11. The Project page - Everything you need to know about the group research project
Here we summarise everything you need to know about the group research project that you’ll carry out as part of PSYC4141.
We provide:
- An overview: Key information on what you’ll be expected to do, a rough timeline and how it links to assessment [Further sections will be added soon]
You can navigate to each in the side bar on the right.
1. An overview
Lectures and textbooks can only take you so far. Doing research shows you things that are hard to appreciate any other way.
You see how ideas become measurable. From the inside, you see how researchers turn abstract ideas into measurable variables: how instructions are worded, questions are designed and responses are recorded. You may also notice how your own expectations shape what you do. These are the issues you’ll need to think critically about in your own designs, such as demand characteristics, operationalisation and measurement validity.
You see ethics in practice. Information sheets, informed consent, the right to withdraw and debriefing make more sense once you’ve implemented them.
You see why sample size and representativeness matter. Your own research will depend on others choosing to take part, and the project gives you a first-hand sense of that.
In short, the mini project helps you become a better researcher by connecting what you learn in class to real research practice.
Overview (~9 minutes) Key information on what you’ll be expected to do, a rough timeline and how it links to assessment.