Research Methods (saylor.org)

It is important that you are able to not only identify the techniques used by others but also employ them yourself. The course is designed to provide you with the foundation you will need to apply certain techniques in the search for your own answers. The course will begin with an overview of how research, and its appropriate methodology, came about in science and, more specifically, psychology. We will then go over the ABCs of conducting research, learning how to define “variables” and why they are important. While this course will also touch upon statistics and their importance, it will not require a comprehensive knowledge of the subject. The course will conclude with a section on experiment results and the ways in which experimental design and statistics can be used to ensure certain results. By the end of this course, you should understand why research methodology is important in scientific research, be comfortable reading method and results sections of journal articles, and understand a range of different research methods (as well as when to employ each).
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Define science and list the key features of science.
• Apply the key features of science to the discipline of psychology.
• Describe the parts of a psychology research report.
• Explain how psychology research ethics guidelines developed.
• List the key ethical guidelines governing psychology research.
• Define reliability and validity for research measures.
• List and define the three primary research designs used for psychology research.
• Identify the appropriate statistical analysis for each of the three primary research designs.