Research methods in psychology / Dennis Howitt & Duncan Cramer.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents vii Guided tour xvii Introduction xix Acknowledgements xxi Part 1 Basics of research 1 1 Role of research in psychology 3 2 Aims and hypotheses in research 27 3 Variables, concepts and measures 45 4 Problems of generalisation and decision-making in research: Chance findings and sample size 63 5 Research reports: The total picture 85 6 Improving a quantitative write-up 115 7 Literature search 136 8 Ethics and data management in research 162 Part 2 Quantitative research methods 183 9 Basic laboratory experiments 185 10 Advanced experimental designs 213 11 Cross-sectional or correlational research: Non-manipulation studies 234 12 Longitudinal studies 250 13 Sampling and population surveys 265 14 Data analysis issues and scientific progress 283 Part 3 Fundamentals of testing and measurement 307 15 Psychological tests: Their use and construction 309 16 Reliability and validity: Evaluating the value of tests and measures 329 17 Coding data 346 Part 4 Qualitative research methods 359 18 Why qualitative research? 361 19 Qualitative data collection 374 20 Transcribing language data: Jefferson system 387 21 Thematic analysis 396 22 Grounded theory 411 23 Discourse analysis 428 24 Conversation analysis 441 25 Interpretative phenomenological analysis 453 26 Evaluating qualitative research 471 27 Improving a qualitative write-up 482 Part 5 Research for projects, dissertations and theses 501 28 Developing ideas for research 503 Glossary 523 References 530 Index 541.

Comprehensive, clear, and practical, Introduction to Research Methods in Psychology, fifth edition is the essential student guide to understanding and undertaking quantitative and qualitative research in psychology.In this popular text for psychology students, the research process is broken down into manageable steps to equip students with the skills to ask intelligent research questions, carry out a literature review, choose an appropriate research design, carry out data collection and write up their findings. Throughout the book, research examples are discussed which offer an insight into how research advances our understanding in areas such as forensic, social, educational, and abnormal psychology. Revised throughout, this new edition includes a new chapter on 'Data Analysis Issues and Scientific Progress' which explores complexities in research, discussing issues such as questionable research practices and replication studies. A further new chapter, 'Improving a Qualitative Write Up' provides advice and guidance on how to write-up a qualitative study with a detailed illustrative example of this. This is the ideal guide for students just beginning and those moving on to more advanced research methods projects in psychology.