PSYK2600 Research Methods 3 - Research Designs and Statistics Course description

Research methods and statistics play a key role in behaviour and social research, and a basic understanding of methodological and statistical concepts is necessary to be able to read research articles and assess the quality of data and findings.

Passed the course PSYK2100

After completing the course, the student is expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and competence:

Knowledge

The student can

• describe general research methodology
• describe basic research designs and the different types of validity
• explain the application of descriptive statistics
• describe the general principles of statistical hypothesis testing
• explain Type l and Type II errors
• explain different types of basic statistical analyses and their application

Skills

The student can

• assess research results from published studies and the validity of the findings
• design a good study and complete simple statistical analyses of his/her own data

Competence

The student can

• communicate the basic principles of research methodology, hypothesis testing and statistics

Work and teaching methods used in the course are seminars, self-study and group work. Students are given practical exercises in using simple statistical analysis and interpreting results.

To prepare for the examination must the following obtain approved:

• participation in compulsory teaching activities (100%)

Portfolio exam comprising four tests and a digital, supervised written exam lasting 3 hours. All four tests must be approved before the student can take the digital, supervised, written exam. All the components must be awarded a pass grade before the course is passed. If you have not taken the tests before or have failed, the tests in question can be taken once more before the ordinary written exam.

Before the new/postponed, supervised written exam, there will be an opportunity to take one or more of the tests a third and final time. If, after passing the course, the student wishes to improve the final grade, the entire portfolio examination including tests and supervised written exam must be taken again.

None

Grade scale A-F. A grade will be awarded based on the tests taken during the course (60%) and the result of the final written exam (40%). The student has a right to appeal the overall exam grade for the whole portfolio

All answers are assessed by one examiner.

An external examiner is used regularly, at a minimum of every third completion of the course. When selecting answers for external evaluation, a minimum of 10 percent of the answers shall be included, with no fewer than 5 answers. The external examiner’s assessment of the selected answers shall benefit all students.