Читать книгу Methods in Psychological Research - Annabel Ness Evans - Страница 70

After studying this chapter, students should be able to

 Search the literature using common online databases

 Describe what is contained in each section of a typical research article

 Calculate the typical descriptive statistics found in research articles

 Appraise the complex statistical procedures found in research articles

You have selected your research topic. Now, you need to discover what research has already been done on the topic. It is time for you to peruse the research literature. You will probably find some research on your topic, but it is unlikely that anyone has done exactly the same study that you have in mind. We often tell our students to think through their topic before going to the literature because it is easier to be creative about your project before you have looked at the other approaches. Indeed, once you have read a few articles in the area, it may be very difficult to think of an original idea!

Although it is unlikely that a study identical to yours has already been done, reading the literature will give you an idea about the kinds of problems that other researchers have had, and you can assess their solutions to those problems. The literature can provide a historical context for your study by describing what has been done and what remains to be explored. You will also find valuable information on how to measure variables, how to control variables, and, in experimental studies, how to manipulate variables. This sounds wonderful, but how do you start to search through all the research to find studies relevant to your topic? In the “good old days,” this required many hours (or days) of wading through heavy indexes of research (just imagine a dozen or more telephone directories). Today, there are a number of computer indexes that require no heavy lifting.