to the individual. For instance, within our example, what a researcher believes is only a moderately stressful situation (being shown pictures of giant spiders) may actually cause considerable distress to individual participants! It is recommended that researchers provide details of appropriate support or counselling services as well as their own contact details on the debriefing form, just in case participants need additional advice following the study session.

Debriefing ethical principles At the end of a study session, researchers should always provide participants with a debriefing, either verbally or with an additional form. If an element of deception was necessary within the study, having a debriefing will enable researchers to inform participants as to the exact nature of the study that they have taken part in. Information should be provided on the contact details of the researcher; there should also be a reiteration of other ethical issues, such as participants’ right to withdraw and confidentiality being maintained. Additional support details can also be included in the event of any participants being unduly affected by the research! Plus, having a debriefing session also enables participants to ask any questions about the study.

Research methods & Analysis UNIT 8: RESEARCH DESIGN ETHICS PROPOSAL AND REPORTS

The research proposal

The point behind writing a research proposal is to show off your ability as an independent researcher to understand the background of, develop and eventually implement a viable research project.

A research proposal enables you to highlight your capability to think critically and to communicate your ideas clearly. It’s all about showing colleagues, potential PhD supervisors or grant boards that may want to fund your project that you are a competent researcher.

Structure of the research proposal The structure of a proposal can be summed up in six basic steps.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

TITLE BACKGROUND/LITERATURE REVIEW AIMS/OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS METHODOLOGY ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS REFERENCE LIST

The 3Cs When developing a research proposal, keep the 3Cs rule in mind:

Research methods & Analysis UNIT 8: RESEARCH DESIGN ETHICS PROPOSAL AND REPORTS

Example research proposal The eventual research report The good news is that after you have completed your research and it comes to writing up the study, you will already be familiar with the necessary report structure, as it is based on almost the same sections as the research proposal.

Proposal and report PROPOSAL 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

TITLE BACKGROUND AIMS/OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS METHODOLOGY ETHICS STATISTICAL STRATEGY TIMELINE REFERENCE

REPORT 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

TITLE LITERATURE REVIEW AIMS/OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS METHODOLOGY ETHICS RESULTS DISCUSSION REFERENCE...


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