Research Guides: Research Methodologies: Design Your Research Project

Getting Started

Occasionally, you may be asked to collect original data and analyze it for a class project. As you develop a research question and select a methodology, ask yourself:

What are the assignment criteria?
What data do I need to answer my research question? Are quantitative or qualitative methods better suited to gathering data to answer the research question?
Are my collection methods ethical? (See information about UVU's Institutional Review Board below.)

If you're not sure where to start, the following books from the Fulton Library's collection can help you select a methodology and begin work on your research project.

Designing and Proposing Your Research Project (Print Book) by Jennifer Brown Urban; Bradley Matheus Van Eeden-Moorefield
Publication Date: 2017
Designing a study and writing up a research proposal takes time--often more time than actually conducting the study! This practical guide will save you time and frustration by walking you through every step of the process. For starters, it will help you hone in on a research topic - a huge (and hugely important) first step. Then it will guide you in developing the research question, designing the study, and choosing the best strategies for sampling and measurement. The figures, tables, and exhibits offer a wealth of examples and tools, including activities and worksheets to practice alone or in a study group.
Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (Print Book) by John W. Creswell; J. David Creswell
Publication Date: 2018
This best-selling text pioneered the comparison of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research design. For all three approaches, John W. Creswell and new co-author J. David Creswell include a preliminary consideration of philosophical assumptions, key elements of the research process, a review of the literature, an assessment of the use of theory in research applications, and reflections about the importance of writing and ethics in scholarly inquiry.
Research Methodology (Ebook) by S. Chandra Vinod, S. Anand Hareendran
Publication Date: 2017
This book offers a standardized approach for research aspirants working in the various areas. At the same time, all the major topics in social research have also been detailed thoroughly which makes this book a very good frame of study for students and researchers in diverse fields. This book charts new and evolving terrain of social research by covering qualitative, quantitative and mixed approach. The chapters has extensive number of case studies that help researchers to understand practical implications of the research and includes plenty of diagrammatic representations for easy understanding of various theories and procedures. Each phase of research is explained in detail so that even beginners can also effectively utilize this book. It is written in a highly interactive manner, which makes for an interesting read. Templates of technical report, business report and research reports are also included in the book.

Additional resources can be found on our guides for research methods courses:

Institutional Review Board

For information on getting a research study with human subjects formally approved by the university, see the website for UVU's Institutional Review Board. IRB approval often isn't required for class research assignments, but their website may be helpful depending on the parameters of your project or if you decide to fully implement your project.

UVU's Institutional Review Board (IRB)
The Institutional Review Board (IRB) is a committee mandated by federal law to protect the rights and welfare of human subjects participating in research activities. Their website includes information about CITI Training and the research project approval process.

Psychological Tests & Measures

Psychological tests (also known as measures, instruments, or scales) are standardized measures of a particular psychological variable such as personality or emotional functioning. Behavioral science research often involves using psychological tests, whether to simply learn about the test or to use in your own research study.

Many tests are commercially published and subject to copyright and licensing restrictions—these typically require paying a fee to use and are not available through the Fulton Library. Publishers may require proof that users have the professional credentials to administer the test. If you find a commercially published test you want to use, look for an FAQ page to see if a version is available to student researchers for free or at a reduced cost, or try contacting the publisher to ask.
In addition to commercial tests, there are countless unpublished tests that researchers design for particular studies in psychology, education, and other fields. These tests may be freely available online or in scholarly articles.

Many psychological tests—both unpublished and commercially published—are described in scholarly articles, including how they were developed and validated, and how they can be used in the field. If an article refers to a specific psychological test that you'd like to view or use in your research, try these strategies for finding it:

Check the appendixes at the end of the article to see if the author(s) included the full instrument or a note about where it can be found or purchased. Portions of the test may also be included in the main text of the article or in tables or figures.
Search for the name of the test on Google as a quick way to see if it's available through a commercial publisher or freely available on a website.
Email the article's lead author, to ask questions about their test or ask if they have a version they're willing to share with student researchers. Author contact information is typically included on the first page of scholarly articles. If it's an older article, the contact information may be out of date—try searching for the author on Google, to see where they're currently working and look for a current email.

FAQ: Finding Information About Psychological Tests (American Psychological Association)
This excellent FAQ page from the American Psychological Association includes more information about psychological tests and how to find them.

Databases for Tests & Measures

Use these databases to find articles that reference specific psychological tests and measures. You can either use a search term to look for tests on a topic (for example, search for "metacognition") or you can search for the name of a test you already know about (for example, search for "Metacognition Assessment Scale").

Please be aware, articles found in these databases frequently do not include full tests—once you find information on a test you'd like to see, use the tips above to see if you can locate the full test. Also these databases often do not include the full text of articles. In these cases, you will need to use citation details to locate articles in another database like OneSearch. Contact your librarian if you need any help using these databases.

HaPI (Health and Psychosocial Instruments) [EBSCO] This link opens in a new window
This database specializes in psychological instruments and is a great place to start. Search using keywords related to your topic, or by the name of a specific instrument. You will see a list of instruments related to your search. After clicking a title, you will see a record that includes information about the instrument, as well as a Source line with citation details for the article that referenced the instrument (the article may also be included as a PDF). By Behavioral Measurement Database Services; partial full text available.
Mental Measurements Yearbook with Tests in Print [EBSCO] This link opens in a new window
A guide to more than 2,000 contemporary testing instruments. The MMY series contains information on test products within such diverse areas as psychology, education, business, and leadership. No full text available.
APA PsycInfo [EBSCO] This link opens in a new window
While this database includes all types of articles related to psychology, you can also use it to find articles that reference psychological tests and measures. To do this, scroll to the bottom of the database's search page and check the Tests/Measures/Assessment box before running your search, or use the Tests & Measures filter on the left side of your results list.

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