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PSYC 808
Qualitative Research Methods in Counseling Psychology

Prerequisites: Admission into Psy.D. program or permission of instructor

Credit hours (3)

This course will examine quantitative and qualitative (including pure qualitative and mixed methods) approaches to research and analysis.  The course will provide an introduction to research and analysis.  Ways to use qualitative methods to supplement quantitative approaches, and vice versa, will be discussed.

2. Detailed Description of Course

This course may include the following topics:
• General principles of design
• Research Design
    a) Nonexperimental, quasi-experimental, and developmental designs
    b) Survey research
    c) Between-subjects design
    d) Single-subject design
• Designing questionnaires and scales
• Using and testing theory
• Qualitative Research in Psychology
     a) Grounded Theory. Discourse Analysis
     b) Other Qualitative Approaches
• Content Analysis, Meta-Analysis
• Reporting and Evaluating Qualitative Research
• Uses and Abuses of Research
    a) Ethical Issues in Psychological Research
• Issues in Design and Statistics
• Writing for Publication
• Writing Research Proposals

3. Detailed Description of Conduct of Course

Methods and issues of research in counseling psychology with emphasis on a functional scholar-practitioner model. Students will design a counseling research project, analyze and interpret data, and complete a written research report in article form. Extensive reading will be involved and students will design a quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods study.

4. Goals and Objectives of the Course

At the end of this course the student should be able to:
• Identify the primary methods used in counseling psychology
• Articulate approach research strategies in assessing metal health outcomes
• Use appropriate language and terminology when writing about research and research design
• Explain the advantages and disadvantages of qualitative and quantitative research design
• Increased awareness of ethnographic work, including conceptualizing a study, observations, interviewing, analysis, and textualization.
• Design and write a research proposal that (i) clearly identifies a research question; (ii) explains the relevance of the question to an academic literature; (iii) selects appropriate methods to collect and analyze data that will answer the research question; and (iv) suggests the likely contribution of the research to the literature.

5. Assessment Measures

Students will be assessed using several measures, which may include grades on written assignments, for participation in group discussion and experiential activities, and performance on the project.

6. Other Course Information

None

Review and Approval
May 7, 2014