Deck 10: Models of Good Research

Question 1

Define "rigor" in art therapy research.

Answer 1

Rigor means attending to integrity and correctness in all procedures, with the goal of obtaining the best possible outcomes.

Question 2

What are the 5 basic questions to ask in order to evaluate a research report?

Answer 2

a. What is the report about?
b. How does the study fit into what is already known?
c. How was the study done?
d. What was found?
e. What do the results mean?

Question 3

What should you look for in a literature review of a published study?

A) The literature should be concise and focused on the most important and relevant studies.
B) The literature should be comprehensive so that readers can become learn more about the theories that inform the research on the topic.
C) The literature should be broad because the study itself is narrow.
D) The literature should be discussed in depth so that a reader can become familiar with everything that has bearing on the subject of the study.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Identify at least 5 kinds of information that should be found in the methods section of
a report.

Question 5

What is an effect size and how is it calculated?

Question 6

Based on information presented in the discussion section, how does a reader determine whether the study's conclusions are warranted?

Question 7

What is one of the main problems in research reporting that may cause readers to question the credibility of a study?

A) Research reports are too complex, making them difficult to understand and use in future research.
B) Qualitative reports fail to use the rigorous logic of quantitative research, making it difficult to replicate the findings in future research.
C) Methods and procedures are not explicitly described, making it difficult to verify or replicate the findings in future research.
D) Researchers fail to cite earlier research, making it difficult to verify their sources to aid future research.

Question 8

"Failure" in a research study often relates to limitations that occur as the result of unanticipated events or circumstances beyond the control of the researcher. How can
A researcher best make use of these failures in order to contribute to art therapy knowledge?

A) The researcher should present the findings in the most positive light so that readers can appreciate their value despite limitations.
B) The researcher should not publish the study if its findings fail to establish significance.
C) The researcher should present limitations clearly and recognize that knowledge is constructed by analyzing failure as much as by success.
D) The researcher should qualify the limitations so that readers know they were not anticipated.

Question 9

Why is some research published even though it may contribute a seemingly insignificant finding or have minor design flaws and limitations?

A) Scholarly journals have a duty to publish all art therapy studies, no matter their flaws, because that is how the research tradition in a field is built.
B) Scholarly journals recognize that some studies contribute valuable new ideas or insights about a timely problem despite their limitations.
C) Because published research is peer reviewed, the decision to publish may overlook design flaws that other reviewers would have rejected.
D) Scholarly journals prefer scientific research to other kinds of research that may be more significant in the field of art therapy.

Question 10

What are the main differences in how information is presented in the results versus the discussion sections?

A) The discussion section analyzes the data collected and the results section presents the analysis with tables and graphs.
B) The results section analyzes and presents the data in tables and graphs, and the discussion section puts the findings into context.
C) The discussion section reviews the literature and the results section presents the data that either supported or did not support the hypothesis.
D) The results section presents the hypothesis, data collection, and analysis; the discussion section describes how the researcher achieved the findings.

Question 11

Explain "the thin line between success and failure" in conducting a research study and give an example.

Question 12

Reflect on something you accomplished with a certain degree of skill. What made it "good"? To what extent did "the right way of making something" enhance its quality and your own pride of accomplishment? How can this idea be extended to "correct" procedures or rigor in research?

Question 13

Create an artwork in a medium that requires accuracy or several steps to produce an outcome, such as printmaking or ceramics. Reflect on how "correctness" in procedures contributes to the success of the work and your own self-confidence. Consider its parallels in your goals for conducting a research study.

Question 14

Apply the reader checklist to a published report of your choice.

Question 15

Choose one of the model research reports and summarize its strengths and weaknesses.

Question 16

Use the model research reports to identify what is missing or needed; write an analysis of the report based on your own critique using the standards.

Question 17

Write an analysis of a report in your own words using the report standards; share with others. Select one or two reports from the literature related to your own study and write an analysis using the report standards.

Question 18

Select one or more of the model research reports to critique in a small group discussion, following the report standards. Then apply the same methodology to a research report of your choosing. Justify your analysis using the report standards as your criteria.

Question 19

Write a memo that identifies your insights into how to conduct your study based on your critique of related research

Question 20

Write an imaginary letter to one of the authors of the research reports you evaluated. Pose questions, gently critique the study, or share your empathy with his/her research purposes and goals.