Why You Should Understand the Research Process

Research Methods – The Economics of Psychology

In this course, Dr Ayoub Bouguettaya (University of Birmingham) explores the procedures and economics of the psychology research process. In the first lecture, we think about why understanding the processes of psychological research is important. In the second lecture, we think about the lifecycle of a research project, from developing an idea, to a funded project, to publishing your findings. In the third lecture, we think about funding, including where that funding might come from and exactly what it pays for. Next, we think about why findings are published in the journals they are, and the metrics that can be monitored after publication. In the fifth lecture, we think about some economic applications of psychology research, including utilising defaults to influence people’s selections. In the sixth and final lecture, we think about some controversies and questions within this field, including whether governments should be allowed to use psychology on their own citizens.

Why You Should Understand the Research Process

In this lecture, we think about why understanding psychological research processes matters, focusing in particular on: (i) why someone might not be able to access an academic paper for free online, even though the research funding has come primarily from the taxpayer; (ii) how a local council might commission research to be done on a topic of interest; (iii) how to know whether a journal is trustworthy, or if it is impossible to tell; (iv) how understanding sources of funding can inform your trust of particular sources of information.