Method Paper
In this individually written paper, you would be describing the steps that you would be taking to implement the study and collect data. You would be expected to describe the intervention, how variables are operationalized, identify the research design, describe sampling procedures, discuss ethical issues, address sustainability as well as motivation issues. Your instructor will return this graded paper with feedback before the submission of the final paper. You are expected to incorporate your instructor’s feedback into the final paper. Please read the more detailed handout found towards the end of the syllabus document.
This handout describes the criteria for the method paper. The paper should address the content and use the headings, as identified below and should be written in APA format. The length of the paper, excluding the references page, cover page, should not exceed 9 pages. An abstract is not required for this paper. Please use a minimum of 5 references for this paper.
The methods section of any empirical study “describes in detail how the study was conducted, including conceptual and operational definitions of the variables used in the study” (APA, 2009, p 29).
If you are implementing the study on yourself, please use the third person in the description, i.e., refer yourself as “the client” or “the researcher”
Please refer to the APA manual (7th edition) for a more detailed description of what belongs in a Methods section. In the method paper, you describe the procedures of the study to explain how you intend to implement the study.
General Instructions
Evaluation Criteria for the Method Paper
You are strongly encouraged to write this section in the past tense, although you may have not implemented the proposed data collection procedures. Writing the paper earlier in the required format and correct tense may result in less work for your final submission.
An abstract, introduction, and a conclusion are not required for the method paper but you should state concisely your research question and hypothesis at the beginning of the paper in the introductory paragraph. Please be as specific as possible.Please note that the procedures that you have proposed for this paper are likely to change as the study progresses. Please have these changes updated in your final paper.
Please use the following content headings, starting with “Issue & Person Description” then “Dependent Variables” to organize the writing of the method paper. Do not combine or omit any of the headings in your narrative.
Content (90 points)
Issue & Person Description – Situate the person in the environment by providing a description of yourself (for those who are doing the behavior mod project) or the client, focusing more on the social history of the issue. Include demographic information that will enhance our understanding of the issue. Include any salient characteristics (e.g. gender, diagnosis, ethnicity, etc.) that you believe to be related to the assessment of the problem. What maintains the problem? How have you or your client(s) dealt with the problem? What is the history of the problem and your assessment of the causes of problem? How did you arrive at these conclusions? If you are working with a group, salient and relevant information must be presented on the individuals and the group. (15)
Dependent Variables – What behaviors and/or thoughts were targeted by the intervention? How are these behaviors operationalized and measured? Provide a conceptual definition and an operational definition for each of the DVs of the study. Explain the rationale for the measurement of the dependent variable(s). How are these targeting behaviors sampled? What other instruments were (or will be) used in the study? You are strongly encouraged to develop an individual rating scale for the study. If you are using a scale to measure the dependent variable, you should use a behaviorally anchored scale, i.e., all points on the scale should be described. Please attach this to the appendix of the paper. Describe the technical properties, if any, of the instruments you are using for the study. Explain the rationale for the use of the instruments. What social validity measures would you identify that will support the gains made from the study? Also attach in the appendices any work in progress. Assess the fit between the client’s presenting issues and your choice of the dependent variable or variables. (15)
Research Design – Name, identify and notate the research design of the study (e.g. ABA, multiple baseline design, ABABC, alternating treatment design, hybrid designs, etc.) and the rationale for its use. What particular research designs are appropriate for the study? What determined the choice of this current design? How would your research design respond to the changing performance and motivation levels? You may change the design after the proposal presentation and if you believe more clinical gains can be leveraged as a result of a change of research designs. You are strongly encouraged to use hybrid designs which allow for more flexibility in practice. How many data points are you anticipating for the final study? Please keep in mind there should be at minimum 15 data points for client-related studies. For self-care studies, you should have at minimum 25 data points for the study. Explain your plans to gather the data over the course of the study.(10)
Description of Intervention – You should provide a description of the intervention(s) that were implemented. Describe each phase of the research design, duration and length. The interventions should be sufficiently detailed to allow another researcher to replicate your study. For example, describe the amount and duration of the intervention, what did you do to sustain your own (or your client’s) involvement and to ensure that the procedures were carried out uniformly? While it is assumed that there will be some variation in the procedures because of the life’s unpredictability and unique contexts, you should make an effort to implement the procedures consistently within and between phases. You may also attach forms and/or logs that were designed for the study. Please provide details about the implementation of the intervention in this section of the study. (15)
Anticipated Problems and Motivation – What problems do you anticipate in the study or have experienced while implementing the SSD research? How have you dealt with them or plan to deal with them? How did the procedures of the study address motivation issues? Describe and discuss how you have considered specific procedures (e.g. data collection procedures, definition of DV, frequency of data, research designs) or alternate ways that are likely to enhance the likelihood of SSD implementation and sustained involvement of the client in your research project over a period of time. In summary, describe the motivational and sustainability elements in your study. (10)
Control of variables – Discuss which aspects of the study were uniform and which were not. What confounding variables did you attempt to control for in the study? How were these controls instituted? How did you control for reactivity? Explain the procedures, which controlled for alternative explanations. Comment on internal validity issues as it relates to the dependent variables. How did you deal with the changing circumstances in your life (or your client’s) in terms of the proposed research design and data collection procedures? How did, if any, unpredictable episodes or situations compromise the validity of the study? (15)
Ethical issues – What ethical issues were/will be considered during the implementation phase of the study? Identify any three ethical issues (either from your perspective, your client’s or both) that are specific to this particular research study. Do not discuss general research ethical issues (e.g. confidentiality) but issues related to the procedural implementation of single systems design. How did you address these issues? Please attach the signed consent form from your client with the paper. (10)
Presentation (15 points)
The document is well written, demonstrating basic mastery of sentence structure, with no grammatical, spelling or typing errors. The paper reads well. The ideas should transition smoothly from one paragraph to the next. Attach relevant appendices.
APA Formatting & Organization (10 points)
The student uses headings to organize the information in the report. There is a logical link of topics and flow of ideas in the report. The paper is correctly formatted. The paper should not exceed 9 pages (excluding bibliography, cover page, appendices). There are no APA errors in your report. There will be a deduction of 1 point for every APA error or missing reference in the bibliography page. The deduction for lack of adherence to APA format may exceed 10 points.
