Welcome to my online syllabus! I am glad you are curious enough about the course to come to this page. Research methods is all about conducting research, and coming to this page is a first step.
If you have already enrolled in my class, you will find useful information here. It can help you prepare for the beginning of the semester. It’s always good to get a head start with a challenging course! If you are not yet enrolled, I hope this page will convince you it’s worth it.
Research methods is my favorite course to teach because it’s all about conducting research. It’s also the most difficult to teach, and I am always trying to make it better. I’m currently in the process of redesigning the projects and activities to better suit the needs of Bakersfield College students. The changes I incorporated for Fall 2024 were very well received by students. There will be a few more new activities this spring.
Research methods is about how to conduct research
Undergraduate research methods courses serve as an introduction to how scientists conduct research. This course covers methodology the behavioral sciences, which include psychology, cognitive science, anthropology, economics, and sociology. Because it is a psychology course, and I am a psychologist, we will focus on psychological research methods.
What is conducting research like?
Conducting research in an iterative, multistep process. It begins with coming up with questions and reviewing the literature–reading everything that has already been done to address the question. Based on the lit review, researchers formulate testable hypotheses. They then design studies to test these hypotheses and collect data. They use statistical analyses to test the hypotheses. In light of the results, they make inferences and write a discussion. Ideally, the results are published in academic journals. Whatever the outcome, it is always back to the drawing board! New studies are designed to revise or expand upon the first studies.
What will students learn?
This means that you will learn all about conducting research! This includes how to read and understand published research, come up with testable hypotheses, design studies, collect, clean, and analyze data, make inferences, and write up the results. Understanding research ethics and how to practice good science are a vital part of this process.
How will students learn about research methods?
This course has two components. We will have lectures that cover everything from ethics in research to study design to writing in APA style. You will also conduct research! Nothing teaches like doing, so you will choose a topic for a literature review, read relevant research, build an annotated bibliography, and write a literature review. You will also participate in planning and collecting data for a study that will be written up for publication. You will practice research design by brainstorming many studies. You will do statistics with real data and participate in a semester-long study. Your final project will be to present a poster. We will do several lab activities to help you understand experimental design.
Books needed
I have chosen an open-source textbook for this class that I really like. You will need to purchase the APA manual.
Jhangiani, R. S., Chiang, I-C. A., & Leighton, D. C. (2019). Research Methods in Psychology, 4th edition.
This text is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. This means it is free! You can access it here: https://kpu.pressbooks.pub/psychmethods4e/ Links to an external site.. It can be read online or downloaded from the site in various formats. For most assignments, I provide a link directly to the section on CANVAS.
American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). Washington, DC: Author ISBN: 978-1-4338-3216-1.
You can use any format (hard cover, spiral, paperback, eBook). I strongly suggested trying to find a used one on BC’s Textbooks for Sale facebook page. Most of the information can be found online too. You could also share with a classmate!
You are responsible for reading the texts and learning all content. Yes, I will also lecture. I will probably cover all important points. I will also add to the text material that is NOT in it. I might skip some of the material in the text because I assume you can read. Bottom line: Exam questions will come from the text and my lectures.
Statistical Software
I STRONGLY encourage you to ensure access to our statistical software before the course begins. You will save yourself a lot of stress that way!
As per Bakersfield College requirements for B6 (Research Methods), we must use IBM’s SPSS statistical software. You can get a discounted 6-month license by clicking HERE. (Don’t pay more than that elsewhere!) You can also use it on computers at BC. SPSS is installed on computers in the Main Campus Library, and in rooms 208 and 221 on the Southwest campus. These are classrooms, but there is plenty of time without classes, and I personally don’t mind if a student sits in the back of my class working quietly. The tutoring center at Southwest is also getting computers with SPSS.
Above: A screenshot of an SPSS dataset you might be using. These data were collected by my Research Methods students.
It’s important to note that statistical software such as SPSS is essential for this course. You cannot complete all the assignments with a scientific calculator or with Excel. Like all sophisticated statistical software, SPSS is a powerhouse. You will be using less than 10% of the functions available to you (and BC only provides a limited version). I promise that although it may seem intimidating at first, by the time the first exam comes along, you will feel very comfortable with SPSS!
You can access SPSS for free on the BC Appstream
You can access SPSS (along with Microsoft Office) for free on BC’s Appstream. The Appstream is part of Amazon Web Services, and you can use it anywhere you have an Internet connection on any device with a browser. The SPSS on it is fully functional. It does take a long time to load. (If you use it for exams, get it up and running before you start the quiz). You have to upload your SPSS files to your BC Onedrive, and then open them in SPSS.
The procedure is a bit clunky, but it is free.
Above: I have a few videos demonstrating how to use the Appstream.
You can also access all of my instructional videos detailing how to run analyses in this playlist: SPSS instructional videos.
Schedule
The professor reserves the right to change due dates and course material as needed to suit the needs of the students. You will be notified of any changes via CANVAS announcements. Make sure to enable CANVAS notifications and READ ALL ANNOUNCEMENTS.
Click on the headings below to open tabs and access the content!
Welcome! Introductions and preliminary materials
Please read the Home page and complete the first module before the first day of class.
Assignments & Activities:
Note: Your assignments are all on CANVAS, as discussions, quizzes, or file uploads.
- Introduce yourself discussion (upload a brief video) by Sunday for 10 points extra credit.
- SPSS Pre-assessment (Required to advance to Topic 1)
- Day 1 Survey
- How to Access SPSS page (required)
Week 1
Topic: Welcome! Course Orientation and Introduction
Assigned Reading
- Text Part I: The Science of Psychology
- Syllabus
Assignments & Activities
- CANVAS Discussion: Course expectations
- Syllabus Quiz
- Correlation study design exercise
Week 2
Topic: How to conduct research in psychology
Assigned Reading
- Text Part II: Overview of the Scientific Method (Introduction and Chapters 7, 8)
- Rosenthal, 1994 (see quiz)
Assignments & Activities
- Library Information Module
- Databases Module
- Rosenthal, 1994 Quiz
- Introduction of Research project
Week 3
Topic: Developing Testable Research Questions and Hypotheses
Assigned Reading
- Text Part II: Overview of the Scientific Method (Chapters 9–14)
- APA Manual, Chapter 1 (sections 1.1–1.10, Types of articles and papers)
Assignments & Activities
- Strategies for Effective Research Module
- QALMRI 1
- Introductory SPSS lab: Entering data in SPSS, Graphing
- Choose your proposal topic
Week 4
Topic: Ethical Principles in Writing and Conducting Research
Assigned Reading
- Text Part III: Research Ethics
- APA Manual, Chapter 1 (Sections 1.11–1.20: Ethics, Legal, and Professional Standards in Publishing & Protecting the Rights and Welfare of Research Participants and Subjects)
- Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (APA)
Assignments & Activities
- Avoiding Plagiarism Module
- APA General Principles quiz
- Proposed Lit Review Topic
- One paragraph detailing the importance of the topic.
- At least three sources
Week 5
Topic: Planning and Conducting Research; Introduction to APA Style
Assigned Reading
- Text Part XI: Presenting your Research (Introduction and Chapter 48)
- APA Manual, Chapter 2: Paper Elements and Format
- Blog post on APA format in Word documents
Assignments & Activities
- Brainstorming research ideas
- Statistics and SPSS Review (Day 1 dataset)
- SPSS Assignment 1: Descriptive Statistics
Week 6
Topic: Psychological Measurement
Assigned Reading
Assignments & Activities
- Testing scale reliability in SPSS
- Develop a psychometric scale
- SPSS Assignment 2: Scale reliability
- Annotated bibliography (current draft with at least five sources)
Week 7
Topic: Correlational Research: The Examination of Relationships
Assigned Reading
Assignments & Activities
- Informed Consent quiz
- Non-experimental 2 group Study Design Exercise
- Pre-registration for your non-experimental study
- Study 5 abstract
Week 8
Topic: Survey Research
Assigned Reading
Assignments & Activities
- Vote on Study 5 design
- Rough draft of lit review
- 3–4 pages, PLUS title page and reference section.
- At least 6 sources
Week 9
Topic: Review and midterm exam
No Assigned Reading
Assignments & Activities
- Check Study 5 survey for errors if ready
- SPSS review
- Midterm Exam
Week 10
Topic: Experimental Research Designs and cleaning data
Assigned Reading
- Text Part V: Experimental Research
- Data coding assignment
- How to prepare raw data for analyses (blog post)
Assignments & Activities
- Data collection study 5?
- Experimental study design exercise
- SPSS Assignment 3 (Comparing means)
Week 11
Topic: Testing hypotheses
Assigned Reading
Assignments & Activities
- Correlation study design exercise based on your lit review
- QALMRI 2
- SPSS Assignment 4 (Correlation)
Week 12
Topic: The publishing process
Assigned Reading
- APA Manual, Chapter 12 (Publication Process)
Assignments & Activities
- ANOVA Study Design exercise
- Review a paper
Week 13
Topic: Writing and Presenting Your Research: Basics and Best Practices
Assigned Reading
- Text Part XI: Presenting your Research (Chapters 49, 50)
- JARS (Journal Article Reporting Standards) for Race, Ethnicity, and Culture
- Text Part VIII: Quasi-Experimental Research
Assignments & Activities
- Final draft of your annotated bibliography (at least 9 sources)
- SPSS Assignment 5 (based on SF paper)
- APA style Tables exercise
- Data collection should be done
Week 14
Topic: Factorial Designs
Assigned Reading
Assignments & Activities
- Factorial study design exercise
- Data cleaning if time
Week 15
Topic: Poster Presentations…
Assignments & Activities
- Proposal and Posters (files)
- Final study design exercise
- Lit review
- 8–10 pages PLUS title page, references, table, appendix
- At least 9 sources
Final Exam day:
- Poster presentations (make sure you print them with plenty of time!)
Scheduled Final:
See BC Finals Schedule
- Complete all pending assignments by Thursday of Finals week at 11:59 PM (PST)
Anything received after Thursday of Finals week at midnight will NOT be graded.
Evaluation
Coming soon!
FAQ
Are exams open book in this course?
Yes. Exams are open book and you may use your notes and the internet, but you must not use AI or another person. Being very organized is essential for success.
Which textbook do I need?
Jhangiani, R. S., Chiang, I-C. A., & Leighton, D. C. (2019). Research Methods in Psychology, 4th edition.
This text is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. This means it is free! You can access it here: Textbook site: https://kpu.pressbooks.pub/psychmethods4e/. It can be read online or downloaded from the site in various formats.
You can also download a pdf by clicking here: pdf of textbook.
American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). Washington, DC: Author ISBN: 978-1-4338-3216-1.
You can use any format (hard cover, spiral, paperback, ebook).
You can access the supplemental resources for the APA manual here: Supplemental resources page.
What statistical software is required?
IBM SPSS is required by Bakersfield College for this course. Please secure access before the course begins. You can also use SPSS on campus computers.
Can I use jamovi, JASP, or R instead of SPSS?
These are excellent tools, but the course is taught with SPSS. You are welcome to explore alternatives on your own; some instructor videos exist for jamovi.
Do these programs work on a Chromebook?
Most free desktop statistics programs do not run easily on Chromebooks. If you have a Chromebook, it is better to use SPSS through the Appstream.
What is the Appstream and how do I use it?
The Appstream is a browser-based service that provides access to SPSS (and Microsoft Office) anywhere. It can take time to load, so start it before a quiz. Save your files to BC OneDrive and open them in SPSS from there.
How are grades calculated in this class?
Grades combine hands-on activities, topic quizzes, and exams. Topic quizzes and SPSS labs/worksheets make up a large portion, and there are two midterms plus a final.
How will I learn research methods in this course?
The class is hands-on. Each topic has lecture/theory and applied study design exercises and SPSS assignments. You will also complete a research project, learning about the research process by following the steps required by open science to prepare and publish a paper.
Can extra credit raise my grade?
Yes. Extra credit helps you learn and can raise your grade, even by a full letter if you complete enough of it.
What should I do before classes start?
Read the Home page, complete the Start Here / Welcome module, and make sure you have access to SPSS. Getting set up early reduces stress.