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Background: Lab manuals help researchers and students share a common understanding of the rules, guidelines, and expectations related to being involved with a research laboratory. However, no formal guidelines direct the creation of lab manuals in psychology. Objective: In this study, we conducted qualitative analyses of 10 psychology lab manuals to provide some broad guidelines for crafting a lab manual that would improve the research experience for undergraduate students. Method: Taking an inductive approach, a team of researchers created codes from the contents of the manuals, and then derived themes from those codes. Results: Themes included lab philosophy and direction, expectations and roles in the lab, communication inside and outside the lab, ethics, preparing for research, conducting research, presenting research, networking, and benefits of undergraduate research. Conclusion: We defined and provided specific examples of each theme for consideration by educators and discussed limitations of our approach. Teaching Implications: Ultimately, these themes could serve as a modest outline from which teacher-scholars can create their lab manuals from scratch or to revise/expand current manuals.
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Training the Future: Themes From a Content Analysis of Psychology Research Lab Manuals
BackgroundLab manuals help researchers and students share a common understanding of the rules, guidelines, and expectations related to being involved with a research laboratory. However, no formal guidelines direct the creation of lab manuals in psychology. ObjectiveIn this study, we conducted qualitative analyses of 10 psychology lab manuals to provide some broad guidelines for crafting a lab manual that would improve the research experience for undergraduate students. MethodTaking an inductive approach, a team of researchers created codes from the contents of the manuals, and then derived themes from those codes. ResultsThemes included lab philosophy and direction, expectations and roles in the lab, communication inside and outside the lab, ethics, preparing for research, conducting research, presenting research, networking, and benefits of undergraduate research. ConclusionWe defined and provided specific examples of each theme for consideration by educators and discussed limitations of our approach. Teaching ImplicationsUltimately, these themes could serve as a modest outline from which teacher-scholars can create their lab manuals from scratch or to revise/expand current manuals.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2222219
- PAR ID:
- 10546635
- Publisher / Repository:
- SAGE Publications
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Teaching of Psychology
- Volume:
- 53
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 0098-6283
- Format(s):
- Medium: X Size: p. 72-79
- Size(s):
- p. 72-79
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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