PSY5002 & PSY5005 Research Guide

EVALUATING RESEARCH This Discussion should consist of roughly 300 words
As mentioned in the unit introduction, at the core of psychology in practice is the use of techniques, strategies, and best practices based on the highest-quality research available (APA, 2014). It is not enough to locate research related to your topic. The research must be relevant to your particular problem or situation and present valid findings that you may apply in the field.
For this discussion, respond to the following questions:

• What 3 peer-reviewed articles did you find related to your research question? Give a short summary and provide the APA citation for each article.
• How did you determine whether an article was relevant to your research question?
• What strategies did you use to ensure the articles you located were worthy of use in psychology practice?
• What criteria did you use to evaluate the authority, credibility, and scholarliness of the articles within the field of psychology?

If you did not consider these questions as you completed your research, go back and evaluate the articles you located. Use the tools listed in the resources for assistance. If you had any trouble evaluating research, use this discussion to receive support from your peers and instructor to work through your challenges.
ASSIGNMENT – PREPARATION
Choosing a research topic is not a trivial matter. While a great many topics in psychology may be of interest, when you put forth the time and effort to research and write on a topic, it is best to focus on one that will help you learn more about your specialization area.
In this study, you will further explore your interests and passions in psychology by reflecting on how you would use research as a practitioner, then:

• Select an important topic relevant to your area of specialization in psychology.
• Formulate a more specific research question.

This activity will lay the groundwork for the unit discussions and the remaining assignments in this course.
Complete the following:

• Skim through the Select Topics page of the PSY5002 & PSY5005 Research Guide. Scroll down to the Suggested Specialization Topics section for topic ideas and select the ones that are most interesting to you and relevant to your specialization.
• Review the Topics section in the APA Web site for supplementary ideas for topics relevant to your psychology vision and goals.
• Review the Improve Your Topic page for additional explanation and resources to help you clarify the task of topic selection and locate articles.
• Consider the following questions to explore further ideas if you have not found any inspiring topics in these resources:
  • Can you remember an experience in your personal or professional life that you did not understand or would like to explore further?
  • Have you read anything in a discussion post, your courseroom, a textbook, or a course reading that you wanted to learn more about?
  • Have you observed anything unusual or intriguing recently (on television, online, in the newspaper, or in your job) that piqued your curiosity?
• Rank the ideas you came up with and select the most important topic to pursue during the course. Keep your list of unused topics for future courses. You will have many opportunities for research throughout your program.

Now that you have chosen a topic, your next step is to formulate a single clear, concise, and specific research question related to the topic. The question should not be so narrow that it is difficult to research, but if it is too broad or multifaceted your research task may seem endless.
Use the four Ws—who, what, where, and why—to think about how to define and narrow your area of inquiry:

• Who: Define the population you are concerned with in terms such as age, ethnic background, special characteristics, or other factors.
• What: Focus on a particular issue (such as violence, family issues, or poverty) the population facing.
• Where: Determine a specific type of setting where the issue would be observed, or where an intervention would impact the target population. Private practice, clinic, school, or others?
• Why: What could be possible benefits of this research?

As an example, if your topic is adolescent depression, your research question might be: “What biological factors are associated with adolescent depression?” Try to state your research question in a single sentence that you will answer in your research and writing.
After you formulate the research question, list the reasons why this question is important.