Homework: Project Guidelines

Overview

The project for this course is the creation of a formal research report. Because of the course`s structure and provided resources, only quantitative research methods are permitted.

As the step in your journey toward your degree in psychology, you will complete a capstone that integrates the knowledge and skills you have developed in previous coursework by creating a research paper appropriate for an undergraduate research conference. Through this capstone, you will demonstrate your grasp of important concepts in psychology and how to appropriately conduct research. The skills used in reviewing and conducting research will be invaluable in your future pursuits.

This capstone will be assessed somewhat differently than other courses you have taken online at SNHU. You will be evaluated on your overall project in determining whether you have demonstrated proficiency in each outcome.

The project is divided into three milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Two, Four, and Six. The project will be submitted in Module Eight.

In this homework, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:

1) Assimilate classic and current research within the field of psychology by developing detailed literature reviews and presentations

2) Gather, organize, and analyze acquired knowledge within the field of psychology as evidenced in an e-compendium

3) Develop a conference-level deliverable depicting theoretical or empirical research and how it fits a larger body of knowledge in the research literature of psychology

4) Evaluate the appropriate research method(s) to use for the problem examined in a theoretical or empirical research project

5) Describe informed conclusions that align with selected research designs and statistical analyses used in an original research project

6) Analyze multifaceted ethical issues associated with the core content areas of psychology as evidenced through the creation of informed consent forms and the use of ethical reasoning

The project is meant for you to propose a hypothetical study. You are not and should not be conducting human-subject research for this project. It is not necessary for the purposes of this homework. All human-subject research requires written approval from the SNHU COCE Institutional Review Board in order to protect the welfare and ensure ethical treatment of the subjects.

Prompt

The project for this course is a formal research project based on one of the psychological topics listed below, or a topic of your choice (to be approved by your instructor) and it will include the following components: abstract, introduction, methods and results, discussion, and references. Your report should be developed as if it were being presented at an undergraduate research conference.

For your research project, select one of the following topics:

1) Internet Gaming Disorder: Addictions concentration
2) Autism: Child and adolescent development concentration
3) Substance Abuse and Crime: Forensic psychology concentration
4) Treatment Effectiveness for Veterans with PTSD: Mental health concentration
5) Cyberbullying: Social psychology concentration

If you would like to research a topic not listed here, you will need instructor approval. In the Module One Discussion Topic you will identify which of the topics above you will research, or you will need to propose a topic of your choice for instructor approval.

The purpose of this homework is for you to explore one topic area in depth and demonstrate how you have developed the professional skills and dispositions critical to the field of psychology over your academic career. Your research report must follow proper APA formatting.

Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:

A. Abstract: For the first section of your research report, you will create an abstract that is a concise summary of your research study. Include information on your research question, subjects (if applicable), methods, results, and discussion.

B. Introduction: In this section, you will create an introduction that includes a literature review of research pertinent to the topic area you have chosen. This section should contain the following elements, which will demonstrate your ability to interpret psychological research and develop research questions regarding unexplored topic areas:

1. Prepare a literature review

2. Determine testable research questions with hypotheses

C. Methods and Results: For the next section of your research report, you will develop methods and results sections that inform potential readers of how you conducted your study and what the statistical results of the study were. These sections should contain the following elements, which will demonstrate your ability to detail the process of conducting research and to appropriately convey your results:

1. Explain the methods of how you conducted your study

2. Conduct statistical analyses as appropriate

D. Discussion: For the last section of your research report, you will write your discussion section, which describes your interpretation of your results and speaks to how future researchers can expound on your work. This piece should contain the following elements, which will demonstrate your ability to detail the process of conducting research and to appropriately convey your results:

1. Interpret your results

2. Discuss any limitations or ethical issues

Your research report should be appropriately formatted following the latest guidelines for APA formatting, using in-text citations when necessary. You will be expected to use at least 10 research articles in the topic area to support your review of the literature.

Milestones

Milestone One: Draft of Introduction

In Module Two, you will submit a draft of your introduction (including the literature review of your first five sources).

Milestone Two: Draft of Methods and Results Sections

In Module Four, you will submit a draft of your methods and results sections.

Milestone Three: Draft of Discussion

In Module Six, you will submit a draft of your discussion section.

Submission: Research Report

In Module Eight, you will submit your project. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical elements of the product and should include at least 10 scholarly sources. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course.