Chapter 2

 Sources of research ideas

o Questioning common assumptions
 Common-sense or folk-wisdom beliefs
o Observations of the world around us
 Personal and social events fueled by scientifically skeptical mindset
o Practical problems
 Existence of real problems can trigger a research project idea
o Theories
 Theory: a system of logical ideas that are proposed to explain a particular
phenomenon and its relationship to other phenomena
 Organize and explain a variety of specific facts or descriptions of behaviour
 Generate new knowledge (new hypotheses) by focusing our thinking so that
we notice new aspects of behaviour
 If multiple theories are equally successful at explaining the same phenomenon, the
scientific principle of parsimony dictates that the least complex theory is most
desirable, because it is easiest to entirely falsify
o Past research
 Inconsistencies in research results that need to be investigated
 Study alternative explanations for the results
 Propose a new theory to account for existing results and spur new ideas
 Use what you know about one research area to inform what is known about another
area
 How do we find out what is already known? – Research article
o Abstract summarizes the entire report
 To decide whether the article could help learn about your research topic
o Introduction explains the problem under investigation and specific hypotheses being tested
 To find out the purpose of the study, past research and theories relevant to the
study, and the hypothesis
o Method describes in detail the exact procedures used in the study
 To find out characteristics of the participants, what they were asked to do, what
materials were used, and overall study design
o Results presents the specific findings
 For tables, graphs, and sentences that summarize the pattern of findings (statistics)
o Discussion concludes the article, address potential alternative explanations for the results,
discuss reasons that a particular hypothesis may not have been supported by the data,
and/or make suggestions for further research on the problem
 For conclusions about the hypothesis, the study’s strengths and limitations, and
contributions it makes to understanding the topic
o References lists all sources cited throughout the article in APA style
 To look up specific citations noticed in earlier sections and to find research articles
that will help you learn more about what is known about your topic
 If not following the full six-section format, literature review (narrative) or meta-analysis (statistical)
 An orientation to journals and finding articles
o Library databases (PsycINFO & Web of Science)
 Pros: finding specific articles, setting advanced search limits
 Cons: log in required for full access, knowing important terminology is helpful for
choosing specific search terms
o Internet search
  Pros: exploring a topic very broadly, finding researchers’ websites for original articles
and their full publication records
 Cons: cannot set advanced search limits, not monitored for accuracy
o Scholar Google
 Pros: setting basic search limits, exploring topic fairly broadly
 Cons: cannot set advanced search limits, not monitored for accuracy
o Wikipedia
 Pros: learning some important terminology for a new area of study, finding some
references to journal articles for PsycINFO search
 Cons: not monitored for accuracy, entries often without references
 Developing hypotheses and predictions
o Hypothesis: statement about something that may or may not be true, is informed by past
research or derived from a broader theory, and is waiting for evidence to support or refute
it
 Falsifiability: data can show that a hypothesis is false, if in fact it is false
 Unfalsifiable: invisible aura; cannot observe so cannot be measured; no objective
data
 Can formulate a theory
o Translate hypothesis into a specific prediction concerning outcome of the particular
experiment in future tense
 Hypothesis SUPPORTED, not proven