RESEARCH METHODS NOTES

Lecture 1 – 16 April

1. Initial thinking translating to statement or question/research

hypothesis.
2. Positionality and Reflexivity – area where they share their interest of
research.
3. What influences are important – expectations, interests, resources
available, ethics, needs assessment etc.
4. Strategy matters – validity, reliability and try to make sense of what
‘literally’ subjects share. What gives us a framework to explore –
culture
5. A Question is very broad and research question is the question that
needs to be researched and there is a problem that needs to be
addressed. Methodology is applied to a research question.
6. A hypothesis is phrases and assumptions in a way that can be
tested. The available tools applied for the question is available in
the hypothesis. Hypothesis explores the relationship while research
question is seeking to explore the problem without making any
assumptions or claims.
7. A hypothesis is the way of forming a research question for the
purpose of research.
8. Therapeutic misconception – whatever happens, my psychologist
will do their best to safeguard them from any problematic scenario.

Assessments – participation – 10%

Oral presentation of a critical review paper – 20% (week 6 – week 8) –

highly close to interest and psychology based – 10+10 minutes. Present
critical review of peer-reviewed original research paper on topic connected
with counselling. Presentation submitted by week 6, 5pm.

Research protocol portfolio – 70% (week 13), develop research proposal

(4000-5000 words) breaks down into qualitative (35%) and quantitative
part (35%), reflected in portfolio – proposal on topic, according to
literature review conducted (social and phenomenon) – research questions
serving qualitative and qualitative methods. Literature review conducted.

9. Topic (it is not a linear process, and things keep changing), question,
sample, measures, data, and report.
10. The research has to be narrowed down – for example
suicidality among US collegiate student athletes.
11. Patterns that emerge – how do they fit into the research we
conduct? Do we see the patterns that emerge.
 12. Grounded theory – concerned with generation of theory
where they reexplore the strategy – theory grounded in the data.
13. Qualitative study – there is no one truth but various truth but
the question is which is most validated one?

Lecture 2 – 19 April

1. Ethics in research – non-maleficence, beneficence, autonomy,

confidentiality, communication the knowledge of research and
debriefing after, informed consent and right to privacy. Justice as
giving treatment to all.
2. Describe the research question and areas of concern and database
used on bananas.

Lecture 3 – 14 May

1. Variable – anything that varies – independent or dependent – time,

age, gender
2. Concept is used to describe a certain thing while a variable is used
to measure; concepts can be abstract like intelligence, variables are
more operationally defined and measured in multiple ways
3. Quantitative study is more objectively framed research – but the
way we make decisions for what will operationalize the variable is
subjective that we do from the beginning.
4. Variables are frames – they can be deficit based or asset based.
They serve as different perspectives. The way the question is
organized talks more about the research. The interest is also
different along with a different route for research.
5. In qualitative research, the question is more clear because of the
experiences? What is your understanding of student success? In
quantitative research, the understanding has to be made in a more
quantifiable or measurable way – what is the impact of student
success ion their income in later life. Research questions reflect our
key observations and priorities.
6. Variables – nominal (name value; can be two or more) and ordinal
(in ranking; order); continuous variables which are interval and ratio
(zero is not a variable here) – age can be a variable which is interval
and ordinal; similar age group.
7. Independent variable – constant; which does not change (usually
the first one); dependent variable is the one depending on other,
usually a criterion and is usually the second thing written after IV.
Gender is usually considered to be an IV.
 8. Control variable stays constant and aims to reduce any confounding
effects. Confounding variables anything that can explain the
variations of the effect/variable. If I am not exerting full control, I
cannot satisfy randomization.
9. Blind study participants do not know if they have received treatment
or not; double blind study participants and researchers do not know
who received treatment and who did not.
10. Hawthorne effect – observation affects behavior and changes
the study results. Ex- inspection in a school – confounding effects is
act of being observed.
11. John Henry effect – control groups without blind assignment
can however affect behavior. If it’s not confidential, it can have
confounding effects.
12. Placebo can also affect behavior and change study results.
13. Demand characteristics – if participants suspect the key
expected outcomes, it may affect study results. Social desirability
bias can have a confounding effect.
14. The outsiders arrogance – minimize the Hawthorne effect
15. Likert scaling – 5point or 7point having clear, short
statements. Reverse scoring is technical mechanism to deal with
problematic response of the subjects. You would know if they are
providing fake answers by recording the idea in a positive or
negative way. You exclude them from the study for the research.
16. To minimize bias – anonymous testing, unobtrusive
observation, projective techniques.
17. Null hypothesis – based on idea of falsification. Researchers
disapprove this. How do we do this – by doing the significance test.
18. Research question can also be done through research purpose
or using question instead of a research question.

Lecture 4– 21 May

1. Qualitative research – exploring the lived experiences and focusing

their positionality and context. In qualitative research, listening to
people’s experiences you can come out with different data on
experiences, identify trends and traditions and what is said in the
theories.
2. We are not interested in what people say but we are interested how
to focus on a certain thing that will be asked to a larger population –
qualitative research.
3. Qualitative research study would be – how do people define
violence?
 4. Recognizes the value of context – what stands behind the
perceptions that is being told by the given person? Their self-
identification, body language, their circle, their behaviors and
thought patterns.
5. You can do a quantitative study in a qualitative study.
6. Researchers’ positionality and being reflexive is important – the
author has to generate the data in response to the interviewers.
7. Notes – on what he said but also what is happening to the
interviewed person like body language and how much it takes for
him to reply.
8. Reflexivity – the researchers position to the research –
acknowledgement of how unlikely it is to stay out of it. Two types of
reflexivity – personal and epistemological reflexivity.

Lecture 5 – 28 May

1. Presentation – 10 minutes, no references extra, a structure can

follow, present your topic first and reflexivity, reflect on the
methodological steps and why was it selected as such, less
discussion on the paper details, is the author consistent in the
process taken.
2. How do you assess the quality? Clear hypothesis and variables,
construct validity (test measures the concept it was designed to
evaluate), assumptions of normality, if you don’t have assumptions
then we go for non-parametric tests, reliability and validity,
unbiased results related to publication bias, standardized and
generality, ethics.
3. Key concepts – validity (accuracy of results - how well a measure
captures the concept of interest) and reliability (consistency of
results - how consistently a measure captures the same range of
information across responses).
4. What do you do if your scale is unreliable – check the literature and
theoretical considerations.
5. Validity – face, content, criterion, Empirical, construct – looking at
theories –
Two ways – I assess quality of test utilizing with well-established test
OR using divergent validity which is quite opposite of what I want
(using scale that measures the exact validity)
6. Determining internal consistency – using split half reliability or
Cronbach’s alpha.
7. For qualitative study, we don’t look at consistency and validity
because its purpose is different.
Lecture 6 – 4 June

1. Where is the article published? The Elsevier in The Arts in

Psychotherapy
2. Quality in Qualitative studies – synchronicity and creativity
Importance of fit – interpreting the findings
Integration of theory – units of analysis should be well explained
Reflexivity – what is your role as a researcher in this?
Documentation
Sensitivity to negotiated realities
Transferability – fit well with other contexts
Owning one’s perspectives
Grounding in experiences
Credibility checks
Coherence – theory reflected experiences on subjects is evident
Resonating with readers
3. Yardleys criterion for assessing quality – sensitivity to context,
commitment and rigor, transparency and coherence, impact and
importance
4. For survey – keep questions simple and don’t let the person reread
the question. Organize the statement in a way that respondents will
direct their thinking in a safe manner.

Lecture 7 – 11 June

1. Inter-rater subjectivity for qualitative studies – uses pf quantitative

model for reliability
2. Sampling – subset of target population (population the same
represents)
3. Split the decision into random and non-random – in between
framework for us to decide as to how we fit in for ex large to small
sample.
4. Ways to increase precision – increase sample size
5. Cluster sampling – practical and limits the number of sites while con
is results in more homogenous sample. Alter the sampling process
6. Probability sampling – time is limited
7. Quota sampling – defining the conditions and then select based on
that quota.

Lecture 8 – 25 June

1. Research Portfolio - Data collection needs to be reported –

questionnaire and interview guide or survey questions.
 2. Include consent form templates in the research portfolio –
participant withdrawal form (understanding one part of a larger
part)
3. Several objectives serving each data of qualitative or quantitative?
4. Interview guide – write the content
5. Talk about your descriptive statistics in your research proposal.
6. T-test has single group in anova you have multiple groups

Lecture 9 – MISSED

Lecture 10 – 9 July

Research Portfolio

1. Introduction
-Background
-Literature Review – highlight gaps, psychological constructs (less than
1000 words)
-Purpose/aim/objectives of study – quant
-purpose/aim/objectives – qual
2. Methodology and tests (but not statistical tests) – interview guide
(come up with questions)
3. Ethical considerations
4. limitations
5. Appendices and references (include questionnaires)

- What filters our ideas – time, access to information, background and

context, do-ability, ethics
- Nine questions that one should refer?
 What do readers do to better understand the topic? Through
background research including them understanding what dmt is, creating
a timeline, definitions, signif. of the topic.
 What do readers need to know about the topic? – what are the
differences between the changes that take place when you, as a female
sexual survivor, engage in DMT vs when you engage in Psychotherapy,
according to the therapists. Limited gaps in literature, evidence, critically
analyse the used evidence, old data vs new data?, covid factor
 What do you propose to study? – aspects under-researched, suggest
alternative options, objectives, replication/adaptation
 What is the setting, and who are the people you will study? –
organisation and female sexual abuse survivors, exclusion and inclusion
criterion, homogeneity
 What methods do you plan to use to collect data? Tests, survey,
interview
 How will you analyse the data? Spss, R, correlation, t-tests, regression
analysis, thematic analysis, IPA, grounded theory and why am I using
this/suitable to perform this?, profile of subjects, relationships between
different variables
  How will you validate the findings? Reliability and validity – why do you
used these measures, sample size matters, how well it fits the data
sample fits, randomisation, quality – convince the person you are writing
the proposal for.
 What ethical issues will your study present? Informed consent, debrief
form
 What do preliminary results show about the practicability and value of
the proposed study?

- Proposal – Acc to therapists’ perceptions, what are the therapeutic

changes between DMT and psychotherapy while working with
female sexual abuse survivors aged 18-25?
- Read about the therapeutic misconceptions – there is space for
further clarifications to arise.

Lecture 11 – 16 July

1. Mixed methods – collects both data and integrates two forms of

data. Strength is to yield additional insights into a research problem.
2. Three components of it – philosophical worldviews (constructivist,
postpositivist), designs of quanti and quali and research methods
(where there is data collection, analysis, interpretation and
validation).
3. Philosophical worldviews contribute to mixed methods.

4. Core mixed methods design – convergent, explanatory sequential

and exploratory sequential. Apart from mixed methods which is
experiment.
5. Why we select mixed methods – both approaches are not adequate
to understand a research problem, strength of both provides better
understanding and develop a detailed view.
6. Purpose statement – establishes the intent of the study – why, what
do you do to intent and expectations. Conclude with purpose
statement in introduction. Qualitative statement contains central
phenomenon, participants and research site.