1. Evaluate the Practicality of the research benefit > risk who, what, how, where, when > why

2. Do I have the resources: WHO  Myself:Do I have sufficient knowledge… (of design, to collect, analyze, etc) If not, then who does?  Sample:How many do I need? Can I get that many? Alternatives? Financial resources to pay? Which sampling method?

3. Do I have the resources: WHO  Manpower:Do I need Research Assistants? How many do I need? Where do I get them? Undergraduate or graduate? How long to train? How much time can they invest? Will I be using confederates? Specialized consultants? Do I have resources to pay?

4. Do I have the resources: WHAT  Hypothesis: Is the idea fully developed? Clear? Precise? Parsimonious?  Measures: Have I found the right measure? Is it validated and/or reliable? If not, should I validate it first? If I don’t, what is risk? If I create my own, is it valid? Should I test it first?  Manipulations: Same as above

5. Do I have the resources: HOW  Procedures: How am I implementing the study? Financial resources? If others are implementing, what is my role? coordinator? Do I have IRB approval / forms like consent? Debriefing form? Do I have protocol?  Methodological: Is this the right design given my research hypothesis, pros/cons of each design Construct, External, Internal Reliability Errors, Bias Lack of confounds

6. Do I have the resources: WHERE  In-person versus online versus mail/telephone (see previous PowerPoint slide for table of pros/cons of each)

7. Do I have the resources: WHEN  How long to collect data?  How long to analyze data?  How long to write-up results?  Are there deadlines? (upcoming conference, talk, special issue)  How much time do I have to invest?  Can I delegate to others? (see “WHO”)

8. WHY am I doing this study.  Compare your available resources to the reason(s) why you are conducting the study.  Internal motivations  External motivations  Is idea worth investing this much of my time/resources?  Part of my program of research?  If I don’t have the resources, can I make concessions? Which one(s)?  No study is perfect, compromises are always made, but at what point do the compromises render the study not worth doing?

9. (from day 1)  If pressed for time, there are some short-cut(s)… Pre-emption can be skipped because unlikely “exact” idea has been done Research idea need not be overly complex or complicated ASAP – Legal topic, frame as social policy, collect basic descriptive information Pick research idea by reading published article and adding 1 new aspect Can “farm-out” collecting data and analyzing results Collaborate (attach yourself) to psychologist’s existing research Collaborate (attach yourself) to psychologist but conduct your own idea

10. Advanced Sources  There are no books/articles that can help you decide whether the benefits > risk, but I would suggest presenting your idea in a Lab Group to get as much feedback as possible before you invest your time/energy/money into conducting the study.  I would also suggest writing a research / grant proposal (see next slide)

11. Writing Research/Grant Proposal  At the end of Phase 3, my strong suggestion is write a Proposal why?  Writing the Introduction forces you to… write the literature review, and thus read all about your topic (e.g., pre-emption search, best measures, best manipulations, etc) write-out your hypotheses, and thus work through if hypotheses is well-developed (e.g., theoretical holes, problems, issues, theoretical support via literature, etc)  Writing the Method forces you to… describe in detail the method, and thus think through any possible holes, problems, issues, etc.

12. Writing Research/Grant Proposal why?  Writing the Results forces you to… identify what your expected results will be, and thus identify if your method is capable of achieving that result identify which data analytic procedures you will be using, and thus help you prepare and/or learn how to conduct those techniques; and thus also help you identify if those data analytic procedures can answer your intended research question / hypotheses  Writing the Discussion forces you to… think about the importance and implications of the research (e.g., assuming the study works perfectly, is the outcome worthwhile? important? worth my invested time/energy? Or, what if the study works partially?

13. Writing Research/Grant Proposal why?  Helps you decide if: benefit > risk who, what, how, where, when > why  A Research / Grant Proposal must be straightforward, precise, concise  If grant proposal, can submit while running studies (Phase 4); and if proposal rejected, hopefully will have completed studies ready in time for revise-and-resubmit