47.512 Applied Research Methods

Course Materials

Create your own GSS file from archived data from more than 40,000 respondents. Data files at UC Berkeley, Survey Documentation and Analysis.  

• To download files, go to Archives and select variables.  Use commas to delimit fields and save as text.  Then go to Excel and open file from text identifying commas as the delimiters.  Edit to capacities of SPSS student version as needed (1500 cases and 50 variables).  Open SPSS and use open database to access excel file.

SPSS files:  these appear to work.  Click on the link and save the file on your hard drive.  It should save as an SPSS file if you have the program SPSS loaded on your computer.  You should be able to open all of these.

• MASSchip:  Child abuse and neglect:  reports and investigations 1997

• GSS 1991 subset for health and work related stress events

• GSS 1993 subset for attitudes

• World almanac 1995

• GSS 1996 attitudes and popularity; spss file info

Student research proposal topics and feedback.

Why do I have to learn all this research stuff anyway? What I care about is doing good work and helping people.  See this article and think carefully.

Dishion, T.J., McCord, J. & Poulin, F. (1999).  When interventions harm:  Peer groups and problem behavior.  American Psychologist, 54, 755-764.

Confidence interval exercise 3/3/3.  In class. Click here.

Answers to CI exercise. Click here. 

Descriptive statistics for scores on Exam I.  Click here.

Testing resources at O'Leary Library.  Click here.

Resources for writing, especially research reports and proposals.  Click here.

Resources for evaluating internet research tools & sites.  Click here. 

Suggestions for completing the IRB application.  Click here.

IRB Single Project Approval form in MS Word that can be downloaded and typed on. Go to this page and save as a MS Word document on your hard drive. Click here.

IRB Informed Consent form in MS Word that can be downloaded and typed on. Go to this page and save as a MS Word document on your hard drive. Click here.

Sample of debriefing form used for undergrad student experiments involving the manipulation of emotion. Click here.