Introduction to Research Methods In Psychology Basic Concepts/Introduction to Research in Psychology

Preparatory Reading
Read through the Course Guide, Suggested Schedule, and Assignments carefully before starting on the course work.

Searching for a Resource on the Web
When a course activity requires you to access a web-based resource a link to the resource is provided within the unit. Occasionally you may find that a link does not work. While this can be frustrating, you can oftentimes locate the resource yourself by typing a few of the key terms naming or describing the resource into your web browser. For example, one way to access an article would be to type the exact name of the article in quotation marks into your favorite browser. Practice searching for a few resources right now.

Browse through News Media Reports of Research
We all encounter reports of research through the news media - whether on television or in articles in newspapers, magazines, websites or blogs. Whatever your preferred source of news may be, you should start to notice and familiarize yourself with the manner in which research is reported in the news media. It is likely that your judgment of these reports will change as you progress through this course.

Share Your Opinions, Comments, or Questions
Although you may not be completing this course with a cohort of learners, you can still benefit by sharing your opinions, comments, and questions using the course discussion forum. After you’ve made a comment or asked a question, keep checking the regularly and reply to as many comments made by peers as possible to encourage the formation of a community of learners. If you use the micro-blogging site Twitter, you may use the hashtag #OERuResearchMethods [should this be #OERuPSYC2111?] for the same purpose.