Research Methods (Third Edition)
Student Resources

Anthony M. Graziano and Michael L. Raulin

We hope that you will find these WEB pages useful supplements to the Graziano and Raulin Research Methods textbook. We have included a number of handouts on a wide range of topics related to the material covered in the textbook and in traditional research methods classes. Each of the handouts is briefly described below. We also list for each handout the textbook chapter(s)s where the handout would be most relevant. To check out a handout, simply click on the link for that handout.

We have also included a sample chapter from the Study Guide for your inspection. Some students really like the added structure of a Study Guide, but it is not for everyone. We think that you should have an opportunity to give it a "test drive" before you lay out your hard-earned cash.

We plan on continuing to update these WEB pages. In fact, one of the advantages of this medium is that, unlike textbooks, updates are easy to make. Any ideas that you might have would be greatly appreciated. Feel free to contact us at the address listed at the bottom of this page. In fact, we welcome your comments about the text. Tell us what you liked and what you did not like. Tell us which examples were interesting and which ones were boring. Feedback from students has played a significant role in shaping each revision of this text. Hey, we know that for many of you studying research methods is about as interesting as having a root canal. Our goal is to make it a bit less painful than your typical root canal. Tell us how that can be done.

We want to wish you the best of luck in your research methods course. Learning how to do good research is hard work, but doing your own research can be an exciting enterprise. In a world filled with facinating things, we cannot think of anything more facinating than people and their behavior. As interesting as it can be to learn about people as a psychology student, it is at least twice as interesting to discover new things about people as a psychology researcher.

Random Number Generator Program

We usually think of computers as being very predictable, but if properly programmed, they can be as random as the next guy. Actually, they can be pretty random when improperly programmed as well. We have just added a specialized computer program to t his web site that will generate the random numbers that you might need for randomly selecting subjects or for randomly assigning subjects to groups or conditions. To find out more, or to download the program, check out the Random Nu mber Page.

Handouts

Improving Your Writing. You may be taking a research methods course, but at times it can feel like a technical writing course. We have a brief handout that highlights a few simple rules to improve the quality of your writing. [Appendix A]
The Value of Theory: A Fable. This tongue-in-cheek fable was written as a letter to the editor of science over 30 years ago. It captures with a bit of humor the concern of the writer that science had lost its focus on understanding how the world works, prefering instead to focus on gathering facts like a stamp collector gathers stamps. Scientists like to question everything, including themselves and their own activity at times. [Chapter 2]
APA Ethical Principles. We have included the text of the American Psychological Association's Ethical Guidelines for Research with Human Subjects. [Chapter 3]

Study Guide

Check out the sample chapter (Chapter 2) from the Study Guide. The Study Guide is designed to provide a structured learning experience that many students find helpful.

Other Relevant Web Sites

The World Wide Web is one of the largest and fastest growing library of information in the world. It is estimated that the Web is growing in the volume of material available by an order of magnitude each year (increasing ten fold each 12 months). Your Web Browser can help you find specific material on almost any topic imaginable. However, to make your task of finding relevant material a little easier, we have included a list of interesting sites to visit that are relevant to this course. They are organized by chapter. To begin exploring those topics, click here (Web Site Index).

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