Introduction to Research Methods and Statistics in Psychology: A practical guide for the undergraduate researcher

Introduction to Research Methods and Statistics in Psychology is a new type of textbook. It is almost entirely student-centred, eminently practical and brings together a wealth of experience in the teaching of undergraduate research.
This book is not just a guide to the conduct of psychological research, it is also an effective support system for the particular problems, concerns and fears encountered by most students at some point in their research lives.
In structure, the book is divided into a number of well-defined parts, each dealing with a major element of the research process and combining to produce a step-by-step guide for the student embarking on a major piece of undergraduate research.

 

"This outstanding book guides students gently through the maze of research methods. The authors' engaging and accessible approach to this subject has created an invaluable and up to date resource for undergraduate students at all levels of competency. It can only serve to improve their confidence and understanding in this core subject." Dr Jacqui Harrison, University of Bolton

 

 

Substantially revised, yet retaining the practical, student-centred approach of the first edition, this new edition of Introduction to Research Methods and Statistics in Psychology is an ideal starting point for students coming to the subject for the first time. Comprehensive as well as accessible, the coverage ranges from designing a study to advanced analysis of data, and takes in all of the key areas of quantitative and qualitative research along the way.

 

Features:

·    The text is structured to reflect the research process and is divided into seven useful stages: beginning a research project, designing a study, carrying out a study, descriptive statistics, qualitative research methods, inferential statistics, and writing up research.

·    Up-to-date examples bring the text to life and make it relevant to students

·    Datasets are provided on the companion website so students can practice what they’ve learnt.

 

New to the 2nd edition:

·    'From the literature' highlights the link between published research and the processes covered in the text.

·    New sections on meta-analysis, power and small-sample research

·    More detail on qualitative methods, ethics, observation research, questionnaire design, the literature review and describing data

 

This friendly step-by-step guide to the research process takes students from the basics all the way through to the more advanced statistical analysis carried out in the final year of a degree course, and provides everything needed by students embarking on a psychology research project.

 

Ronald A. McQueen and Christina Knussen teach in the Department of Psychology and Allied Health Sciences at Glasgow Caledonian University