Description
Unit 1:
Population Selection and Research and Program Designs
INTRODUCTION
Research activities are often influenced by the researcher’s personal and professional experiences, knowledge, interests, or expertise. In this course you will be examining some aspect of addictions counseling through your research activity. Population Selection and Research Program Designs.
Researchers are motivated and committed to investigating a problem, testing out hypotheses, determining possible answers, reexamining the problem from a new perspective, or proposing or conceptualizing a theory, clinical model, or therapeutic program. These are the core elements of effective clinical research.
Population Selection and Research Program Designs
Today, there is an emphasis on multicultural research, and investigating or proposing clinical or therapeutic programs that take cultural factors into account.
Regardless of what motivates researchers, they must adhere to accepted standards in their selection of a clinical population, proposal of a research problem and research hypotheses, and selection of an appropriate research methodology. Hence, researchers should be able to clearly identify the purpose of their research and have a vision for their proposed research projects. They must also have a good working knowledge of research methodologies.Population Selection and Research Program Designs.
OBJECTIVES
To successfully complete this learning unit, you will be expected to:
1. Evaluate various research methodologies, and select an appropriate methodology for your proposed research project.
2. Propose a research problem, or a clinical or therapeutic program, specifically related to some aspect of addictions counseling.
3. Identify a specific multicultural population, different from your own, for your research.
LEARNING ACTIVITIES
Unit 1 Studies Readings
Read the following in Royse, Thyer, and Padgett’s Program Evaluation: An Introduction to an Evidence-Based Approach:
4. Chapter 1, “Introduction” pages 1–37.
5. Chapter 4, “Qualitative and Mixed Methods in Evaluation,” pages 93–117.
Read the Reid and Kampfe chapter, “Multicultural Issues.”
Consult the Library to locate three peer-reviewed journal articles that are relevant to your final project. Use these articles to complete this unit’s “Select a Clinical and Multicultural Population” discussion.
Optional – Library Articles Population Selection and Research Program Designs
You may choose to read these articles, available in the Capella University Library, to augment your understanding of this unit’s topics:
-
- Baetz and Toews’s (2009, May) article, “Clinical implications of research on religion, spirituality, and mental health,” fromCanadian Journal of Psychiatry, volume 54, issue 5, pages 292–301.
- Gelo, Braakmann, and Benetka’s (2008) article, “Quantitative and Qualitative Research: Beyond the Debate,” fromIntegrative Psych Behavior, volume 42, issue 3, pages 266–290.
- Zalaquett, Foley, Tillotson, Dinsmore, and Hof’s (2008) article, “Multicultural and social justice training for counselor education programs and colleges of education: Rewards and challenges,” from Journal of Counseling & Development,volume 86, issue 3, pages 323–329.Discussion 1: 1 page needed with minimum of 250 words and 2 references.Select a Clinical and Multicultural PopulationFor your final project, select a clinical and multicultural population that you have the least experience with in terms of race, gender, sexual orientation, spiritual or religious differences, or ethnic issues. This population must be an addictions population. Based on the required readings and the three peer-reviewed journal articles you located, identify and commit to a specific research or program methodology. Summarize why you selected the population and the specific methodology, and what you specifically wish to learn or provide for that population.Discussion 2: 1 page needed with minimum of 250 words and 2 references.
Population Selection
Articulate how researching your selected population will clearly demonstrate your knowledge, skills, and best practices related to addictions counseling