Designing and Planning Research

This unit guides students through planning, designing, and documenting mixed-methods psychological research, emphasizing small experiments, sampling and power, qualitative data procedures, and scientific integrity. It builds on foundational concepts and prepares learners to produce a complete research proposal, method and reference sections, and a presentation in the final unit.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze the appropriateness of experimental designs (multiple baseline, small-N, independent groups, and pretest-posttest) for specified research questions, identifying validity threats and implications for individual versus group responses
• Apply quantitative planning techniques by calculating and justifying sample size and statistical power, selecting sampling strategies, and explaining limitations of nonrandom sampling approaches
• Demonstrate qualitative research skills by collecting and transcribing interview/observation data, applying grounded theory coding procedures, and synthesizing findings into a coherent methods and introduction section
• Evaluate and uphold scientific integrity by preparing a complete research proposal, method and reference sections that use ethical citation and data-management practices, and delivering an engaging, properly referenced presentation of the proposed study