1. Research methods in clinical psychology: An introduction for students and practitioners Chris Barker, Nancy Pistrang, and Robert Elliott
CHAPTER 13
Epilogue

2. Methodological choices
Pure versus applied research (evaluation/service research/audit)
Questions: exploratory versus hypothesis testing
Measurement procedure: self-report versus observation
Measurement type: qualitative versus quantitative
Design: descriptive/correlational versus experimental
Design: small-N versus larger N (idiographic versus nomothetic)
Setting: laboratory versus field (external validity issues)

3. Methodological pluralism
no single approach is best overall
all methods have their relative advantages and disadvantages
choose appropriate methods for the questions under investigation
can combine methods in a research study or programme (=“triangulation”)
Pluralism is not anarchy
can apply quality standards across different methods

4. Combining research and practice
Rigorous small-N research (e.g., Barlow et al., 1984)
Qualitative approaches
Evaluation, audit, effectiveness
Collaborations with academic colleagues

5. “Thus scientific methodology is seen for what it truly is - a way of preventing me from deceiving myself in regard to my creatively formed hunches which have developed out of the relationship between me and my material.” (Rogers, 1955)