Advanced Psychology Research Guide

Choose your research methods wisely: Experts offer tips on balancing ambition and realism in your research design

PsycINFO: 

Identify methodologies and populations:

1. Search for your research area

2. In the sidebar to the right of the list of search hits click the arrow beside the following headings:

• Age, a list of the age groups studied in your research area (with the number of articles using each age group in parentheses)
• Gender, as list of the genders studied in your research area (with the number of articles using each gender in parentheses)
• Methodology, a list of the methodologies used in your research area (with the number of articles using each methodology in parentheses)
• Population, a list of the populations used in your research area (with the number of articles using each population in parentheses)

Find justification for your methodologies and populations:

1. Check the box(es) beside the age/gender/methodology/population which you want to study to focus your list of search hits to research articles which use that age/gender/methodology/population

2. Use those research articles, and how they were used in your research area, in your thesis proposal as justification for your research design

CINAHL:

1. Search for your research area

2. In the sidebar to the right of the list of search hits click the arrow beside the following headings:

• Age, a list of the age groups studied in your research area (with the number of articles using each age group in parentheses)
• Gender, as list of the genders studied in your research area (with the number of articles using each gender in parentheses)

Find justification for your methodologies and populations:

1. Check the box(es) beside the age/gender which you want to study to focus your list of search hits to research articles which use that age/gender

2. Use those research articles, and how they were used in your research area, in your thesis proposal as justification for your research design