Induction Overview
Welcome back and welcome to Research Methods!
This year you become Scientists!
This year, in Research Methods, you will perform your first piece of REAL psychological research
In groups, you will:
- Identify an area of psychological research
- Review and critique the literature in this area
- Develop a testable hypothesis
- Design a 2x2 ANOVA experiment unique to you (within your group study)
- Obtain Ethical Approval for your experiment
- Collect REAL data
- Analyse these data
- Write up the results in APA format
A full overview will be given in the first lecture!
Do not worry! It’s going to be a great adventure!
A ‘warm up’ for your Y3 Dissertation
- The same 20-week timeline
- The same skills and techniques you will need
- Careful step-by-step guidance and support in the lab setting
- Scaled-down experiments and write-ups
- The security of working in a group
- Tips and advice from world-class researchers
- Opportunity to think carefully about your final year Dissertation, and how to crush it!!
Support and guidance
- Gordon Wright (Module Coordinator and floating Enthusiast in Chief)
- 7 gobsmackingly amazing Lab Tutors
- Your Personal Tutor and your PT group
- AND EACH OTHER!!
This is a team-sport
me
I will be in every Research Methods lecture and I have a Student Hour from 3-4 every Monday, before we all go to the Design & Analysis lecture. Yup! Me too!
Available at g.wright@gold.ac.uk
I genuinely could not imagine anything I would rather do that this. Please talk to me!
Module weighting and assessment
Research Methods is a core module with a 30 credit weighting
This means that in order to progress to Y3, you must pass all 3 assessment elements:
Critical Proposal 1,800 words (15%)
Mini-Dissertation 2,500 words (70%)
CHIP Learning Log 1,200 words (15%)
A friendly warning
All coursework is INDIVIDUAL and subject to normal plagiarism and collusion rules
Module structure
1 x 1 hr Lecture per week (Monday)
1 x 2 hr Lab per week (Tuesday)
4 x Personal Tutor meetings across the year
Weekly Structure
Each week there will be a very brief ‘Prelude’ designed to introduce one of the main topics of the week
Lecture (slides and recording posted afterwards)
Lab Activity
- ‘Pulse’ taken on entry - 2 minute quiz
- Lab Notebook with brief ‘generative activities’ and opportunities for metacognitive reflection
- Extras provided around skills or applications or just interesting factoids
- Lots can be achieved in the labs, but independent study and coordinated group work will be required
NO EXAM
Coursework
The courseworks ALL require critical reflection and metacognitive practice. This will be discussed in a number of lectures, but it contributes to effective learning and your integration of the skills and experience of doing this research exercise.
Time management and teamwork
..will both be required.
I ask you to see both as an opportunity to develop these important skills.
You will see we have some ideas to make this more relevant to careers and employability
It is easier to ‘keep up than to catch up’.
Resources
We will be releasing a series of valuable resources to help you through every step of the process
These will have value for your final year dissertation too.
Contribution to and comment on these is welcome and hoped for!
Open Educational Resources will be used extensively, and most core readings are available online via the library.
Prelude 1
We are starting off very easy. A short questionnaire to allow us to get to know you a little better, which we will use to develop the first lecture, and the course more generally.
Thank you for your time
And have an amazing year!
The Research Methods Team