Manuscripts will be provided for you to critique. You will conduct a thorough evaluation of each manuscript as if you were a reviewer for a professional journal. The format and guidelines for developing the critiques can be found on page 7 of this syllabus and will be discussed in class.
You will be paired with another student and will provide written reviews for one another throughout the research process. Peer review should be in the same format as the journal article critiques. One copy will be provided to your peer student, and another copy will be turned in to the instructor for a grade along with a copy of the material critiqued.
In order to conduct research at Mississippi State University, each investigator (faculty/student/staff) is required to participate in training for the protection of human subjects prior to the initiation of any research-related project. As such, each student in this course will be required to provide the instructor evidence of his/her completion of the IRB On-Line Training before beginning the required research project outlined below. The IRB training can be accessed at the following web-address: http://www.orc.msstate.edu/human/
Additional information pertaining to this activity will be discussed during the first class session of this course. (Note: This is a required, non-credit accruing class activity.)
You will be required to propose and conduct original research using one of the methodologies discussed in class (e.g., quantitative, qualitative, or single subject). You will be required to submit proper documentation for research involving human subjects to the Institutional Review Board for Human Use (IRB). You will be required to submit a detailed manuscript reporting the research question, basis and support within existing empirical literature, hypotheses, research design/methods, findings, and conclusions (using the guidelines on pages 8 & 9).
During the final class meeting, you will present the results of your research in a 30-minute research presentation format. You may use Power Point to supplement your presentation but minimally must provide a short handout to your classmates that summarize the important background information and findings. In your presentation, you should be able to discuss the philosophies and epistemologies underpinning your selected methodology. You should also be able to discuss the ethical, legal, & multicultural issues associated with your research.
During each class session, you will be required to discuss the on-going progress of your research project.
Evaluation:
- Manuscript Critiques (40 pts each x 2)
- Peer Reviews (20 pts)
- Research Project (100 pts)
Total Possible Points 200
Grading Scale
- 181 - 200 = A
- 161 - 180 = B
- 141 - 160 = C
- 121 - 140 = D
- < 120 = F
Methods of Instruction:
The diversity of the professional interests of the students in the class affords you the opportunity to become familiar with the wide variety of research areas. A significant portion of the benefits you (may) derive from the course is contingent upon your efforts. This course will provide students with an opportunity to practice application through cooperative learning exercises and open discussion. General principles of the course will be related through didactic interchanges.
It also should be remembered that the class consists of students with diverse backgrounds. It should be noted that students in the course have varying degrees of pertinent expertise when this course begins. Thus, you are encouraged to ask questions as desired or necessary, no matter what the level of sophistication of the question. Also, you should be tolerant of any question asked, regardless of its pertinence to your level of expertise or understanding.
Plagiarism Policy:
Plagiarism is defined as the presentation of a written work as if it were
original, or for an original purpose, when in fact it is not. Engaging
in the act of plagiarism is both unprofessional and a violation of the
Mississippi State University Honor Code (see Student Handbook).
If you present written work for this course under the pretense that it is an
original composition specifically and solely for this course when in fact
it had been previously written by others or by you for another purpose,
you are guilty of plagiarism.
Also, submission of the same paper or other written work for concurrent
fulfillment of requirements in two courses is plagiarism within this
definition. Note that plagiarism is distinctly different from reference
citation or direct quotation from the work of another person or even from
your own work; however, you must "give credit where credit is due" by
providing accurate citations. I do not tolerate plagiarism. If it is
determined that you have engaged in plagiarism, two things will happen
automatically:
- you will be assigned zero points for the assignment, and
- a request will be made to the department chairperson to constitute a committee to determine your suitability for retention in the program in which you are enrolled.
(FYI: I use the MSU-sponsored "Turnitin" plagiarism software to evaluate the originality of course materials.)
Consultation:
It will be easier for you to complete fully and successfully the course requirements with assistance beyond that provided in the class meetings. Accordingly, you should feel free, and indeed are encouraged, to arrange for mutually convenient individual consultation time with me. Further, you should feel free to request as many of these individual meetings as you believe are needed to complete course requirements effectively.
Instructor:
Associate Professor, Clinical & Rehabilitation Program Coordinator
Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology
Box 9727, 511F Allen Hall
Mississippi State, MS 39762
(662) 325- 7917 office
cpalmer@colled.msstate.edu
Office Hours:
My "official" office hours for this term are posted on the door to my office. In addition, I am often in my office and available to meet with you at times other than my "official" office hours. However, because of the many unforeseen demands on my time, it is a good idea for you to call or personally contact me so that we can arrange a mutually convenient meeting time.
- Assignments
- All written assignments must be word processed and have no
spelling or punctuation errors. Assignments with said errors will not be
graded.
- All materials submitted for course credit should adhere to the writing guidelines contained in the American Psychological Associations' (APA) Publications Manual 6th Ed. (with addendum).
- All written assignments must be word processed and have no
spelling or punctuation errors. Assignments with said errors will not be
graded.
- Academic Accommodations
Qualified students needing academic accommodations are required by law to initiate the request process. If you haven't already made arrangements through Student Support Services and wish to discuss any accommodation needs you may have, my office hours and telephone numbers are included in the syllabus. - Caveat
This syllabus includes a tentative description of the course. The schedule of events, topics of discussion, and other factors related to this course may be changed at the instructor's discretion.
See the distributed class syllabus for the schedule of readings and activities.
Recommended Reading:
- American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5th Ed.). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.
- Campbell, D. & Stanley, J. (1963). Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for research. Chicago, IL: Rand McNally.
- Cherry, A. L. (2000). A research primer for the helping professions: Methods, statistics, and writing. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thompson Learning.
- Gall, M., Borg, W., & Gall, J. (1996). Educational research: An introduction (6th Ed.). White Plains, NY: Longman.
- Hair, J. F., Anderson, R. E., Tatham, R. L., & Black, W. C. (1998). Multivariate data analysis, (5th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
- Heppner, P.P., Kivlighan, D.M., & Wampold, B.E. (1999). Research design in counseling (2nd Ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company.
- Kratochwill, T. & Levin, J. (1992). Single-case research design and analysis: New directions for psychology and education. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
- Mertler, C. A. & Vannatta, R. A. (2005). Advanced and multivariate statistical methods (3rd Ed.). Glendale, CA: Pyrczak.
- Monette, D., Sullivan, T., & Dejong, C. (2002). Applied social research: Tool for the human services (5th Ed.). Orlando, FL: Harcourt.
- Patton, M.Q. (1990). Qualitative evaluation and research methods (2nd Ed.). Newbury Park, CA: SAGE.
- Pedhazur, E. (1997). Multiple regression in behavioral research (3rd Ed.). New York, NY: Thomson Learning.
- Salant, P. & Dillman, D. (1994). How to conduct your own survey. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
- Stangor, C. (2004). Research methods for the behavioral sciences (2nd Ed.). Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.
- Strauss, A. & Corbin, J. (1990). Basics of qualitative research: Grounded theory procedures and techniques. Newbury Park, CA: SAGE.
Guide for Journal Critiques
Use APA format for submitting the journal critiques - see the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th Ed.). A title page should be included. Inserting the Running Head is optional; however the critique should include the Header and page number beginning with the title page. An Abstract is not needed.
Use the following headings within the critique and address each of the bulleted issues:
- Citation for Journal Article (use APA 6th Ed.)
Author, I. I. (date). Title of the article. Journal Name, vol#(issue#), pages xx-yy. - Review of Research Questions
In this section, discuss the research question(s) or hypotheses presented in the article. - Literature Review
- How well does the literature review provide relevance to the research questions presented?
- Were there extraneous elements in the review, and was it written in a clear and concise manner?
- How well did the literature review operationally define key concepts and the approach taken to conduct the study?
- Methods Section
- Identify the research design (i.e., descriptive, correlational, experimental).
- Discuss the sampling technique used and the data collection strategies.
- Was consideration given to diversity issues?
- What is the relevance of the sample to the population?
- What were the independent/predictor and dependent/criterion variables? Was the IV manipulated?
- Comment on the reliability and validity of the research instrument(s).
- Comment on any threats to internal or external validity: subject bias, research bias, etc.
- Results Section
- Discuss the statistical analysis or manipulation as appropriate.
- Was the analysis appropriate to the design, sample and data collected?
- If tables or figures were included, do these add clarity and understanding to the results?
- Do the author's conclusions match the results found?
- Do the results and conclusions have practical significance?
- Overall Impressions
- Comments regarding the article and its relevance to practitioners in the field.
- What did this article present that will help you in preparing your research study for this course, or is relevant to you as a counselor?
ARTICLE PREPARATION - MANUSCRIPT COMPONENTS
Title Page
- clearly & accurately convey content of article (within fourteen
words)
- under article title, author's name and employment affiliation
Abstract
- an abbreviated summary of the article
- written as one paragraph (120 word limit)
- purpose of study
- research design
- methodology
- results (if empirical)
- a brief statement of conclusions or recommendations
Introduction
- what is the problem?
- why study it?
- what historical developments have led to this study?
- what was known about it before the present study?
The most important portion of the Introduction is identifying the study's purpose. This is typically located in the last paragraph of the Introduction. The purpose or objectives identify the specific questions to be answered.
- 1st paragraph - basic question or general hypothesis being examined
- 2nd paragraph - summarize the relevant research literature & historical precedents (four to eight key references are sufficient)
- 3rd paragraph - portray the development of the problem (outline the steps taken in establishing the research parameters)
- 4th paragraph - list specific hypotheses being tested (only Key issues - not all hypotheses of original study)
Methodology
- specific methodology is described in one or two pages
- include information concerning:
- - experimental design
- - procedures
- - study sample
- - treatment assignment
- - measures (independent and dependent)
- - statistical test selection
1st paragraph - selection of study participants
2nd paragraph - procedures
3rd paragraph - research instruments
4th paragraph - statistical tests
Results
- presents data on the participants involved in the study
- presents the results of all measurements outlined in methods
section
- one to two pages
1st paragraph - summarizes the study's purpose or hypotheses and results
that either support or oppose it
2nd paragraph - discusses the specific hypotheses and results
generated
Discussion
- three or four pages
- relates the results to the hypotheses
- relates the results to the research of others
- discusses the implications of the results
1st paragraph - refers back to the basic question(s) and summarizes major
findings
2nd paragraph - often concerns the more specific questions developed in
study
3rd paragraph - relates and discusses possible inconsistent findings
4th paragraph - examines generalizations from study & relates to
literature
5th paragraph - discusses future orientation of study; what research &
questions did study generate
6th paragraph - future implications; going beyond summary of
results
References
the first Palmer page.