Postgraduate Course: Research Methods in Applied Psychology (CLPS11066)
Course Outline
| School | School of Health in Social Science |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course provides an introduction to psychological research design and methods.
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| Course description |
Research Methods in Applied Psychology aims to introduce students to a range of basic research methods in applied psychology. The course caters for students from a range of backgrounds, including those who are new to research. The topics covered include: framing research questions, observational and experimental designs, data collection approaches, systematic literature review and ethical considerations of research. The course explores both the theoretical underpinnings of research design and the practical considerations and constraints of applied psychological research. The course is delivered with 2-hour weekly face-to-face lectures and 5 tutorials. Students are expected to heavily engage in independent learning hours. The courser will run across the first and second teaching blocks in Semester 1.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2026/27, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
| Course Start Date |
21/09/2026 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 20,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 5,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
171 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Formative MCQ 0%
Research Protocol 95%
SONA Research Participation 5%
Individual Research Protocol 2000 words. You will design the protocol based on a topic of your choice. This will be submitted online.
SONA Research Participation provides an opportunity to engage in real research studies using the SONA platform. Students will create an account and completed any study of your choice (or combination of them) to obtain 5 points (5 credits). Further details will be provided on the first Lecture.
The formative MCQ assessment for this course will be administered online using the Inquisitive platform which all students will have free access to. It will be available throughout the semester. Your result in this MCQ will not be included in the overall mark for the course.
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| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate a critical and contextualised understanding of the key issues in research design and ethics.
- Evaluate the appropriateness of different methods of primary/secondary data collection based on issues of design, analysis and population of interest.
- Demonstrate logical links between research questions, design and (primary/secondary) data collection.
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Reading List
| Morling B. (2021) Research Methods in Psychology. London: W.W. Norton & Company. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
* Develop your research knowledge that will enable you to discuss, share, present and analyse data and information in various formats and from a range of sources.
* Develop your research methods and data analysis skills.
* Develop your critical reflection and writing skills.
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| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Leonor Rodriguez
Tel:
Email: lrodrig2@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Gustav Lacok
Tel:
Email: glacok@ed.ac.uk |
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