Though psychology as a discipline has grown enormously in popularity in recent years, compulsory courses in research methods and statistics are seldom embarked upon with any great enthusiasm within the undergraduate and postgraduate communities. Many postgraduate and PhD students start their research ill-equipped to design effective experiments and to properly analyse their results. This lack of knowledge also limits their ability to critically assess and evaluate research done by others. This book is a practical guide to carrying out research in health psychology and clinical psychology. It bridges the gap between undergraduate and postgraduate study. As well as describing the various techniques and methods available to students, it provides them with a proper understanding of what a specific technique does - going beyond the introductory descriptions typical of most undergraduate methods books. The book describes both quantitative and qualitativeve approaches to data collection, providing valuable advice on methods ranging from psychometric testing to discourse analysis. For both undergraduate and postgraduate students, the book will be essential in making them aware of the full range of techniques available, helping them to design scientifically rigorous experiments, and effectively analyse their results.

Introduction, Jeremy Miles & Paul Gilbert 1. Thinking about research: issues and dilemmas, Paul Gilbert & Chris Irons 2. Sampling in health and clinical psychology research, Heather Buchanan & Neil Coulson 3. Ethical research is better research, Bruce Napier 4. Research with children, Sally-Ann Clarke, Jo Lawford, Linda Sheppard & Christine Eiser 5. The measurement of physiological outcomes in health and clinical psychology, Mark Wetherell & Kavita Vedhara 6. Semi-structured interviewing, Fiona Fylan 7. Using focus groups: exploring the meanings of health and illness, Sue Wilkinson 8. Using and evaluating psychometric measures: practical and theoretical considerations, Darcy Santor 9. The use of diary methodologies in health and clinical psychology, Eamonn Ferguson 10. Analysis of repertory grids in clinical practice, Chris Leach & Kate Freshwater 11. Descriptive and interpretive approaches to qualitative research, Robert Elliott & Ladislav Timulak 12. Discursive approaches, Elizabeth Stokoe & Sally Wiggins 13. Experimental methods in clinical and health research, Andy Field & Graham Davey 14. The importance of considering effect size and statistical power in research, David Clark-Carter 15. Reliability, Susanne Hempel 16. Analysing categorical data, Chris Fife-Schaw 17. General and generalised linear models, Jeremy Miles 18. Survival analysis, Peter Watson 19. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis in clinical and health psychology, Mark Shevlin 20. Applications of structural equation modelling in clinical and health psychology research, Rick Hoyle 21. Some statistical and graphical strategies for exploring the effect of longitudinal data in health research, Gary Adamson & Brendan Bunting 22. Meta-analysis, Andy Field